Who will be the 35th Roux Scholar? Competition Open For Entries

The Roux family is delighted to launch the 2018 Roux Scholarship competition.

The winner receives £6,000 and a career changing opportunity: an all expenses paid, three month stage at a three star Michelin restaurant anywhere in the world, as well as many unique prizes all related to food and hospitality.

Entrants must be in full-time employment as a chef in the UK and be aged 22 or above, but no older than 30 years of age on 1st February 2018. They have until midnight on Wednesday 31st January 2018 to submit a recipe to serve four people, using:

Two whole gilthead sea bream (Daurade Royale), weighing anywhere between 600g – 800g each (maximum 1kg) and one variety of mollusc of your liking (shellfish with a hard non edible shell); together served plated with two ‘simple’ or ‘composed’ garnishes/accompaniments. One must include green globe artichokes and the other to be a garnish/accompaniment of your choice. One of these can be served separately if preferred. A sauce must accompany the dish.

Important notes:

Two and a half hours’ cooking time is allocated at the regional final for cooking the dish, as the recipe originally submitted and a dessert to serve four people made from a ‘mystery box’ of ingredients given on the day.
Competitors are not allowed to use or bring any pre-prepared stock or sauce whatsoever for the fish, vegetable or garnish/accompaniment dishes and none will be provided.
Chefs must provide their recipe with a full and accurate list of quantities and cost of all ingredients used, omitting the gilthead sea bream. The cost of the Gilthead sea bream will be £12.00 per kg. The full total costing of the dish, without the gilthead sea bream, should not exceed £13.00 per portion.
The college will provide the gilthead sea bream for those competitors successful in being selected to compete at the regional final.
At least one and a maximum of 2 photographs should accompany the recipe as part of the entry.
Full details of the competition, entry process and the rules that competitors must read before entering can be found on the website. rouxscholarship.co.uk

Alain Roux: “I am particularly fond of cooking and eating gilthead sea bream, it reminds me of the “taste of summer. Widely cultivated in Europe in sea farms it is relatively affordable and a healthy choice. Incredibly versatile, elegant and refined it can be prepared in so many different ways; the succulent white flesh is well flavoured and ideal for serving whole or as fillets.”

Michel Roux Jr: “Artichokes are a Roux family favourite and always feature on our menus, so I can’t wait to see what the chefs come up with especially with such a delicate fish as bream. Equally as interesting will be the choice of mollusc, once again not that straightforward and plenty of scope for imaginative recipes.”

Joint chairmen of the judges, Alain and Michel Roux Jr are joined this year by an impressive line up of chefs to judge the competition: Sat Bains (1999 scholar), the first scholar, Andrew Fairlie, André Garrett (2002 scholar), Angela Hartnett, Simon Hulstone (2003 scholar), Rachel Humphrey, James Martin, Clare Smyth and vice chairman, Brian Turner.

Alain Roux, commenting on the three new judges joining the panel:

“The Roux family is privileged to welcome three highly talented, respected chefs as new judges starting with the 2018 competition, Rachel Humphrey, Angela Hartnett and Clare Smyth. They are showing true leadership in giving their time and effort to inspire young chefs cooking in the UK, in particular more female chefs whose participation we hope to encourage.

The Roux family prizes Rachel’s talents as Executive Chef at Le Gavroche and is so fortunate to welcome her as Scholarship judge. She is a highly skilled chef and in close synergy with the Roux spirit, vision, food and way of cooking. I can’t think of a better fit as a judge.

It is fantastic to have Angela Hartnett return as judge. Her status and following as one of the UK’s top chefs is well deserved and growing still. But more than anything else, Angela is simply a brilliant cook.

The family is delighted to welcome Clare Smyth, the UK’s first 3 Michelin star female chef, as new judge. Having excelled as chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Clare is at the top of her game and has proved herself on every level. We feel particularly honoured that Clare has taken us on in the first year of the launch of her new restaurant, Core.”

A premier international guest chef will join the panel to judge the final; this name will be announced soon.

The judges will select the best 18 recipes from those submitted. These chefs will be invited to cook their dish and a ‘mystery box’ dessert challenge at regional finals to be held in Birmingham and London on Thursday 8th March 2018.

The final will be held in London on Monday 26th March 2018 and the winner will be announced at a prestigious award ceremony at The Langham, London, that same evening.

Other News

Luke Selby, 2017 scholar: Luke was head chef at Dabbous, when he won the 2017 Scholarship. The first scholar to complete his winners’ stage in Japan, he trained at three-Michelin-star Restaurant Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo, with Chef Seiji Yamamoto. 2017 has been a golden year for Luke who went on to win National Chef of the Year just days after his return from Japan.

Two scholars scoop a new Michelin star: Mark Birchall and Adam Smith each earned a Michelin star for their establishments in the 2018 Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland. Adam (2012 scholar) moved to Cowarth Park, Berkshire in July 2016. Mark (2011 scholar) opened Moor Hall, West Lancashire with his partners in March of this year. Moor Hall was the only restaurant in the North to be awarded a new star.

New sponsor: The Roux family is pleased to welcome The Balvenie as new sponsor of the Roux Scholarship 2018. Michel Jr: ”The credentials of The Balvenie are a perfect fit for the Roux family and make a wonderful addition to our prestigious group of sponsors.”

Our sponsors

The Roux Scholarship is sponsored by a number of companies including: Aubrey Allen, The Balvenie, Bridor, Cactus TV, The Caterer, Direct Seafoods, Global Knives, Hildon Natural Mineral Water, The Langham London, Champagne Laurent-Perrier, L’Unico Caffe Musetti, Mash Purveyors Ltd, Oritain, Qatar Airways, TRUEfoods, and Udale Speciality Foods Ltd.