Michel Roux Jr. is the British-French chef and television presenter who owned Le Gavroche in Mayfair, London, the two-Michelin-star French restaurant founded by his father Albert Roux and uncle Michel Roux in 1967. Born Michel Albert Roux on 23 May 1960 in Pembury, Kent, he took over Le Gavroche from his father in 1991 and led the restaurant for 33 years before closing it on 13 January 2024 after a 56-year run. Le Gavroche held two Michelin stars continuously under his leadership and is widely considered the training kitchen from which much of modern British fine dining emerged.
Since the 2024 closure Roux has focused on television, consulting, and his Bordeaux vineyard Chateau de la Riviere. He continues to present Masterchef: The Professionals on BBC One, a role he has held since 2008, and reflected at length on the Le Gavroche closure in a Sunday Times interview on 3 April 2026. The Le Gavroche alumni list is one of the most distinguished in British cooking: Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing, Pierre Koffmann, Monica Galetti, and many others trained at the Upper Brook Street kitchen in their formative years.
TL;DR
- British-French chef born 23 May 1960 in Pembury, Kent
- Son of Albert Roux; nephew of Michel Roux; cousin of Alain Roux
- Took over Le Gavroche, Mayfair, in 1991 after his father Albert retired
- Led Le Gavroche for 33 years; two Michelin stars throughout
- Closed Le Gavroche on 13 January 2024 after a 56-year run
- Presents Masterchef: The Professionals on BBC One since 2008
Michel Roux Jr. key facts
| Born | 23 May 1960, Pembury, Kent, UK |
| Full name | Michel Albert Roux |
| Nationality | British-French |
| Father | Albert Roux (1935-2021), co-founder of Le Gavroche |
| Uncle | Michel Roux Sr. (1941-2020), co-founder of Le Gavroche and The Waterside Inn |
| Defining restaurant | Le Gavroche, 43 Upper Brook Street, Mayfair, London (opened 1967; closed 13 January 2024) |
| Television | Masterchef: The Professionals (BBC One, presenter since 2008) |
Early life and training of Michel Roux Jr.
Roux was born Michel Albert Roux on 23 May 1960 in Pembury, Kent. He grew up inside the Roux family cooking empire: his father Albert and uncle Michel had opened Le Gavroche in Mayfair in 1967 and The Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire, in 1972, both of which earned Michelin stars. His mother Monique was a pastry chef. The family kitchen was the formative culinary environment and Roux began cooking seriously in his early teens, apprenticing at Le Gavroche in school holidays.
After school Roux completed formal training at some of the most important French kitchens of the late 1970s and early 1980s: Mere Brazier in Lyon, Alain Chapel near Lyon, and the Masters of Charcuterie in Paris. The training put him in direct contact with the nouvelle cuisine generation and with the classical French charcuterie tradition. He returned to London in the mid-1980s, worked alongside his father at Le Gavroche, and in 1991 took over the restaurant from Albert.
Le Gavroche had already earned three Michelin stars under his father, the first restaurant in Britain to do so in 1982. Michel Jr. inherited a restaurant at the peak of its reputation. In 1993 Le Gavroche was demoted from three to two stars, a decision Michel has discussed publicly several times, and the restaurant held two stars continuously under his leadership for the following 31 years until the 13 January 2024 closure.
Michel Roux Jr. career timeline
- 23 May 1960: Born in Pembury, Kent
- 1967: Le Gavroche opens in Chelsea under father Albert Roux and uncle Michel Roux
- Early 1970s: Le Gavroche moves to 43 Upper Brook Street, Mayfair
- 1977-1980: Formal training at Mere Brazier, Alain Chapel, and Masters of Charcuterie, Paris
- 1982: Le Gavroche becomes first UK restaurant to earn three Michelin stars under Albert Roux
- Mid-1980s: Returns to London; works at Le Gavroche under Albert
- 1986: Marries Giselle Ochoa, who manages front of house at Le Gavroche
- 1991: Takes over Le Gavroche from Albert Roux
- 1993: Le Gavroche demoted from three to two Michelin stars
- 2008: Begins presenting Masterchef: The Professionals on BBC One
- 2010-2015: Television series including Service, The Roux Legacy, and Hidden Restaurants
- 2014: Le Gavroche celebrates 50 years (with the Chelsea opening counted from 1967)
- 4 January 2021: Father Albert Roux dies, aged 85
- 2023: Announces Le Gavroche will close in January 2024
- 13 January 2024: Final service at Le Gavroche after 56 years
- 2024-2025: Focuses on television, consulting, Chateau de la Riviere vineyard (Bordeaux)
- 2025-2026: Continues as Masterchef: The Professionals presenter on BBC One
- 3 April 2026: Reflects on the Le Gavroche closure in a Sunday Times interview
Michel Roux Jr. signature style: classical French technique at the Mayfair table
Roux Jr. central argument is that classical French technique, executed at a high standard over decades, does not need to reinvent itself to remain legitimate. The Le Gavroche menu under his 33 years of leadership kept the classical French register that his father and uncle established in 1967: souffle suissesse, langoustine bisque, roast Bresse chicken, grand marnier souffle. The consistency was the point. In an era when much of British fine dining moved toward avant-garde or foraging-led registers, Le Gavroche stayed classical and held two Michelin stars continuously for 31 years under Michel Jr.’s watch.
The second defining element is the training-kitchen legacy. Over more than half a century Le Gavroche trained a remarkable list of British chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing, Pierre Koffmann, Monica Galetti, Rowley Leigh, and many others. Most of the British Michelin-starred chefs of the 1990s and 2000s passed through the Le Gavroche kitchen at some point in their formative years, and the Roux family training lineage is the spine of modern British fine-dining history. The Le Gavroche alumni are cited at nearly the same level as the Raymond Blanc alumni as the two training kitchens that produced modern British cooking.
The third pillar is television presence. Masterchef: The Professionals, which Roux has presented on BBC One since 2008, is the most-watched professional cookery competition on British television, and Roux has been the judging anchor across more than 15 series. His television presence brings the classical-French training argument to a mainstream British audience, and many of the chefs who appear on the programme reference the Le Gavroche lineage directly.
Notable dishes at Le Gavroche
Several Le Gavroche dishes have become reference points in British French fine dining. The Souffle Suissesse is the single most-cited Le Gavroche signature: a twice-baked Gruyere souffle in double cream, created by Albert Roux in the 1960s and served continuously on the menu until the 2024 closure. Langoustine bisque with dumplings, Roast Bresse pigeon with black pepper sauce, and Grand Marnier souffle were other long-running signatures. Roux Jr. cookbook Le Gavroche Cookbook (2001) and A Life in the Kitchen (2009) remain in print. The Roux Legacy (2017) documents the restaurant’s 50-year history. His television series Service (2011) followed a group of young hospitality trainees at Le Gavroche.
Michel Roux Jr. awards and recognition
- 1982: Le Gavroche becomes first UK restaurant to earn three Michelin stars (under Albert Roux)
- 1991: Takes over Le Gavroche
- 1993: Le Gavroche demoted from three to two Michelin stars
- 1993-2024: Two Michelin stars held continuously for 31 years under his leadership
- 2002: Chevalier of the Ordre National du Merite (France)
- 2017: The Roux Legacy published, marking 50 years of Le Gavroche
- 2022: Le Gavroche announced as closing; 13 January 2024 final service
- Multiple BAFTA and Royal Television Society Award nominations for Masterchef: The Professionals
Michel Roux Jr. impact on British fine dining
Roux Jr. most concrete contribution is the 33-year stewardship of Le Gavroche from 1991 to 2024. The restaurant held two Michelin stars continuously under his leadership and remained the classical-French reference in British fine dining for more than three decades. The 2024 closure marked the end of a 56-year Le Gavroche run and the end of the most continuous French-fine-dining institution in Britain.
The second contribution is the Le Gavroche training-kitchen legacy. The alumni list, including Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing, Pierre Koffmann, Monica Galetti and Clare Smyth (via Gordon Ramsay, who trained at Le Gavroche), constitutes one of the most distinguished training lineages in British cooking history. Most British Michelin-starred chefs of the 1990s through the 2020s can trace their training lineage back to Le Gavroche at one or two removes.
The third contribution is television presence through Masterchef: The Professionals since 2008. The programme has brought the classical-French training argument to a mainstream British audience for more than 15 series, and has become one of the defining British professional cookery competitions. Roux Jr. sits alongside Raymond Blanc as the two French-British chefs who have shaped British fine dining most visibly over the past three decades.
Michel Roux Jr. FAQ
When did Le Gavroche close?
On 13 January 2024, after a 56-year run since the original 1967 Chelsea opening. Michel Roux Jr. led the restaurant for 33 years (from 1991 to 2024) and closed it to focus on television, consulting and his Chateau de la Riviere vineyard in Bordeaux. The final service was widely covered in British media and by the Le Gavroche alumni network.
How many Michelin stars did Le Gavroche hold?
Three Michelin stars from 1982 under Albert Roux (the first UK restaurant to earn three), demoted to two stars in 1993 early in Michel Jr.’s tenure, and two stars continuously from 1993 until the 13 January 2024 closure. The 31-year two-star run under Michel Jr. is one of the longest continuous two-star records in British fine dining.
Which chefs trained at Le Gavroche?
Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing, Pierre Koffmann, Monica Galetti, Rowley Leigh, and many others. Most British Michelin-starred chefs of the 1990s and 2000s passed through Le Gavroche at some point, and the restaurant’s training lineage is the spine of modern British fine-dining history.
Is Michel Roux Jr. still on Masterchef?
Yes. Roux Jr. has presented Masterchef: The Professionals on BBC One since 2008 and continues in the role through 2025-2026. The programme is the most-watched professional cookery competition on British television and Roux Jr. has been the judging anchor across more than 15 series.
What is his connection to Alain Roux?
Alain Roux is Michel Jr.’s cousin. Alain is the son of Michel Roux Sr. (Michel Jr.’s uncle) and now leads The Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire, the three-Michelin-star restaurant his father founded in 1972. The Waterside Inn has held three Michelin stars continuously since 1985, the longest three-star run in the UK.
What is next for Michel Roux Jr.
Since the January 2024 closure of Le Gavroche, Roux Jr. has focused on television (Masterchef: The Professionals on BBC One), consulting, and Chateau de la Riviere, the Bordeaux vineyard he and wife Giselle acquired. A 3 April 2026 Sunday Times interview reflected at length on the closure and his post-Le Gavroche life. His public Instagram (@michelrouxjr) is the best source for current updates.
