Tributes flood in for famous chef Albert Roux who died aged 85

Tributes pour in as chef and restaurateur Albert Roux, known for his revolutionary cooking and love of Scotland, has died at the age of 85.

Albert Roux during Katy Rodger's artisan dairy.

The infamous French chef who ran a number of restaurants in Scotland, passed away on January 4, his family announced.

Scottish establishments ran by the OBE awarded chef include Chez Roux The Atholl in Edinburgh, the Cromlix, Crossbasket Castle and Inverlochy Castle.

A keen fisher, Albert Roux was very fond of Scotland and said in an interview with GQ several years ago: "For me, the Highlands and islands of Scotland are paradise."

He and his brother Michel operated Le Gavroche in London, the first restaurant in the UK to gain three Michelin stars.

A statement from his family said: "The Roux family has announced the sad passing of Albert Roux, OBE, KFO, who had been unwell for a while, at the age 85 on 4th January 2021.

"Albert is credited, along with his late brother Michel Roux, with starting London's culinary revolution with the opening of Le Gavroche in 1967."

Famous Edinburgh chef Tom Kitchin paid his respects to Roux tweeting a picture of himself and the revolutionary chef, with the caption: “One of the true culinary greats has left us... Merci chef.. My thoughts are with the Roux family and the army of chefs you’ve influenced over the years.. You will be missed but never forgotten...RIP”

Food critic Jay Rayner also paid his respects, saying Roux “left a massive mark on the food story of his adopted country.”

Chef James Martin also paid tribute to Roux, by describing his death as “such a sad start to the year.”

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.