Pierre Gagnaire joins Roux family to judge Roux Scholarship 2016

The Roux family are delighted to announce that legendary three star Michelin chef, Pierre Gagnaire will join the judges at this year’s final as Honorary President of the Judges.

Michel Roux OBE: “I am so delighted to share the Roux Scholarship with my great friend, Pierre Gagnaire as Honorary Judge alongside my son, Alain and nephew, Michel in their debut as joint chairmen. Quite simply, Chef Pierre is a unique talent whose capacity for brilliant innovation is unrivalled and enjoyed across the globe in his acclaimed restaurants. No wonder he has been chosen by two of our scholars as their stage destination of choice, an incredible tribute.”

Pierre Gagnaire: “It is a great honour to be a part of this event. I have huge respect for the Roux brothers who were the pioneers of French cuisine in Great Britain. This is a unique event promoting our culinary culture and allowing the next generation of chefs to come out of the shadows for good. I hope I can live up to expectation; I am really looking forward to the day.”

Alain Roux: “I’m looking forward more than ever to this year’s competition; we have six strong finalists, the presence of Pierre Gagnaire will be very special and for the first time we will be live streaming the awards ceremony to allow anyone without a ticket, to share the excitement online via www.rouxscholarship.co.uk

Frederick Forster, Roux Scholar 2000: “Mr Gagnaire is a chef I followed because I admired his use of seasonal products to create stunning, imaginative dishes. My time in Paris, with him, taught me to continually respect my ingredients and treat them in a way that allows the product to be cooked and shown at its best.

Prior to going to Gagnaire, I would say that my style was overworked and complicated, when I came back, all that changed and to this day the philosophy of simplicity still remains. It has been one of the greatest experiences in my life!”

Roux Scholarship National Final – Monday 4th April 2016

The final will take place at Westminster Kingsway College in the heart of London. In a special briefing by the judges, half an hour before the start of the competition the finalists will be given a recipe and ingredients for a main dish, either classic or modern and given three hours to prepare and present it to the judges. The six chefs competing for the title of Roux Scholar 2016 are:

Award Ceremony

The 2016 Roux Scholar will be announced the same evening at a glittering award ceremony, held at The Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park London.

In an exciting development this year the award ceremony will be live-streamed via the Roux Scholarship website. Go to www.rouxscholarship.co.uk at 7pm on Monday 4th April and click on the link to watch as the

Roux family reveals the name of the Roux Scholar 2016 in front of an audience of prestigious guests; top chefs and leading figures from the world of hospitality.

Our Sponsors

The Roux Scholarship is sponsored by a number of companies including: Aubrey Allen, Bridor, Cactus TV, The Caterer, Direct Seafoods, Global Knives, Hildon Natural Mineral Water, Champagne Laurent-Perrier, L’Unico Caffe Musetti, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Mash Purveyors Ltd, Restaurant Associates and Udale Speciality Foods Ltd.

More details about this year’s competition, the judges, previous winners and our sponsors are available on our website www.rouxscholarship.co.uk