Celebrated chef Albert Roux, his son Michel Roux Jr and Roux Jr’s daughter Emily have opened two new fine-dining restaurants in Scotland, named Albert and Michel Roux Jr, at Inverlochy Castle and Crossbasket Castle.
The three generations opened the first restaurant at the 17-bedroom Inverlochy Castle near Fort William this month, and the second at the newly-renovated 14th-century Crossbasket Castle just outside Glasgow.
Both locations will serve the Rouxs’ classic French food with a contemporary influence in an intimate space. The first site is set to have 50 seats and the second just 25. Each will be run by Roux-trained chefs.
Listed on the Scotland Buildings at Risk Register in 2010, Crossbasket was bought by husband-and-wife team Steve Timoney and Alison Reid-Timoney in 2011, who have invested over £9m in renovating the site as a luxury hotel, including adding a 250-capacity ballroom.
Commenting on the restaurant plans, Albert Roux said: “Michel Jr and I are hugely excited about working together at these two fantastic locations. The Albert and Michel Roux Jr restaurants will offer menus in the style of Le Gavroche but with a contemporary and distinctly Scottish twist, focusing on ingredients that are, as far as possible, hyper-local to each location.”
Michel Roux Jr added: “There is so much fantastic produce and talent to be found in the area. I’m particularly thrilled about Emily coming on board – my father and I are classically French in style whereas Emily is slightly more contemporary in her cooking. It makes for a great dynamic, and a very exciting time for the Rouxs.”
The Roux family’s portfolio of restaurants includes the two-starred Le Gavroche, Roux at the Landau and Roux Parliament Square.