Roux reflections

After 30 years in charge at the Waterside Inn, Michel Roux takes the time to reflect with Gaby Huddart on a life spent doing exactly what he wanted.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Waterside Inn at Bray in Berkshire, which began wowing diners with its faultless French cuisine and breathtaking river views back in September 1972 - and which has held three Michelin stars for 17 years, longer than any other restaurant in Britain.

Reflecting over the past three decades, the man behind it all, veteran chef Michel Roux, insists that, even with hindsight, if he had to start his business all over again he would do things in exactly the same way. "How do I feel? That the years have gone very quickly and that I have had to work very hard," he says. "But would I do it again? Bloody hell, absolutely. I have no regrets at all."

In particular, Roux stresses his good fortune over the years in having employed some "wonderful, talented and loyal" staff. Indeed, he claims that his successive head chefs - Pierre Koffmann, Christian Germain, Michel Perraud and Mark Dodson - deserve much of the credit for the success of the establishment.

So, with that in mind, wasn't it a great body-blow to him when, after 18 years' service, Dodson handed in his resignation last summer in order to take up the post of head chef at nearby Cliveden in Taplow? "When Mark said he was leaving, I couldn't believe it. It came as an enormous shock to me," Roux confesses. "When someone has been with you for so long, it's like they are part of your family. But Mark said to me, ‘Your son [Alain] has been here for nine years and is mature now, so I think it's better for him, better for you and better for me if I go in the long run.' Looking at it now, I can see that he was right. He's a wonderful guy and will always be a close friend."

Since Dodson's departure, Alain Roux has indeed gone on to take control of the Waterside Inn's kitchens, and also recently took the title of chef-patron - the designation held by his father for so many years. The move has Michel's blessing: these days, he explains, he only rarely gets involved at the stove and is content to gradually relinquish responsibility for the establishment to his son. "Alain is now handling the cooking," Roux says. "I don't really get involved, except now and then tasting a dish for him and telling him what I think of it. I'll give advice if he asks for it and, of course, if I see things that need changing, I'll tell him."

He adds: "I think my son is like me - he's precise, well organised, methodical and extremely good in pastry. In fact, when I look at him, I see myself when I was 33. Now is the right age for him to start to lead. He's already in charge of the kitchen and, in another couple of years, he'll take on the administration and management of the Waterside, too. I might remain chairman and come to board meetings, but that will probably be it."

Instead, he wants to write more, he says. He is already working on his next recipe book - his eighth - due to be published in October, and he has plenty more tomes up his sleeve. "And I want to write them myself," he insists. "Too many chefs these days are using ghostwriters, and I think that's appalling."

Roux also wants to plough more of his energies into training and lecturing. Last November, he travelled to Dubai and gave demonstrations and talks to members of the fledgling Jumeirah Academy, and found the experience exhilarating. "I've also done talks for the Culinary Institute of America, and I really like this sort of work," he says. "In future, I'd like to go to different colleges and universities every year - that way I'll meet new people and learn new things, too. I think it would be boring to go to the same place to lecture every year."

Furthermore, the long-standing and highly regarded Roux Scholarship will remain part of his schedule, as will occasional charity work with his brother, Albert. "For example, we've just done a fundraiser for the New York firemen," he says. "We were put up at auction and someone paid £25,000 to have us both to cook for him and eight friends at his home."

Of course, the change in leadership and Roux's diminishing role at the Waterside Inn might ultimately knock the restaurant off its three-Michelin-starred perch. "If and when Michelin believe the standard is not there, we will be dropped," he says. "It's now more Alain's show than mine, so he will have to work hard and do what I've been doing with my chefs over the years. But, my god, stars aren't what anyone should live for. You have to keep things in perspective."

He concludes: "I never got into cooking for any guidebook - I got into cooking for me, to make food that pleased my palate. That's what's always been important to me."

The Waterside Inn, Ferry Road, Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AT. Tel: 01628 620691. Fax: 01628 784710.

Roux's views

Looking at the UK hospitality industry in general, Michel Roux says that he believes there is good reason to feel optimistic these days. "This country has woken up to food in the past 10 to 15 years and I think it's developing beautifully," he asserts. "London, in particular, is doing well. I think it's too expensive, but there's every kind of restaurant now, and many of them are very good."

That said, there are a number of trends that do concern him. Roux believes that some chefs have jumped on to the fusion bandwagon without having a good enough palate to know what they're doing. He says: "Too many chefs now focus on what food looks like and on mixing things, but they don't have the necessary skills when it comes to flavour. That's worrying."

He also believes that there is still a mountain to climb in the training of chefs at colleges in this country, and lays the blame for this firmly at the feet of government. "I still find the loss of City & Guilds qualifications tragic," he says, "and the level of training now falls far short of what the industry needs. Most teachers would like to be doing different things, but they can't because of the system they're in. And what it comes down to is the fact that no one in government is interested in the food industry."

Finally, Roux is appalled at the emergence of chef superstars on TV, as it means that youngsters are now entering the industry for the wrong reasons - because they want fame and fortune, rather than because they want to cook.

"It's gone from one extreme to another in this country since I've been here - from no recognition for the industry to chefs becoming icons," he says. "Youngsters should go into the kitchen because they have an inborn passion for food. But with Jamie Oliver and others making mega-bucks, it's making young people start cooking because they want to become stars."

Roux sauce

Where did you go out most recently to dine, and what did you have?
"It was in Paris, one week ago, with my daughter. We went to Le St Vincent bistro and spent €84 (£51) on a meal for two. I had coq au vin and rum baba, while she had shepherd's pie and chocolate mousse. It was all wooden chairs and paper tablecloths and I loved it." (Le St Vincent, 26 Rue de la Croix, Nivert, Paris.)

Where's your favourite place to dine in the UK, when you're off-duty? "Nobu in London. I especially enjoy it at lunch - at dinner I find it a bit too noisy."

What's your favourite ingredient? "Vanilla, because it's such a versatile ingredient, with a wonderful subtle flavour. I sometimes even use it in [savoury] cooking, not just in desserts."

What's the most overrated ingredient? "Sun-dried tomatoes. It's like the kiwi craze 15 years ago - they're everywhere, and that really gets on my nerves. Tamarind, too, is on every menu now, and most people don't know how to use it."

Where would you eat your last meal on earth? "At the restaurant of Michel Guérard in south-west France. From start to finish, every aspect of a meal there is wonderful."

Who would you invite to your ultimate dinner party? "A few chefs of my generation - Richard Shepherd, Peter Kromberg, Bernard Gaume, John Huber and, of course, I'd put [my brother] Albert at the top of the table. I'd also invite my nephew [Michel Jr] and my son [Alain]. I'm not sure how we'd all get on but it would be great fun."

Which chefs currently working in the UK do you most admire? "Mark Edwards at Nobu and Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House. They are both chefs with palates good enough to be able to innovate with ingredients. I also admire Michael Caines [Gidleigh Park], Philip Howard [The Square], Richard Neat [Neat, Cannes] and Andrew Fairlie [Gleneagles]."

Which single person has been the greatest influence on you throughout your career? "It's difficult to say a single person. My mother had the greatest influence on my education, but it was Cécile de Rothschild [for whom he worked from 1963 to 1967] who taught me the most about food."

What single ingredient would you take with you to a desert island? "I'd rather take some wine instead, please - a bottle of Château d'Yquem."

And what piece of equipment or gadget would you take with you to a desert island? "A knife. You can do so much with a knife - chop, slice or kill something to eat. I'd last much longer on a desert island with a good knife."

Is there anywhere you still haven't eaten that you're dying to try? "I've never been to Japan and I'd love to go there and eat in some of their top restaurants. I'd like to go and see things like the poisonous, spiny fish being prepared."

Do you still have any ambitions left to fulfil? "No. I am a very content, happy man."