French Chef And Restaurateur Michel Roux Has Passed Away Aged 79

Mar 12, 2020 by apost team

Legendary French chef and restaurateur Michel Roux has died at the age of 79 following a long battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a type of lung disease. 

Roux made a name for himself as a chef who profoundly transformed contemporary British cuisine, and is the first to have won three Michelin stars in the UK.

Michel Roux’s family released a statement on Instagram today to announce the restaurateur’s death. 

“It is with deep sadness that the Roux family announces the passing of our beloved grandfather, father, brother and uncle, Michel Roux OBE,” the statement reads.

“The family would like to thank everyone for their support during his illness. While many of you will share our great sense of loss, we request privacy for the family at this difficult time.”

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The statement continues by praising Roux for being a “humble genius” who they were proud of. 

“For many, he was a father figure inspiring all with his insatiable appetite for life and irresistible enthusiasm,” they added. 

“But above all, we will miss his mischievous sense of fun, his huge, bottomless heart and generosity and kindness that knew no bounds. Michel’s star will shine forever, lighting the way for a generation of chefs to follow.”

Throughout his impressive career, Michel Roux made a name for himself in Britain as a an influential chef who is leaving behind a long-lasting legacy. 

He is also known for training some of the most high profile chefs in the industry, including Gordon Ramsey, Marco Pierre White, and Pierre Koffmann. He is also known for his restaurant  Le Gavroche in Sloane Square London, which Roux opened with his brother Albert in 1967. The restaurant was the first to have ever won a michelin star in the UK and then became the first to have won three in the country in 1982.

Many celebrities and fans alike have now taken to social media to express their grief following the tragic news. 

Piers Morgan was one of the first to have taken to Twitter to post a tribute to the late chef. He wrote:  

“RIP Michel Roux, 79. 

One of the world's greatest chefs & a wonderful character with a passion for food only matched by his passion for life. The Queen loved his cooking, which says it all. 

Thanks for all the fabulous meals, Michel!”

Michel Roux was born in Charolles, Saône-et-Loire, France, in 1941. At the young age of 14, he followed his big brother Albert into the culinary arts by becoming an apprentice chef at the Camille Loyal in Belleville.

He then joined the French National Defence for two years between 1960-1962 before following his brother to the UK. Although Roux did not speak English then, he eventually managed to work his way up in the industry and opened numerous businesses with Albert. The brothers also founded a scholarship in 1984 together, dubbed the Roux Brothers Scholarship, which hosts an annual competition to select a chef to be sent as an apprentice.

Roux will be laid to rest following an intimate family funeral, which is to be held later this year. 

Our condolences go out to Michel Roux’s family.