The Waterside Inn - 2024

WELCOME. AS I sit down to write this letter in springtime to introduce our new issue, the idea of fresh beginnings chimes perfectly with the season and this magazine’s theme. I reflect on the exciting launch of our Culinary School and Michel Roux Library marking a new era at The Waterside Inn, breathing fresh life into the Roux family legacy and preserving its heritage for generations to follow. I can’t wait to share more but before I do, I should introduce you first to some wonderful friends who make this issue special. First and foremost, I’m honoured to introduce our feature star, Aiyawatt “Khun Top” Srivaddhanaprabha, the enigmatic, charismatic CEO of King Power, owner of Leicester City FC and ordained Buddhist monk. I first met Khun Top a decade ago when he joined his beloved late father, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, on one of his many visits to The Waterside Inn. On p60 he talks to Features Editor Max Williams about continuing his father’s legacy, his love of the UK, The Waterside Inn, and elucidates on his very personal approach to business. Both Khun Top and I know that true legacy is never about your own story. If you’re on a mission, nothing is more important than those around you. We share a deep appreciation for those who help us achieve our aims, whether in business or life. Meet some of The Waterside Inn’s own superstars on p16.

Speaking of new horizons, we introduce some brilliant, talented individuals across our pages, members of our extended family, with exciting stories to share. Meet sculptor extraordinaire, Alice-Andrea Ewing, who created the stunning bronze collection adorning our dining tables. And Master Perfumer, Richard Howard of Arcania Apothecary, who collaborated with my wife, Laura, on our signature candle. Working with the same passion for botanicals, meet James Gurney of Hawkridge Distillers, who helped create our range of gins.

We also introduce Mark Riley, MD of Edrington UK, who sits down with our General Manager, Frédéric Poulette, to discuss our partnership with The Macallan. And last but not least, we meet the legendary Patrick Frey, chairman and creative director of the family run French textile Maison Pierre Frey, and long-standing inspiration of our own talented interior designer, Laura. Together they discuss their shared passion for design and the true meaning of luxury.

EDITOR

Ben Winstanley

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Matthew Hasteley

PUBLISHING MANAGER

Lee Whitlock

SENIOR DESIGNER

Lucy Javanshir

FEATURES EDITOR

Max Williams

CONTRIBUTORS

Laura Millar

Nick Savage

PHOTOGRAPHY

Francesca Agosta

Ian Dingle

Jamie Lau

Lateef Okunnu

PUBLISHED

MANAGING

If our abiding theme is new beginnings, then campus and community is surely another, underscored by our brilliant new Culinary School and Michel Roux Library. Turning the page at last from a brutal four years during which I endured the loss of my beloved father, Michel, and uncle Albert, not to mention the pandemic, I’m proud to unveil our fantastic new facility. My father’s former home has had many guises during its 100-year history, but his legacy has been given a new lease of life in a newly transformed, modern setting.

But who is most important to our story? You, our dear readers and guests. Our passionate, supportive community is unlike any other and you drive us every step of the way. I hope you enjoy this foray into the world of The Waterside Inn. My eye is already on the future, there’s a great deal yet to be done…

Alain

patron

Global knives are delighted to have been selected for use in the Alain Roux Culinary School.

The

best school

deserves the best knives!

Global is pleased to continue our long association with the Roux family and the Waterside Inn, both with the Roux Scholarship and now the Alain Roux Culinary School. A selection of the best Global knives with the iconic ‘ship shape’ Global knife block are on hand to be used by all aspiring professional and amateur chefs.

Chef Michael Nizzero rejoins Alain Roux as Chef Instructor, in a project, “close to my heart, in Michel Roux’s former home, as part of the family,” to train new chefs, amateurs and professionals alike and “to share the Roux family heritage and legacy”

“A knife must be sturdy to use every day. It’s important that it does the job; keeps sharp, easy to resharpen and clean. It must be practical. We use Global knives because of their quality.”

We have established a reputation in our 57 years of business for creating exquisite kitchen designs that compliment a variety of lifestyle needs. We believe in doing things properly, with great care and attention to the finest detail, that’s why we have invested in the latest manufacturing technology to bring our clients impeccably crafted furniture and home solutions.

+ Rowley

McEvoy & Rowley was established over 50 years ago. We continue to provide a service unmatched in the industry to our loyal and expanding community. Although defined by our local heritage, we are global in our outlook, taking pleasure in celebrating all cultures and experiences. The diversity and authenticity of our team has created the exceptional service we are recognised for and the brand we know today.

GOINGS-ON

IN DEPTH

28 A CHEF AND A SCHOLAR

In 2024, The Roux Scholarship celebrates 40 years of nurturing the UK’s finest culinary talent. Here is the story of this year’s finals

42 HERE COME THE DRAMS

Macallan whisky and The Waterside Inn have a unique relationship in the world of fine dining. Frédéric Poulette tells us why

46 THE FABRIC OF TIME

Pierre Frey is one of France’s great furniture and textile Maisons. Laura Roux talks to its chairman and creative director, Patrick Frey

54 NEW BEGINNINGS

Following years of development, the Alain Roux Culinary School and Michel Roux Library have officially opened to the public

60 ON TOP OF HIS GAME

Leicester City chairman, Aiyawatt ‘Top’ Srivaddhanaprabha, walks us through his career and his love of The Waterside Inn

64 EIGHT OF THE BEST

Discover a few of The Waterside Inn’s most iconic dishes in this in-depth

The Waterside Inn

▸ JAMBONNETTES DE GRENOUILLES

CROUSTILLANTES: Crispy frogs’ legs with basil agnolotti, toasted pine kernels and parsley coulis

From one family to another, from butcher to chef

The Allen family have been butchers to the Roux family for over 20 years

NEWS

Find out about recent happenings in the world of The Waterside Inn, including new interiors and charity updates

Alain Roux becomes Patron of Swan Lifeline

Since 1986, Swan Lifeline has devoted itself entirely to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of sick and injured swans in the Thames Valley. Anyone familiar with Waterside Inn will appreciate the beautiful birds gracing the stretch of river upon which the restaurant sits. Alain Roux has always seen the swan as an emblem of the Waterside Inn, and has often had to get in touch with the charity when dealing with

Design of the times

It’s hardly news to fans of The Waterside Inn that the restaurant is a family affair. From the kitchen to the plates and everything in between, the Roux family are involved every step of the way. That extends to the interior design, with Laura Roux having a masterful eye for detail, which can be seen

an ailing swan at the restaurant, so he didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation from Swan Lifeline Chairman Dominic Smulders to become Patron of this commited river wildlife charity, which relies entirely on donations to function. Over more than three decades of operation, it has rescued and treated over 30,000 swans and cygnets. Roux has helped shine a light on its work with initiatives including a one-off special private dinner where a proportion of the dinner went to Swan Lifeline. swanlifeline.uk

Bocuse d’Or fundraising gala on 22 January 2024

For the first time in history, all of Britain’s three-Michelin-starred chefs joined forces for a 16-hands dinner in aid of Bocuse d’Or UK, and The Cancer Awareness Trust. Hosted at Raffles at the OWO in London, the eight-course menu celebrated the best of British gastronomy with dishes from revered chefs Clare Smyth MBE (CORE by Clare Smyth), Marco Zampese and Hélène Darroze (The Connaught), Daniel Stucki (Lecture Room & Library at Sketch), Alain Roux (The Waterside Inn), Simon Rogan (L’Enclume), and more. The event was hosted at Raffles London at The OWO, one of the most exciting recent additions to the capital’s hotel scene. Organised by Chef Clare, the event raised more than £280,000, with all funds going towards supporting the young chefs representing the UK in

the Bocuse d’Or – the world’s most prestigious live cooking competition, often referred to as the ‘culinary Olympics’. To give candidate chef Tom Philipps and commis chef Harry van Lierop the best chance of achieving gold for Team UK, the money raised will contribute to their intense training as well as hiring a team of professionals to ensure their ideal preparation for the contest.

As Bocuse d’Or UK partnered with The Cancer Awareness Trust as part of its commitment to changing people’s lives through nutrition, the money raised from the gala will also help fund a nutritionist who will work closely with both Bocuse d’Or UK and The Cancer Awareness Trust to educate chefs about the significant difference food can make to those living with cancer. bocusedor.com

throughout the many areas of the property. Collaborating with Gloucestershire-based designers Lewis & Wood, the latest spaces she has turned her eye to are the Heron and Willow suites. Drawn in by the firm’s bold and innovative designs, Laura has again married form and function to create something beautiful and timeless, inspired by the stunning river setting. lewisandwood.co.uk

It’s the people who make the place

The Waterside Inn is understandably proud of its team – whatever the role, they hire the best in class. Here we meet some of the institution’s brightest talents and unsung heroes from both sides of the pass

Molly Walton MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL |

STARTED 01.08.2020

“Working at The Waterside Inn, you’re not just working for a restaurant, you’re working for a family. And you are looked after and cared for as a family, too.

Starting at The Waterside Inn when I was young and ambitious, I left for a while to discover pastures new. Working elsewhere, I quickly realised the grass isn’t always greener – and I really missed The Waterside. I had the opportunity to rejoin the team – and having returned, I’ve never looked back.

I’ve worked for many chefs over the world, but with Chef Alain, it’s different. You see him every day; he’s not just a name on the door, it’s in his blood. It’s his soul in hospitality form.

I get many comments from guests that we look so happy during the service – everyone has a smile. We always like to have

I’ve worked for many chefs over the world, but with Chef Alain, it’s different. You see him every day; he’s not just a name on the door, it’s in his blood. It’s his soul in hospitality form

a cheeky laugh with the guests and with our colleagues – and it’s because we’re all genuinely happy to be here. And it really shows.

With a three Michelin star restaurant, many guests come as regulars, but for others, it might be once in a lifetime – and you have to accommodate for everyone. Regardless of who you are, we always make it very special.

People might be a bit nervous to come because they think they’re going to get very stiff service. But it’s not like that. We read each guest – and adapt to give them the experience that they want.

As part of the serving staff here, you get to learn things you wouldn’t elsewhere. We do carvings by the table side, we learn how to debone fish; no one’s teaching those skills anymore. It’s a dying trade, unfortunately.

One of the best things for me personally about working at The Waterside Inn, is that I can be myself; I don’t get judged for it. The guests love it. The guests feel more relaxed. It’s special. It’s a very special place.

Lateef Okunnu

RECEPTIONIST | STARTED 22.02.2023

“When I first came for my interview, I did my research and found out that to work at The Waterside Inn, well, it’s a pretty big deal. I said to myself ‘Right, Geva, you’ve got to step up your game, because this is big.’

I’m so pleased I got the job. The management has made me feel so comfortable, and been so welcoming. Usually when you hear

Even if you make a mistake, the theme around here is ‘there are only solutions, not problems’. And this mentality makes you feel comfortable, so there’s no need for any anxiety

‘head chef’ or ‘owner’, you get a little nervous. But Chef Alain is such a character – such a warm, welcoming person – that it just makes my job so easy.

Same goes for Mr Fred: he is very accommodating and such a family man. Nothing makes you feel more part of a team.

Even if you make a mistake, it’s not an issue. The theme around here is ‘there are only solutions, not problems’. And this mentality makes you feel comfortable, so there’s no need for any anxiety once you are working here.

The Waterside rewards people who show ambition, who know that they need to work hard, and who are prepared to put in effort.

I have seen this place growing from strength to strength even in the relatively short time I’ve been here. And every time I speak to the guests, they tell me how great a restaurant it is. I’m happy to be part of the team – and I feel such a sense of pride to be a part of this establishment. ”

Maggie Fairbrother

RESERVATIONS MANAGER | STARTED 02.05.2000

“I studied domestic science at A level and really enjoyed the cooking element. So then I went to catering college, which included a stint working at The Waterhead Inn, Ambleside, before working at a family-run chain of hotels during my second year.

At the end of the course, the likes of Hilton came to my college on a recruitment drive. But I just thought, where’s the heart and soul? I wanted to work for a family.

I started my career at The Connaught and worked my way up from bill office clerk to chef de brigade on the front desk. Next was The Gravetye Manor in Sussex before I left to raise a family.

I spotted the role for a parttime office assistant at The Waterside Inn in a local paper.

I thought to myself, ‘If that doesn’t have my name written all over it, I don’t know what does.’ And it’s all grown from there. That was more than 24 years ago – and I’m still at The Waterside Inn today.

The Waterside has given me so much variety. It’s kept me learning things – I think that’s been very important. But for me it’s also been about the feeling of working for somebody; that it’s a family thing. Over time, it engenders a hugely strong sense of loyalty. You can even start feeling the beating heart of the restaurant.

The result is that it’s like being in the Olympics – and we’re giving a gold medal-winning performance every single day. Everybody plays their part, and it is choreographed beautifully.”

Geva Richardson

Charly Sailly

PREMIER SOUS CHEF

STARTED 21.03.2018

“I worked in France as an apprentice for Christian Germain – a former Head Chef at The Waterside Inn – for more than three and a half years.

I told him that I was keen to work in another country, and he suggested coming to The Waterside Inn. I arrived here in 2018 as a commis chef, and have worked my way up over the last six years to premier sous chef.

In that time, I’ve worked in pastry, then in the butcher section, before moving onto sauces, then meat, and finally fish. So I’ve enjoyed real development here.

When I first arrived, I just wanted to learn – and this is an amazing place to learn the classics of French cooking. But since then, I think the most important thing I’ve learnt here is how to manage a team.

If I eventually leave this place, I will miss it for certain, but I know that I will be welcome to come back whenever I want – the door will always be open for me.”

DEMI CHEF DE RANG | STARTED 20.01.2022

“I come from a big family – there are 11 of us including my mum and dad – and we have been brought up around the catering industry.

My father, Simon, used to run the Michelin-starred Crown in Burchetts Green. One day he said

I love all the little details that we have to deliver for that perfect experience: we have very high standards here

‘Why don’t you come and do the wash-up service after school?’ So I started there, before taking the bread out, and naturally began to enjoy it more. At 16, I decided to finish with school as I wanted to work in hospitality.

All the team here are more than happy to help you, to teach you. They give you so much training –carvings, tastings, wine pairings. My older brother Dean works here at The Waterside, so I get to work with him, which is dream in itself.

I love all the little details that we have to deliver for that perfect experience. We have very high standards – and that’s what I like; I thrive under the pressure.”

Billy Bonwick

Proud suppliers of Fine Wines to The Waterside Inn for three decades. Renowned specialists in mature Cru Classé Bordeaux, top-end Burgundies, Grande Marque Champagnes and Vintage Ports, amongst others.

Over £12m of Fine Wine in stock.

www.wilkinsonvintners.com wine@wilkinsonvintners.com +44 (0)20 7616 0404

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Enter the bronze age

Suffolk-based sculpture artist ALICE

A n DREA EWI n G , has created a series of bronze masterpieces to celebrate The Waterside Inn’s 50th anniversary

O n THE OCCASIO n of The Waterside Inn’s 50th anniversary in 2022, Laura Roux commissioned a series of solid bronze sculptures from talented Suffolk artist Alice Andrea Ewing. It would prove to be the final piece of the puzzle in completing Laura’s vision for the restaurant’s interior restyle. Alice created a unique, bespoke group of sculptures inspired by notable ingredients found on the menu, including lobster, mushrooms, and pumpkin. The sculptures are produced using an adaptation of the Italian or Renaissance lost-wax casting process. The resulting bronze pieces are unique translations of the original specimen, capturing every detail and curiosity of form. To truly appreciate their beauty, they must be viewed – and caressed – first hand. For more, see pomarius-collections.com

▴ HEAVY METAL: Alice Andrea Ewing is an artist and founder-sculptor living and working in the Suffolk countryside. In 2016, she established her own foundry and studio and leads the craft-design studio Pomarius. Her works have appeared in House & Garden magazine and The Daily Telegraph, and exhibited at Royal Botanical Gardens Kew and Royal Horticultural Society Flower shows.

“We chose Caesarstone because it gives us complete peace of mind. It’s sturdy, easy to clean, hygienic, heat resistant, stain and scratch resistant. Last but not least, it always looks pristine.”

Alain Roux

in touch info@caesarstone.co.uk

Alain Roux The Waterside Inn

Excellence distilled

The Waterside Inn has teamed up with the award-winning HAWKRIDGE DISTILLERS to create two bespoke gins made exclusively for the restaurant. This is the story of how the partnership came to life

THEY SAY THAT persistence pays off, but in the case of Hawkridge Distillers’ managing partner, James Gurney, it’s become something of a fact of life. Appropriately, his journey begins with a chance meeting in a restaurant: “My big break came one day, when I interviewed the chief executive of a large group of hotels and golf courses. He asked if I wanted a drink. I asked for a Monkey 47 and said, “the gin is OK but not as good as mine.” I was just an amateur distiller at the time, but the guy was intrigued and set me a challenge: he asked me to line up a blind tasting with his head sommelier and

the team.” The rest is history. Every member of the test selected Gurney’s gin over the competition. But more than just bragging rights, it led to the budding distiller’s first ever commission, and the added impetus he needed to officially launch his own distillery.

Fast forward a few years and it was on the 40th phone call to The Waterside Inn that Gurney was finally able to speak to general manager Frédéric Poulette about the possibility of collaborating on a gin. Frédéric was in the process of developing a line of bespoke spirits for the new Roux boutique and, thus, the timing was perfect.

The development process took sevento-eight months with the botanicals and tasting notes hand picked by both Alain and Frédéric. It was an eye-opening process for Gurney, who declared Alain’s palate “one of the best in the UK, if not the world”.

Using a three-stage distillation process, The Waterside Inn’s Signature London Dry Gin features botanicals such as rose petals, lavender, elderflower and meadowsweet. There’s also blackcurrant leaves and wild gorse petals, combined with fresh orange and pear, which creates a citrus-forward, floral gin that is complex on the palate with

a super-smooth piney finish. In 2023, the gin was the recipient of a Gold Medal at The San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Both the Signature London Dry and Signature Rhubarb and Ginger gins are designed as sipping gins, but perhaps the best serve of all is with a splash of Fever-Tree tonic sitting on The Waterside Inn’s terrace on a warm, sunny afternoon. Both gins are available exclusively to purchase on waterside-inn.co.uk

▴ GIN IT TO WIN IT: The Waterside Inn’s Signature London Dry Gin won a Gold Medal in San Francisco.

▴ GOOD SPIRITS: James Gurney and Phil Howarth of Hawkridge Distillers with Fred and Alain.

Turning trash into treasure

As part of The Waterside Inn's brand-new culinary school and kitchen gardens, the restaurant has made a commitment to more than just its own future, but the future of the planet. It’s teamed up with E n TERPACK to solve the problem of food waste

WHE n YOU’RE DI n I n G in the elegant riverfront room at The Waterside Inn, it’s all too easy not to concern yourself with issues of sustainability and food waste. But these are important issues The Waterside Inn team takes incredibly seriously.

The creation of the stunning new culinary school and kitchen garden, just a few steps from the restaurant, has presented a golden opportunity not only to preserve Roux culinary traditions for future generations, but also to pioneer a new path forward when it comes to reducing the operation’s impact on the environment.

Alain Roux explains, “It’s important for all of us to make responsible environmental choices, whether we are a guest, a chef or owner of the business. Here at The Waterside Inn, sustainability is a massive focus for us: luxury and fine dining must be sustainable, too. With our new closed-loop system and recycling initiatives, we’re trying to minimise our impact as much as possible."

The changes might seem small in isolation, but as a whole they amount to a profound impact on the overall operation's eco credentials: the housekeeping team only use eco-friendly cleaning products; there's

sensor lighting in the bathrooms to save electricity; and only low-energy light bulbs used throughout our properties. There are also heat pumps installed in the main dining room and Tan Home, while all bedroom air conditioning is powered by heat pumps, too.

The garden, located just outside the recently completed culinary school, is the logical next step for the operation's sustainability programme. It begins with a green-fingered initiative to grow a select few plants on site, as Roux explains: “With our garden, we’re not aiming to be self-sufficient; we’ll never achieve that. But it makes sense to plant the things that we can grow like herbs, roses, fruits and some other plants that we can use seasonally in our dishes. We try to minimise packaging and travel time as much as possible where our ingredients are concerned, sourcing locally where we can. However, even just growing our herbs is satisfying and makes sense from an environmental and financial point of view.”

The most significant investment, however, is in a closed-loop food waste unit that chews up almost the entirety of the restaurant’s food waste and transforms it into nutrient-rich compost that can then be used on the garden. Three Michelin-starred compost? Only at The Waterside Inn.

“Food waste is a huge issue in the industry and that’s why I was determined to make space for an on-site closed-loop food waste unit. We chose the Oklin GG100s food waste composting machine supplied by Enterpack, the leading supplier in Europe,” Roux says. “This incredible beast has eliminated virtually all of our food waste and provides a nutrient-rich compost for our gardens, hence the idea of a closed loop.”

The Waterside Inn’s machine is a topof-the-line behemoth with the capacity to

◂ COMPOST CREW: Enterpack duo Simon Croker and Lucy Croker with Alain at The Waterside Inn.

Lateef Okunnu and Ian Dingle

process an extraordinary 100 tonnes of food waste per year – or 250-300kg per day. The composter processes the food waste over a 24-hour period and reduces the volume by almost 90%. It leaves the team with highquality, nutritious, dry compost to feed to the gardens each and every day.

Simon Croker, MD of Enterpack is delighted that the esteemed restaurant has taken such a proactive approach to food waste. As he explains: “The Waterside Inn is one of only a handful of restaurants in Europe that has invested in this machine. They provide an environmentally friendly, safe and cost-effective way for food producers, restaurants, and commercial spaces to manage their food waste."

“The Oklin GG100s uses patented microbes, heat, humidity, agitation and airflow to transform food waste into a nutrient-rich compost in only 24 hours. The machine also has a hygiene cycle to kill any harmful bacteria that may be in the raw food. It’s virtually odourless with no discharge or harmful gases. Anything you can consume, raw or cooked, except large bones, can go into the machine”.

It’s still early days, but the composter has revolutionised how the kitchen works and

We are working hard to create a business where sustainability is a way of life… Turning waste into something wonderful

saved money in the process, since there is less general waste that needs to go to landfill. Better yet, the garden is thriving, with a vast array of herbs and plants ready to be picked. With enough compost to spare, the restaurant has also been able to support an exciting local initiative, Nature’s Haven Healing Garden. Based in Maidenhead town centre where access to green space is limited, the garden was founded by friends, Aleksandra Brown and Claire Charalambous, to give residents the opportunity to explore the health benefits of gardening`. As well as securing funding to develop the garden, the project will be showcased at July’s RHS Royal Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

But The Waterside Inn isn’t stopping there. Teaming up with Cookham Waste, a nearby company, the restaurant is further enhancing its efforts to minimise waste and reduce its environmental impact.

Although waste disposal may not be the most captivating topic, it stands as a crucial aspect of efficiently running a hospitality operation. As Roux explains: “Our substantial waste output isn’t just detrimental to the environment; it also adversely affects our finances. We partnered with Cookham Waste owing to their local presence and ability to provide a personalised, tailored service that aligns with our specific needs. In detailed discussions with owners Barry and Tyna Head, we collaboratively devised the optimal solution for our business. Being a family-run enterprise ourselves, we prefer working with similar local companies whenever possible, and what set Barry and Tyna apart was their receptiveness and understanding.”

For Barry Head, The Waterside Inn’s unique residential setting was part of the challenge when devising a tailor-made plan. He says, “The Waterside Inn team aimed not only to cut costs but also to maximise waste recycling while minimising noise and disturbance to neighbours. Cookham Waste manages this by utilising smaller vehicles and replacing bins with clean ones at every emptying. Our ethos has always centred around extensive recycling, greatly reducing general waste that is sent to waste plants in the UK. Cookham Waste are also 100% zero to landfill for our customers’ peace of mind.”

Alain Roux and The Waterside Inn are working towards a more sustainable future. For Roux, it’s of the utmost importance: “Nature’s beauty is something we celebrate with every dish we serve at this incredible riverside spot. It reminds us daily of our responsibility to protect it. Together, we are working to make sustainability a way of life. Turning waste into something wonderful has never been more rewarding.”

Find out more at cookhamwaste.co.uk

▴ WASTE NOT WANT NOT: Cookham Waste’s founder Barry Head and GM Tyna Head with Alain.

▴ PACK IT IN: The Oklin GG100s food waste unit, supplied by Enterpack, is vital to The Waterside Inn’s eco initiatives. For more, see oklincomposters.co.uk

A culinary education like

no other

After a gruelling competition, the winner of the Roux Scholarship 2024 has been announced. It marks 40 years of nurturing the UK’s brightest young talent

OVER THE LAST 40 years, Britain’s culinary scene has been transformed. As some of the most influential figures in that time period, it’s extraordinary to consider the Roux family’s far-reaching contribution in nurturing and developing the nation’s finest culinary talent. When The Roux Scholarship launched in 1984, there were just 33 Michelin starred restaurants in the Britain and Ireland Guide; now, there are 188.

Having arrived in the UK in the late 1960s, the brothers, Michel and Albert Roux had grown increasingly frustrated at the lack of enthusiasm they met when trying to explore and develop training opportunities abroad for their young, passionate chefs. In launching their innovative Scholarship, the brothers set about changing all that. It would be fair to say the family, and the UK’s culinary landscape, has never looked back.

The competition has had a dramatic, positive influence on the hospitality industry

and continues to be a beacon of British talent throughout the world. Still very much a family affair, in 2016, Alain Roux assumed joint chairmanship with his cousin, Michel Roux Jr, both having been judges since 1999.

This year, Michel’s daughter, Emily Roux, chef Patron of Caractère Restaurant in Notting Hill, joined as judge for the first time.

Now regarded as one of the most highly respected in the world, The Roux Scholarship offers “money can’t buy” training opportunities for young professional British chefs and works to improve their reputation throughout the world. Since the late, great Andrew Fairlie won the very first competition in 1984, it’s true to say many thousands of chefs have been inspired by the experience of competing. The fact that the quality of the chefs coming through just keeps getting stronger is itself testament to the profound impact The Scholarship has had and continues to have on the industry. These

include exceptional chefs such as Luke Selby, Spencer Metzger MCA, Mark Birchall and 2023’s winner April Lily Partridge, sous chef at The Ledbury and only the second woman to win after Mercy Fenton in 1994.

Today there are hundreds of successful restaurants throughout the country boasting awards and accolades, with many of their chefs having competed in and won The Roux Scholarship, and some of whom now participate as judges, including Sat Bains, (1999 scholar), André Garrett MCA (2002 scholar), and Simon Hulstone (2003 scholar).

One of the most alluring prizes for the winner is to join the unique “Scholars’ Club” which is akin to becoming part of the Roux family itself. The star prize is to either spend up to two months’ working at a three Michelin star restaurant of their choice in the world; or a bespoke training programme tailored to the chef’s individual ambitions, skill gaps and interests.

What better way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Roux Scholarship than to host this year’s Final Cook Off in the home kitchen of the late Michel Roux OBE? For the first time, on 8 April 2024, the final was held at the Alain Roux Culinary School at The Waterside Inn, an inspired conversion of Alain’s father Michel’s former home, overlooking the River Thames. Alain Roux said: “It felt fitting to host the final at the birthplace of The Scholarship - my father’s former home, now our Culinary School. There is no better tribute since the legacy of which my father was most proud was The Scholarship. To see the chefs competing in his old kitchen was very emotional.”

Michel Roux Jr added, “In life there are ‘pinch me’ moments. To be able to hold the 40th anniversary Roux Scholarship final in what was my uncle’s house is one of them. Both brothers would be so proud to see the school and that we are holding the final here”.

In another first, like the Cook Off beforehand, the Final Award Ceremony, took place outside London. Set in 240 acres of beautiful Berkshire countryside, Coworth Park, Dorchester Collection’s luxury country

Jodi

◂ AND THE WINNER IS: 2024 Roux Scholarship winner Karol Ploch alongside Chef Michel Roux Jr, Honorary President of the Judges Chef Thomas Keller, and Chef Alain Roux.

Hinds

house hotel and spa, hosted The Scholarship’s Final Award Ceremony. It was presided over by another proud Roux scholar, Adam Smith MCA (2011) who is executive chef of The Barn and the Drawing Room, as well as the flagship Michelin-starred Woven by Adam Smith, which was recently awarded the Hotel Catey’s Restaurant Team of the Year.

In a fitting and stunning finale, Chef Adam led a team of scholars, including Steve Drake (2001 scholar), Chef Proprietor of Sorrel Restaurant in Dorking, and Kenneth Culhane (2010 scholar), whose restaurant The Dysart in Petersham has a Michelin star. They prepared a fantastic three-course dinner for the small audience comprising the finalists’ guests, sponsors and judges.

Although it is one of the world’s premier chef competitions, The Scholarship Final Award Ceremony event always feels like a homecoming, with exceptional camaraderie, smiles and excitement where new and old friends greet and relax. But this year there was additional star power in the form of Honorary President of the Judges at the National Final, Chef Thomas Keller, one of the world’s most respected chefs.

For Chef Alain, it capped off The Roux Scholarship’s 40th anniversary: “It was a great privilege to welcome Chef Thomas Keller. Some of The Roux Scholarship’s highlights in recent years are courtesy of Chef Thomas, not least the hosting of stages for our scholars, including Jonnie Ferguson in 2023 and Hrishikesh Desai in 2009 at The French Laundry. And experiencing first hand Chef Thomas’ incredible hospitality, cuisine and learning about his philosophy during Scholarship visits to his restaurants in New York in 2014 and California in 2016. To have Chef Keller share our 40th anniversary Final is the ultimate, joyful, educational opportunity for us all”.

Chef Thomas is renowned for his refined yet simple, classic French cuisine and commitment to excellence. He is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple Michelin three-star ratings at his landmark restaurants, The French Laundry in Yountville, California and Per Se in New York. Among his many accolades, Chef Thomas led a team from the USA to its first ever gold medal in the Bocuse d’Or.

We have a very worthy winner and a great scholar and someone who will carry the torch for another 40 years

For this year’s final, the six competitor chefs were asked to prepare their own dish centred around poached rainbow trout, that had to be served hot with a sauce and garnish that included Carlingford oysters. At the start of the competition, the chefs were shown a table displaying dozens of ingredients that would allow them to interpret the brief as they chose. The chefs were asked to ‘tell a bold story composed of minimal yet impactful elements, that should reflect an understanding of the ethos and values of Chef Thomas Keller”.

After a fierce day of competition, Karol Ploch, the 28-year-old sous chef from Kerridge’s Bar and Grill in London, was named 2024 Roux Scholar. He beat five other finalists in the challenging final cook-off. Chef Karol served the judges rainbow trout poached in an oyster sauce, chateau potatoes glazed in a chicken reduction, trout roulade

with leeks and chanterelles, as well as asparagus. An additional oyster sauce on the side was finished with kaffir lime and thyme.

It was the first time Karol had entered The Roux Scholarship and he said on winning: “It’s an amazing feeling but overwhelming too. It’s been a great day – all the finalists were very close to each other, each dish was excellent. I’m just glad mine came out well. I’m excited for the future. It’s the biggest achievement of my career so far.”

He added: “I gave it everything I had. The cook-off was stressful at the beginning but when I started cooking, I focussed on the job at hand. It was three hours, but it went quickly; it’s best to focus on yourself and work with your commis. The timings went well, everything was on point and I’m glad it went this way.”

Michel Roux Jr said: “Everyone cooked to their potential and delivered the goods. We had some individuality in the cooking of the sauces and with the garnishes too. Karol’s dish had great flavour, perfectly cooked fish, and well-balanced garnishes. He worked well with his commis and made it look simple. As usual we had six great finalists who cooked to a very high standard. It was a very hearty debate to choose a winner and Chef Thomas brought a lot to the discussion which is why ↘

▴ THE ROUX LEGACY: [clockwise from top left] Karol Ploch’s winning rainbow trout dish from the cook-off; Chef Alain and ten Roux scholars travelled to Sweden in 2023 for a culinary education like no other; the six finalists from this year’s Roux Scholarship, including a beaming Chef Karol as he learns of his victory.

↘ we wanted him at the 40th anniversary. His wise words were taken on board.”

Alain Roux said: “We have a very worthy winner and a great scholar and someone who will carry the torch for another 40 years.”

In his role as Honorary Presidents of Judges, Thomas Keller led the judging panel alongside joint chairmen Alain and Michel Jr, who were joined by Vice-Chairman Brian Turner CBE, Sat Bains (1999 scholar), André Garrett MCA (2002 Scholar), James Martin, Clare Smyth MBE and Emily Roux.

Chef Thomas said: “Congratulations to this year’s Roux Scholarship winner, Karol Ploch, and congratulations to all the talented competing chefs today. Your expertise, patience and commitment to your craft are evident. You should be extremely proud of the work you displayed today. Thank you to my fellow judges, it’s been an honour to participate in the 40th Anniversary of the Roux Scholarship – an incredible milestone for the UK’s young culinarians and a scholarship that has impacted generations.”

Karol Ploch was competing against the following group of talented young chefs: Harrison Brockington of Gather in Totnes; Ben Miller of Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal in London; Jordan Randerson of the Elephant in Torquay; Liam Smith of Pine in East Wallhouses; Evelina Stripeikyte of the Glenturret Lalique in Crieff.

The winning chef receives £6,000, with an additional £6,000 awarded if they stay with their current employer for 15 additional months. The star prize is, of course access to the aforementioned “Scholar’s Club”, but there is an impressive list of additional prizes and culinary experiences, courtesy of The Roux Scholarship’s sponsors.

In closing, one of The Scholarship’s brightest young stars, April Lily Partridge who won in 2023, sums up perfectly what makes The Roux Scholarship so special: “It’s just the most unbelievable competition. It’s not just about being a good chef, it’s about how many people you inspire. That’s what’s so great about it. There’s a sense of responsibility to share your skills and help make the industry even better”.

I doubt Michel or Albert Roux could have summed it up better. For more information, rouxscholarship.co.uk

The Roux Scholarship excursion to Sweden, October 2023

Every two years, the Roux Family arranges a unique culinary educational tour, where a group of scholars experience the gastronomic trip of a lifetime.

To date, they have visited Scotland, Dubai, Italy, Germany, Japan, New York and California. As well as visiting some of the best restaurants in the destination, scholars get ‘access all areas’ to vineyards, workshops, farms and food producers. It’s also a golden opportunity to spend time together, swapping advice, stories and experiences with one another.

“We arrange the visits seeking inspiration, to encourage the scholars to broaden their horizons, to think outside the daily demands of running a restaurant, by experiencing other menus, cuisines, cultures.” Alain Roux explains, “We forge alliances abroad, representing our wonderful British hospitality industry and strengthening bonds between us all. The trips capture the essence of The Roux Scholarship – the friendships, the fun, the connections and the passion.”

In October 2023, Alain Roux and ten of the competition’s previous winners travelled to Sweden. Each Scholarship trip has been special, but this one was especially poignant as it was the first without the late Michel Roux OBE and First Scholar, Andrew Fairlie.

Chefs Björn Frantzén, Niklas Ekstedt and craft beer expert, Sanna Lindberg, helped design an itinerary that showcased one of the world’s most exciting culinary

destinations. The excursion sampled the striking contrast between the historic Stockholm on the east coast, and Malmö and Skåne County to the south, with its wild countryside and beaches.

Stand out memories in Stockholm included an evening spoilt by the skill of Chef Bjôrn and his team at Frantzén, the first Swedish restaurant to win three Michelin stars. There was also a fascinating evening spent with Chef Niklas Ekstedt at his eponymous restaurant, watching his chefs cook over flames.

Other highlights included a morning spent sailing with freshwater fisherman, Per Vidlund, as he regaled the group with stories and demonstrated his masterly fish butchery skills, then preparing their catch for lunch. Or an adventure in the forest with craftsman, Julia Kalthoff, learning to carve with axes before enjoying bonfire hot dogs under the stars.

The group hit the ground running in Malmö, with a guided food tour, and picked saffron in the fields at Saffranstorp, Northern Europe’s largest saffron farm. They were also welcomed by Magnus Nilsson, former chef-owner of the world famous Fäviken, to his apple farm in Axesltorp, Skäne, teaching the chefs about sustainability and discussing the future of the food industry. On a similar theme, there was an illuminating visit to Alchemist in Copenhagen, where innovation and sustainability take centre stage.

The scholars blazed a trail as culinary ambassadors for Britain, returning inspired and eager to share what they’d learnt. Discover more via the digital book: issuu.com/thewatersideinn

What’s coming up at The Waterside Inn

Look out for our fantastic dining events, celebrating great food, the finest wines and world-class hospitality. Held at intervals throughout the year, these bespoke experiences showcase the collaboration and creativity at the heart of The Waterside Inn operation – and, more than that, a sense of occasion! Here’s but a few examples of events you will not want to miss…

CHEF ALAIn AnD his team know a thing or two about great dining experiences. Drawing on their strong links they share with some of the best suppliers and their deep, longstanding relationships with châteaux families and world-renowned wineries in France, they love to create exclusive, extraordinary events, for guests to enjoy.

So far in 2024, lucky guests have enjoyed various exciting events, including a ‘Caviar Dining Odyssey’, in partnership with King’s Fine Food, and a ‘Six Legendary Hands –

The Waterside Inn loves to create exclusive, extraordinary events, for guests to experience

Together for One Night Only’ dinner with Raymond Blanc OBE and his Executive Head Chef, Luke Selby joining Alain Roux in his kitchen, as part of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons’ 40th anniversary celebrations. Don’t’ delay, with limited availability, our events sell out fast! Subscribe to our newsletter so you never miss a thing!

Here’s a taste of what’s on offer during the remainder of 2024. Don’t miss out on these fabulous wine and dining experiences – to secure your place, contact The Waterside Inn or visit our website.

SUBSCRIBE: Be the first to hear about Waterside Inn news, Exclusive Events, Wine Tastings and Culinary School classes by subscribing to one or both of our mailing lists.

(Drouhin) Clay McLachlan; (Roux Scholarship) Lateef Okunnu

Maison Joseph Drouhin wine tasting dinner

7 TH JUNE 2024

Maison Joseph Drouhin is one of the most distinguished wine families in Burgundy, and we’re delighted to offer you the chance to join us for an intimate evening of fine dining, fine wine, and fine storytelling.

Joining us for the occasion is fifth generation owner, Frédéric Drouhin, the great grandson of founder Joseph Drouhin, who will host this unforgettable culinary adventure. Frédéric’s culinary interests as a chef make him the natural spokesperson for the “art de vivre” of the Maison.

Chef Alain Roux has crafted a bespoke five-course menu, designed to best

showcase the wines of Maison Joseph Drouhin, including the spectacular Clos des Mouches Blanc 2018 Hospices de Beaune and Cuvée Maurice Drouhin 2003.

LOCATION riverside private dining room. Join fellow food and wine lovers to be seated at a single, elegant table.

TIME 7pm.

CAPACITY 26 guests only with limited overnight accommodation available.

£1,000 per person (inc. VAT and service)

Roux Scholar masterclasses

VARIOUS DATES, 2024-2025

Château Angelus wine tasting dinner

24TH OCTOBER 2024

Château Angelus is one of only four estates to be awarded the top St-Émilion classification, so it’s only right that this unique five-course dinner celebrates the decadence and tradition of this Burgundian giant. Lush, dense and creamy, this is a unique wine that exudes class with ample freshness. We’re also thrilled to welcome Stéphanie de BoüardRivoal, eighth-generation owner and president of the estate, who will host this once-in-a-lifetime experience, with co-owner Comte Hubert de Boüard.

LOCATION riverside private dining room, seated at a single, elegant table. TIME 7pm

CAPACITY 26 guests only with limited overnight accommodation available. £1,200 per person (inc. VAT and service)

The Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle experience

28 TH NOVEMBER 2024

Join us for a special evening, where heritage meets elegance, showcasing the splendour of Champagne LaurentPerrier Grand Siècle. We’re honoured to be joined by Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt, fourth generation of Laurent-Perrier who currently runs the iconic House. Our friend Richard Lewis, UK sales director for Laurent-Perrier, will be on hand to guide us through each of the acclaimed vintages that will be paired with a unique fivecourse menu, crafted by Alain Roux.

LOCATION riverside private dining room, seated at a single, elegant table. TIME 7pm.

CAPACITY Limited to 26 guests, with overnight accommodation available £670.00 per person (inc. VAT and service)

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Roux Scholarship, The Waterside Inn is hosting a series of six exclusive, masterclasses with Roux scholar chefs cooking for you in the fantastic culinary school. A percentage of the revenue from the masterclasses will be donated to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust, of which Alain Roux is Patron. These will be full-day interactive events, beginning with coffee and croissants, before observing the scholar chef preparing their fivecourse lunch for you to enjoy together in the Michel Roux Library. Places will be limited to just six guests per masterclass.

5TH SEPTEMBER Kenneth Culhane, 2010 scholar, chef proprietor of The Dysart in Petersham. James Carberry, 1992 scholar, Senior Lecturer, Culinary Arts, Technical University, Dublin

3RD OCTOBER Martin Carabott, 2018 scholar, Head Chef at Hide, London 10TH OCTOBER 2024 April Partridge, 2023 scholar, Sous Chef at The Ledbury, London 17TH OCTOBER Frederick Forster, 2000 scholar, Head Chef at The Gore, London

24TH OCTOBER Oli Williamson, 2021 scholar, Head Chef at La Table de Montaigne in Bordeaux, former Head Chef at The Fat Duck

21ST NOVEMBER Hrishikesh Desai, scholar 2009, Chef Proprietor Farlam Hall, Cumbria

28TH NOVEMBER Adam Smith MCA, scholar 2012, Executive Chef at Coworth Park Hotel, Ascot, including Woven by Adam Smith

Host your next special party

Looking to host an exclusive soirée or celebrate a special occasion in style? There is no place better than The Waterside Inn. Leave the details to party organisers WILLIAM BARTHOLOMEW and prepare to enjoy an event that will last long in the memory

WHETHER YOU’RE CELEBRATI n G a special occasion or just looking to share a fun and memorable party of a lifetime with friends and loved ones, The Waterside Inn is equipped with everything you could possibly need to mark the moment in the grandest possible way. Our friendly, incredible team can make every dream come true.

No request is too much trouble, no detail too small. Rest assured that we will take care of your special event with the same care and attention that we lavish on our world-class cuisine and service. From bespoke menus

paired with the rarest wines, to lavish themes and top entertainment, you can have it all!

Some of our most amazing bespoke events, parties and celebrations have been arranged in partnership with one of the Roux family’s longest standing friends and suppliers, William Bartholomew.

“Parties at The Waterside Inn can be intimate, simple occasions or elaborate affairs with bespoke marquees, lighting, décor, international artists, and singers. Or we can book a magician, pianist, or children’s entertainer. We pride ourselves in liaising

closely with our clients, paying attention to the tiniest details, to ensure we interpret their vision perfectly. We have our own black book full of surprising, unusual, and firstclass entertainment, all tried and tested," reports Bartholomew.

General manager Frédéric Poulette adds, “William is like one of the team. He always delivers, no matter how extreme the fantasy! In him, we find the perfect partner, with a level of passion, dedication to detail, consistency and impeccable service that we strive ourselves to achieve. More than

anything, he’s tremendous fun and just loves parties and making dreams come true.”

During his 40-year career, Bartholomew has organised many high-profile parties, charity events, and weddings. Highlights include events for the late King Hussein of Jordan; Royal parties at Buckingham Palace; weddings for Diana Ross in Switzerland, and Guy Ritchie and Madonna at the beautiful Skibo Castle; Tina Turner’s 60th birthday party; and the late Princess Margaret’s 60th birthday party at Spencer House.

Bartholomew can provide top-class performers and artists for events. For instance, he organised for singing legend Dionne Warwick to perform at a private party at The Waterside Inn in the summer of 2022.

But for Bartholomew, it’s more than just organising a great event, it’s the connections made along the way, as he proudly explains: “I have been amazingly lucky in my career and can be proud of loyal relationships

with my clients and associates. In fact, the ‘21st’s’ have turned into weddings, and the weddings into christenings.

“My association with The Waterside Inn is similarly enduring – and I am so grateful for their loyalty over the years. I miss Robyn Roux’s engaging chatter and meticulous eye for detail. However busy he was, Michel Roux Sr always had time to chat either about racing or shooting, both of which I enjoy. I also miss his sense of humour and wonderful laugh. But I’m lucky enough to have an amazing rapport with Alain Roux, Frédéric Poulette and reservations manager Maggie Fairbrother who ensure that the ‘feel’ of The Waterside Inn never changes.

“I have helped to organise some amazing events there. Creating a Midsummer Night’s Dream, for instance, was no mean feat – to set it up in a restaurant and garden between breakfast, lunch and dinner was something else! Who needs hob-nailed marquee

technicians traipsing through the restaurant or the room being turned into a fantasy garden during dessert? We must work swiftly and subtly to cause minimum disruption, and this would be impossible without the amazing support and efficiency of the wonderful team at The Waterside Inn.

“Working at The Waterside Inn is a joy. We are both bespoke, family-orientated companies sharing the same values and approach to business. Together, we aim to provide a unique, outstanding, and personal experience to a very appreciative and loyal clientele. I hope our association will continue for years to come. My goodness, we’ve had some fun too. That’s what it’s all about!”

Contact events@williambartholomew.com; williambartholomew.com

▴ PARTY PEOPLE: William Bartholomew has organised countless events at The Waterside Inn, including a production of Midsummer Night's Dream.

▸ ROUGET DES CORNOUAILLES

CUIT VAPEUR: Steamed Cornish red mullet glazed with bouillabaisse, tomato-flavoured fregola, braised vegetables, fennel and saffron sauce

Ian Dingle

38 Arcania Apothecary

42 Macallan whisky

46 Pierre Frey

Scents and sensibility

The creation of a bespoke scent is a very emotive experience. We sit down with Richard Howard, master perfumer of Arcania Apothecary, to find out more about The Waterside Inn’s new fragrance

THE ROUTE TO creating a signature fragrance begins with following your nose, but not necessarily in a literal sense. In fact, as Richard Howard of Arcania Apothecary explains, it’s an intuitive process that involves all five senses to create something altogether more evocative than simply a pleasant smelling product. What you’re actually trying to capture is a feeling: “It becomes your fingerprint,” Howard says when we visit him at his nine-acre apothecary garden in Wells, Somerset. “Through empathy, intuition, and respect for the client, I try to open their heart and interpret their sense of joy and wonder through the selection.”

Howard founded Arcania Apothecary 25 years ago to challenge the cosmetic industry’s approach to manufacturing through his natural small-batch products designed to be good for your skin and the planet. Much like The Waterside Inn’s commitment to using only the finest ingredients and deep care about their provenance, Arcania Apothecary is a leader in natural perfumery with a fastidious approach to ethically sourcing all of the plants and essential oils in its products.

When Howard sat down with creative director Laura Roux and chef instructor Michael Nizzero to design a bespoke scent for The Waterside Inn, the trio took inspiration from the beautiful riverside setting, the tranquil interiors, and the restaurant’s remarkable focus on quality and authenticity.

For Laura, it was an eye-opening experience: “I wanted to capture so many elements. I had a clear brief but little knowledge about how to layer the different scents to unfold the magic we were seeking to create. Richard guided me with his brilliant nose and sensitivity to our story.”

The result is a fabulous statement candle boasting a wonderful Waterside Inn inspired fragrance. The latter, the product of a harmonious collaboration between Arcania Apothecary, Limelight Bath, and Rupert Blamire Ceramics, allowing those who enjoy

its elegant fragrance to bring a small part of The Waterside Inn home with them.

We speak with Arcania Apothecary’s director and master perfumer, to find out more about his personal journey and naturecentred approach, as well as the creation of the restaurant’s signature scent.

Tell us about the background of Arcania Apothecary and your USP as a company. I began my business 25 years ago, working with fresh products and wanting to increase awareness about what we are putting on our skin. The cosmetic world promotes an illusion and I wanted to prick its conscience.

Anita Roddick [founder of The Body Shop] is one of my icons. She enabled us to buy with consciousness. For example, to make a statement against animal testing

through our personal buying choices. Her vehicle gave people this powerful yet simple opportunity in the marketplace.

My inspiration was nutrition at that time. People were becoming more conscious about what they put into their bodies, and questioning additives and E numbers, I wanted to do the same with our skin.

During the pandemic, I went back to where I started, having a garden again, and that message carries on. Hopefully, I can further my message by introducing young people to the environment and to make choices as we have done.

Certain chefs still have the passion but can physically no longer do the hours. I am giving

them a new opportunity

You have a lot of chefs working at Arcania Apothecary. How did that come to pass? Chefs have that sense of care and attention that is required in bringing these sensitive materials together. They work very well ↘

▴ FOLLOW YOUR NOSE: Master perfumer Richard Howard of Arcania Apothecary guided Laura Roux through the process of creating a bespoke scent.

↘ in our environment since we are specialising in delicate products that require a certain degree of nuance.

I am picking up chefs and introducing them into the business. Many have come to a stage in their career and lives where they are looking for a more 9-5 way of living. Certain chefs that I have brought on board, still have the passion but can physically and practically no longer do the hours. I am giving them a new opportunity to utilise their skills. They start off in our compounding department, where all the ingredients come together for blending. We use the same principles as in the kitchen, bringing ingredients together using heat.

With the chefs that show acumen and want to be more involved in detail, I put them through university. We have put many through to achieve a cosmetic science degree. My cosmetic chemists on board may have

been chefs, but now they are scientists.

I am so proud of the company. I cannot emphasise too much the importance and joy in bringing a great team together, wonderful people into the framework. More than a business, it’s a movement, a community effort. Any successful business has it. Everyone has to be in tune.

What has it been like working with The Waterside Inn?

Our philosophy and approach takes inspiration from the culinary world. Chef Michael Nizzero and Laura understood this straight away. Without respect for the raw ingredients at the earliest stage – the sun, the soil, the rain that helped nurture it – you could lose the vitality that is inherent in that plant, so you must avoid overcooking it.

In order to respect something, you must have an element of connection through

Your sense of freedom cannot help but be affected by working with these natural elements… It’s all about respect for nature, connection with what really matters in this world, and embracing your heart

education and understanding. Then your respect becomes more finely tuned, through the vehicle of what we produce.

The creation of formulas, whether in creating dishes or fragrances, relies on expertise, training and delicate handling all coming together to emulate what nature has already done, to produce something that is perfect. The intention is to create something palatable and that smells good, a product that you can apply to your body, perhaps. We try not to interfere too much, to keep in touch with nature and how it perfects everything.

The joy we are bringing to the land and people that work with us, compounds the joy that comes from our work through the understanding and careful handling of such beautiful things. Your sense of freedom cannot help but be affected by working with these natural elements.

To deal with synthetics does not inspire the same level of freedom, either in terms of the manufacture or use of such products. It’s all about respect for nature, connection with what really matters in this world, and embracing what’s in your heart.

I think that the importance of respect for each other and the world around us is so important and I want to promote these

▴ NATURE’S BOUNTY: Howard’s ethos is about creating products that are good for your skin but also good for the planet. Arcania Apothecary is a leading light in the world of natural cosmetics.

The creation of formulas, whether in dishes or fragrances, relies on expertise, training and delicate handling all coming together to emulate what nature has already done

principles through our work and message at Arcania Apothecary. The world certainly needs to change its ways.

Walk us through the process of creating The Waterside Inn’s bespoke fragrance. It starts with intuition. Intuition is when you are passionate about getting the work right. Then there’s interpretation: you have to interpret a client’s sense of joy and wonder –and translate that into a fragrance. You have to let go of yourself, and embrace this instead. You have to be professional enough to really feel the heart of the client, what is their sense in this matter. Once you have embraced it, then it’s a matter of opening the heart to find the reason behind it. Once we have an understanding of the heart, then we can move quickly to become in tune with one another.

It puts me in a good place to capture their unique personality. Being empathetic to the client, their situation, then through empathy and respect you are able to connect on the basis that you share an authentic value. Then you can move to choosing the plants and the essential oils from the various categories.

Using a musical analogy, we use notes on a scale to create a fragrance. Using a number of notes, we bring elements together to create chords. It starts with a top note, a high note. Then there is the middle note – the heart, where the character lies. And finally there is the fragrance base note, which holds everything together – this is the stabiliser for the fragrance’s many dimensions. The process is about how we bring these together to create a final, cohesive aroma.

I looked at what category of aroma Laura wanted to aim for – a green, fresh fragrance, different to floral or woody or citrus. Green, fresh, herbaceous, stems from the kitchen garden, the freshness of being by the riverside. We are working with extraordinary values, they touch us emotionally and spiritually, and so we must portray these with a top chord that is vibrant and energising. There’s a calm and sedating

middle chord, and then we end up with an emotional note that is quite euphoric.

The fragrance embodies the intimate relationship The Waterside Inn has with quality, authenticity and integrity. The whole fragrance must bring all the elements together beautifully, but you also have to let the plants themselves do the talking.

When I am blending, I am not thinking about what I have just said, “where are the green notes?” or “what moods am I working with?” It’s a more intuitive process of evolution to capture the elusive qualities of

the plants, and let them create the chords. The best things come when you are doing the least thinking. You need to get to a certain point of fluency then it’s a question of letting go, and this is when the magic happens.

To work with The Waterside Inn was such a wonderful opportunity to express the very best work that I can do; nothing less than the best was going to be good enough. I felt respect and awe in working on this project, a pressure to raise myself to the team’s level of excellence. It was a dream.

The best chefs appreciate and share the same principles as us, the care of soil and plants, the careful husbandry of animals. At the end of the day, we’re all trying to support the planet and that’s inspiring.

The Waterside Inn candle and toiletries are available from waterside-inn.co.uk

◂ FARM LIFE: During the pandemic, Howard created a nine-acre apothecary garden and farm to help educate others about the importance of nature. [Top] The Waterside Inn candle (£58).

Here come the drams

World-renowned single malt whisky The Macallan enjoys a unique gastronomic partnership with The Waterside Inn. FRÉDÉRIC POULETTE sits down with Mark Riley, managing director of The Macallan’s owner Edrington UK, to talk all things Scotch

MA n Y YEARS AGO, there was a fabled cask of The Macallan 25 Year Old created especially for Michel Roux and The Waterside Inn. It was distilled in 1977 and each bottle came adorned with a bespoke design featuring a silhouette of the restaurant in pride of place on the label. It was enjoyed by the Waterside’s patrons for years, before slowly working its way to the back of the drinks cabinet where it was largely forgotten.

One day, a gentleman requested a glass of it as a digestif after his meal. And then again a few weeks later. And then again a short

while after that, until he had consumed the last drop in the last bottle. “We did some research and it turns out we should have sold it for three times more!” Frédéric Poulette laughingly tells Mark Riley, managing director at Edrington UK, of this pricing faux pas: “We learned a good lesson that day!”

It’s an amusing microcosm for the significant spike in interest of single malt whisky over the last decade or so. Once the sole domain of a passionate but select group of enthusiasts, Scotch has grown into one of the most valuable commodities in the world

▴ FLAME BEARER: Frédéric Poulette demonstrates The Waterside Inn's lobster press dish with Head Waitress Marina Bosini. Created in partnership with Alain Roux, it’s inspired by Frédéric’s visit to the Macallan distillery.

of premium spirits, with an increasingly younger, more gender equal, and highly knowledgeable fan base.

Prestige brands like The Macallan have led the way in an industry that has renewed its focus on craftsmanship and the pursuit of excellence, but also in the potential for growth in the fine-dining sector.

It’s with this in mind that The Macallan has recently partnered with the Roux Scholarship for 2024 – in the hopes of bringing its phenomenal whisky to even greater gastronomic heights.

Ciaran McCrickard

Frédéric sits down with Mark to discuss all things The Macallan, the growth of Scotch whisky, and a very special lobster dish now on the menu at The Waterside Inn.

FRÉDÉRIC POULETTE: The Macallan is one of the most highly regarded whiskies in the world. I suppose I should ask you why this is the case? What is it about The Macallan that has captivated customers and collectors?

MARK RILEY: You’re absolutely right, The Macallan is one of the few whiskies that was admired by enthusiastic consumers and collectors alike. I think you can boil down its unparalleled reputation to three key factors. First and foremost, we have an uncompromising commitment to quality. The Macallan is renowned for its meticulous attention to detail in every aspect of the whisky-making process, from sourcing the finest ingredients to employing traditional craftsmanship. And it’s an almost unrealistic – certainly from a financial director’s view –approach to making whisky.

Secondly, it’s our wood policy. We have got the most exceptional high quality casks and we have this unwavering commitment to the wood we use. While many other whisky brands over the centuries have maybe chosen a route that finds a balance between quality and cost, we haven’t; we've stuck religiously to what we believe delivers the best whisky. And that brings us to the final point of the three.

It’s all about taste. The taste is amazing. We have a very clear flavour-first approach, which means that we’re recognised globally for that signature profile of rich dried fruits, vanilla and wood spices.

FP: At The Waterside Inn, we have seen a significant growth not only in customers interested in drinking whisky but in their knowledge surrounding the product. Is this a trend you are seeing on your side?

MR: Well, I think there are long-term trends and there are short-term fads. I think what we’re observing with whisky, particularly premium whiskies, is a long, long-term trend. And without doubt, in recent years, the whisky market’s experienced an

emergence of a new younger generation –that 25 to 34-year-old demographic. The wonderful thing about that type of consumer is they’re curious and they’re confident about their whisky knowledge. But, best of all, they love talking and sharing their knowledge, particularly through social media. So we find that younger consumers have a real desire to

understand the brand, the taste profile and, of course, what you guys are experiencing is the food-pairing opportunity.

Often they’ll experience that first and foremost in the on-premises – in wonderful venues like yours – but then try and recreate that experience at home, too. So it’s leading to a much longer sustainable growth ↘

▸ JUST ADD WHISKY: The Waterside’s lobster press dish, inspired by classical 19th-century French cuisine. The sauce is the star of the show – created by pressing the shells through a specialist press tableside, flambéing in The Macallan 12 year old and adding butter. It’s an elegant creation that marries the natural sweetness of the crustacean with the signature complexity of Macallan – those notes of dried fruits, spice and woodsmoke.

↘ path, which we hope to continue seeing over many years to come. At the moment, there are many stats one could use to support that, but whisky is currently growing twice as fast as all of the spirits in the on-premises sector. That can only be a good thing.

FP: Food is, of course, a great friend of whisky and here at the restaurant we use The Macallan to create a very special lobster dish that we finish tableside in front of the customer. How do you feel about The Macallan’s relationship with fine dining?

MR: As a brand and as a business, we’re always curious to explore opportunities. You know, what you guys do, the boundaries you push, it’s bold, it’s brilliant, and in the world of whisky, we’re doing the same. We are pushing the boundaries of creativity ourselves and at The Macallan, we’re deeply committed to the world of gastronomy and continuously striving to create unparalleled food and whisky experiences.

It’s one of the reasons we’ve committed to the Roux Scholarship – the marrying of the flavours – it just feels like a perfect partnership. We’re very excited about that. But we’re also investing an awful lot of money in our own food experience on The

Macallan’s estate. We’re about to launch a new restaurant up there. Something that I would hope over time you’d like to come and experience yourself, Frédéric.

FP: Definitely! And, yes, I had a lot of fun creating this lobster dish with Alain Roux and our head chefs, Adam Wright and Fabrice Uhryn. In fact, the seed of the idea was planted when I came to visit The Macallan’s distillery, and I was trying a few food pairings with the chefs. It’s working very well. Last weekend at lunch we had two tables order the lobster press with Macallan, and you could see the other diners were very curious.

But I wonder if perhaps you can talk a little bit more about the flavour profile of The Macallan and what makes it such a great match for food, like in our lobster dish.

MR: I think The Macallan is renowned for a particular taste profile, but it’s a very complex liquid. Despite the fact that it’s made from such simple ingredients, the whisky makers are the geniuses in all of this;

their ability to take spirit from different years and different generations and to put that into a number of different casks, which are made from American and European sherryseasoned oak, and then to marry those liquids to create incredibly complex rich liquids is just unparalleled.

And it’s exactly because of that complexity – those different flavours and taste profiles – that you have a multitude of opportunities when it comes to food pairing.

In my opinion, whisky makers are up there with the genius of the finest chefs in the world, such as Chef Roux, of course.

FP: It’s funny because the way The Macallan makes whisky is exactly how a top chef would describe creating a dish. It’s about building those flavour profiles to make something greater than the sum of its parts.

So, next question: would you say that the whisky demographic is changing and, with that, are the demands of the consumer different than perhaps previously?

MR: Whisky is no more immune to the changing world in which we live than any other product, I include The Macallan in that. In terms of the whisky demographic, it’s still weighted towards males.

However, we do see, as I mentioned earlier, that the younger age groups have grown their share of the total demographic, and that’s something we’re keen to encourage given our focus on building a category that has longevity.

The other thing is we are very much committed to democratising single malt whisky and making it more accessible to those who’ve traditionally been less likely to drink it, such as females or those under 35. But the wonderful thing is we’re seeing the rise in the influence of women within this category and I think that’s going to continue. Only last year we worked with Becky Paskin, one of the most influential women within whisky, and we produced a podcast series called The Stillhouse with her.

We're deeply committed to gastronomy and are striving to create unparalleled food and whisky experiences

▴ MAN WITH A PLAN: Mark Riley, MD of Edrington UK, says that the secret to The Macallan’s success is its commitment to democratising whisky and making it more accessible for a wider demographic.

FP: You’ve worked in the premium spirits sector for 25 years. Is it fair to say the landscape has changed just as dramatically as the restaurant industry in that time?

MR: Scarily, it’s actually coming up to 27 years now! It’s fair to say both industries have experienced enormous change. The spirit industry has seen a significant rise in popularity of craft spirits. Consumers have shown increased interest in unique and smaller batch spirits leading to the growth of craft distilleries; flavours continue to be a key driver of innovation and that is resulting in flavour infusions and different blending techniques; and, something else that we’ve continued to observe, is consumers are increasingly willing to pay more for premium and high-quality products and experiences.

I think you’ve also seen this and no doubt we will continue to see this across luxury and premium brands.

FP: Your latest career highlight, I’m sure, is Edrington hitting £1bn in core revenue for the first time, with The Macallan leading the company’s performance. As a team, you must have been delighted?

MR: I mean, I lead the UK business. It’s by no means the biggest part of Edrington, but because it’s the home of our business, I’ve probably got a decent perspective on this. I think first and foremost, our success comes down to talent, but not just talent, it’s about dedication, it’s about a lot of hard work. We do appreciate that it’s not just current employees that created the success we celebrate today, but we stand on the shoulders of giants. We’re mere custodians of these incredible brands and we recognise and appreciate the talent and dedication of the people that preceded us, as well as those who surround us now.

I would also say we have a very focused strategy in Edrington UK. In fact, Edrington globally is really sharply focused on ultrapremium spirits. And so with a very sharp focused strategy, we have to make bold investment decisions. We invest more in our brands as a percentage of sales than most other brands and we’re proud of that fact. The £1bn milestone was a big deal for

The Macallan Double Cask 15 Year Old is without doubt, pound for pound, my favourite whisky

us, especially when you consider we have a rather unique ownership. Edrington is owned by a charitable trust and that embeds certain values in our company – the values of giving back and giving more to the communities in which we operate within. And I do think that plays a significant role in attracting and retaining exceptional talent.

FP: What are your views on the sky-rocketing prices of premium whisky?

MR: The value of any product reflects many facets, including the craftsmanship we talked about, the authenticity, the quality, the scarcity – and it doesn’t matter whether that’s scotch whisky, a piece of fine jewellery or a fine painting, the same rules apply. The Macallan has a long-established reputation for consistent outstanding quality and, as such, it’s one of the most sought-after single malts by consumers and collectors.

The reality is we have little influence and control over the resale value of many of our products as it’s driven by that passion and demand of discerning collectors and consumers. What I would say, however, is we make The Macallan to be enjoyed by consumers, we want to put liquid on lips

▴

around the world and that’s what we’ve been focusing on for generations now.

FP: Would you be happy to tell me which is your favourite Macallan whisky?

MR: Well, asking me what my favourite whisky is a little bit like asking me to choose my favourite child. However, unlike my children, there are so many whiskies to choose from! But I’d say The Macallan Double Cask 15-Year-Old. Don’t get me wrong, there are many whiskies that are much more expensive, but I’m going to give you my opinion based on what I think is the best pound-for-pound whisky.

The Macallan Double Cask 15 is the perfect blend of European and American oak casks, which deliver a perfectly balanced, beautiful whisky. The influence of both casks is immediately noticeable – you’ve got that dried fruit, figs, and the baked apple from the Spanish oak, and the vanilla and the toffee from the American oak. It’s a whisky that’s equally at home in a long drink, a short cocktail or just simply neat. It is without doubt, pound-for-pound my favourite.

FP: It’s been a privilege to speak to you today. We are very pleased with the new partnership with The Macallan and The Waterside Inn. It’s great for us that our customers also have the privilege to experience some of your rarer whiskies in the restaurant, but also for us to be associated with such a prestigious brand.

MR: Well, I can only echo those comments, Frédéric, it’s just lovely to be associated with something as prestigious as your restaurant, your service, your chefs.

I hope this is the start of something that’s long and enduring and I hope we can continue to refresh the relationship to make sure that we give your customers the energy, the enthusiasm, and the excitement that they deserve when they walk through the doors of The Waterside Inn.

WISDOM OF AGE: Macallan 40 year old is one of the rare whiskies available at The Waterside Inn.

The fabric of time

(main) Francesca Agosta; (factory) Clement Barzucchetti, Dorothée Demey; (Waterside interiors) Ian Dingle

(main) Francesca Agosta

Pierre Frey is one of France's great furniture and textile houses. Laura Roux sits down with its chairman and creative director, Patrick Frey

“QUALITY BEGI n S I n the details and extends out into every facet,” Patrick Frey says. The patriarch of the esteemed French textiles Maison, Pierre Frey, is explaining what the word luxury means to him, but he could just so easily be talking about Laura Roux’s understated approach to interior design at The Waterside Inn.

In fact, the new chairs for the dining room were sourced from Pierre Frey following a two-year consultation process that saw Laura view samples from various designers, before settling on leather upholstery, and testing chair shapes for comfort.

There are few names in the world of textiles who match the prestige of the French company, founded in 1935 by the eponymous Pierre Frey. The Maison’s avant-garde approach and eclectic designs have made it a pioneer, whether for its beautiful made-to-measure rugs, sumptuous wallpaper collections or, of course, some very stylish furniture.

Many of its designs are in some way informed by its incredible archives, housing some 25,000 documents and drawings, preserving the heritage of artwork that dates back as far as the 16th century. In this sense, Pierre Frey is the custodian of a legacy far greater than its own rich heritage.

Indeed, the themes of legacy and succession raise their head on more than one occasion during a lively discussion between Laura Roux and Patrick Frey. Both The Waterside Inn, which opened in 1972, and the esteemed French textile experts, founded in 1935, are fiercely proud to still have their respective families at the heart of their operations, but the challenge of preserving a house that bears your family’s name, and when to willingly hand over the reins of the company to the next generation has given both businesses pause for thought.

For The Waterside, the death of the great Michel Roux OBE in 2020 saw the official passing of the torch from father to son, when chef patron Alain Roux began a new era at the restaurant. The Roux succession plan had long been in the works, but with his father’s guiding voice no longer close, it’s up to Alain to continue the family legacy.

For Patrick Frey, he was entrusted with great responsibility at the tender age of 26,

when his father bestowed upon him the title of president of Pierre Frey. The scion of the company has been its creative director ever since, but he is slowly stepping back from the business.

Laura sat down with Patrick to talk about inspiration, creativity, and the challenges of running a cross-generational company.

LAURA ROUX: Your father, Pierre Frey, founded the brand back in 1935. What did you learn from him in regards to running a successful business?

PATRICK FREY: I think you have two types of businesses. One is for investment and banking, and you call that in French a société or a company. It’s a certain way of doing business. The other way of doing business is to have what we call a Maison, and that’s how we would describe ourselves.

Maison Pierre Frey, for me, it means tradition, patrimony, transmission, ↘

More than anything else, creation needs transmission. Otherwise, you have this unique business and after your death it’s gone

▴ MEET THE FAMILY: [main image] Laura Roux and Patrick Frey at Alain Roux Culinary School, featuring Pierre Frey’s “Bonne Pêche” wallpaper behind; [left] the main landing, The Waterside Inn, including the Pierre Frey “Zelda” carpet.

▴ BOSS SEAT: The sofa in the Michel Roux Library was upholstered using “Capri II” fabric by FadiniBorghi – an Italian brand within the Pierre Frey group.

↘ that’s perhaps the most important word: transmission. A certain philosophy, a certain joie de vivre, a certain way of seeing things, a certain direction to the business. I don’t think in a company you have this, where it’s more a question of profit. I don’t have any judgement for one or the other, but in my case, I had a chance to get my perspective from my dad, to inherit this Maison, and I think I wanted to repeat what he has done and to give it to my sons.

It’s funny because when they are young, you don’t know if one day they will be interested in the family business, you have to be patient. I had three boys and I had to wait until they were much older. Vincent, the middle child, always said to me, “Dad, I would never work with you because I love big companies and I think you are too small.”

I could understand that view very well. As it should happen, he’s now president of Pierre Frey. My other child, Pierre, wanted to join me in the business, and the last one, Matthieu, was selling cognac in Singapore for Rémy Cointreau for a while before he came back to join us as well. It taught me the one rule where succession is concerned: never ask them to join you.

LR: Interesting. My father-in-law, Michel, used to say the same thing. He waited until Alain was ready to join the family business, he never pressured him into coming here.

PF: Exactly. And one day, you don’t know why, they’re working here. But it took years to get this satisfaction. One of my wife Lorraine’s daughters, my stepdaughter Amandine Dufour, has also joined the company as UK director. It’s a family business.

But I think for me, when you have creation perhaps more than anything else, whether that’s in my world or your culinary world, you need a transmission – creation needs transmission, otherwise it’s a unique thing and after your death it’s gone.

You take Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy, Kenzo, all these great fashion designers, for example, or maybe Paul Bocuse in gastronomy. But other than these few exceptions, when your time is over, the company that bears your family name stops because it’s so personal, so fundamentally connected to you, that it’s very difficult to give it to someone else.

If you have the chance to have children and they want to follow you, it’s part of your life to try to transmit to them your values, what you believe in. It’s a question of education, it’s a question of love, it’s a question of passion. And slowly you try to train them to come and join you after that.

LR: Still, the passing of a business from one generation to another is a challenging time when new ideas sometimes conflict with the old approach. You witnessed it yourself when you took over from your father. How did you handle that at the time and when will you know the time is right to allow your sons to take full creative control?

PF: I must say, I was lucky and I’m lucky now, because I’ve never had any conflict in my career. For my father’s generation, there was no discussion. At that time, he was born in 1903, the education of your father was absolute: it’s like this or like that. But

To be a good creator today, wow, it’s difficult. I think today it’s not enough to be good… you have to be very, very good

◂ BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: The new Laurel dining chairs, finished in Tassin leather, took Laura Roux two years to select in collaboration with Pierre Frey.

he did the best thing he could do for his son because he gave me his confidence very quickly. Six months after I joined Pierre Frey at 22 years old, he said, “Patrick, do you have a fabric for me?” I said, “Dad, I have no idea!” He said, “You have nothing to do at Pierre Frey if you don’t have any fabric. If you have no idea, you have nothing to do here.”

If your parents give you the chance to express yourself, I think you minimise conflict in general. That was a defining moment in my life, because it led me to becoming the president of Pierre Frey at 26 years old. It would be crazy today – my God, you’re still a baby at 26! – but the company was much smaller back then. Still, it was a risk for him, especially my dad. He was very classic, very bourgeois. He had loved and created this very beautiful, very chic company, but he really trusted me.

Creation is so difficult these days, you have so much competition. Everybody goes on social media, everybody compares what is going on in New York, in Paris, in London, in Singapore, and you are always in competition. To be a good creator today, wow, it’s difficult. I think it’s not enough to be good, it’s perhaps not even enough to be very good, you have to be very, very, very good. So, in many ways, I thought it was too risky to pass the reins, but I realised that at 76 years old, not at 50, 40 or 30. Marketing and social media was not my bond. Even if I did it 20 years ago, it’s a younger generation’s game than mine.

I realised very quickly that I was ready to give them the company when I turned 75 last year. I thought they were strong enough to be the head of it. So, I gave the company, jointly, to my three sons because each one of them has a job. Everything was organised.

I just said, “OK, I keep control of creation for two or three more years, and then I will give you full control. If I can continue to give you my values and if I can continue a few years to pass on what I have learned, that would be for the best of Pierre Frey.

LR: That’s so interesting, because some people give responsibility but no accountability whereas you are encouraging them to stand by their decisions. It’s not always quite so easy!

Never try to sell. If you sell, you’re finished. Do what you believe in and, after that, the rest will follow

PF: Yes, I’m very pleased, I stay and we share everything together. It’s a real family business. I work closely with my sons and step-daughter, Amandine Dufour. And, really, I’m listening to what they say except when it comes to the creative.

For now, I do what I want, when I want, in the colour I want, and I’m the only one to choose. I do work with my studio, alongside five talented young designers who create the collections together. But I do the final selections. Even if it’s totally crazy, if I want to do it, I want to have the possibility to do it. That’s my only strong request. Like in a restaurant with a chef surrounded by a wonderful culinary team.

LR: How would you define the Pierre Frey signature and how important is it to preserve that heritage and knowhow? Your electicism

is probably why you are so popular among interior designers.

PF: That’s in my blood, I think. I love to be eclectic, I’ve always loved it. I’m just as happy when I’m working with an 18th-century beautiful document from England, France or Italy, or doing a children’s collection, or working to create an indigenous fabric from the Aboriginals from Australia.

You’re right, I think we are probably the most eclectic company in our industry, because if you’re young and you want something modern, abstract with crazy design, I think you will find it at Pierre Frey. We receive a lot of avant garde artists. At the moment, I’m collaborating with a young English painter who came to see me a year ago with her very original, unique design. A huge abstract design. And it’s going to be a beauty. I love to do that, but I also love to go to the Châteaux de Loire and find a beautiful document from the 18th century and try to redo it with the same charm and patina.

Very often, even today, people in the studio or my sons, they’ll say, “You’re going to do that? Are you sure?” I always say yes without hesitation. “But what if we can’t sell it?” I don’t care. That’s very important. Never try to sell. If you try to sell, you’re finished. Do what you believe in; after that, the rest will follow. If you try to be marketing oriented, it won’t push open the door of the studio.

I try as much as I can to escape from outside influence and to do only what comes to me, and for that, I found a very good method about 20 years ago. Now, three or four times per year I make a collection and I choose the theme of what I want to do.

For example, it may be Provence in the 1950s or a trip to Sweden or Egyptology exhibition, and I give this to the team –carpet, wallpapers, fabrics, furniture’s a little bit more difficult – and we focus solely on this subject for a month. I buy books, a lot of books, but the idea is not to copy what has been done. The idea is just to keep the flare of this period. If you take Egypt, you say, ↘

↘ “How do I transfer an Egyptian influence into the 21st century and make it beautiful?” I often compare my job to that of a chef. In many ways it’s very similar. You take a lot of recipes, you mix it, you evolve it until you find exactly what you’re looking for, but instead of adding oil, pepper and a pinch of salt, you add checks, stripes, damask, prints, wool, silk. You mix it and suddenly, you don’t know how, but you make it happen.

LR: It’s intuitive, isn’t it? It’s something that comes from within.

PF: You don’t know why, but you know it’s right. Or the opposite, sometimes. I’ll give you an example. I got up one morning two or three weeks ago; I was not happy. I said, ‘I don’t like what I’m doing, I don’t like what I’m doing at all.’ I was furious!

I arrived at the studio, and explained to the team that we needed to stop everything, we go back from scratch. Why? Intuition. Perhaps it’s the wrong intuition, perhaps it was a very nice collection, but I thought suddenly that it was not good enough. Yes, it was OK, but OK is never enough.

LR: You are a house of elegance, of luxury, of dream – and this is what we try to offer here as well at The Waterside Inn.

Could you tell me a little more about what luxury means at Pierre Frey?

PF: Luxury? I think, firstly, it’s to be different. To be unique, that’s a luxury in my eyes. I think it’s to do what you like. After that, the greatest concern is quality. Luxury is quality. Quality begins in the details and extends out into every facet. If you want to use a wool fabric, you have 10,000 wool options on the market – you have to find the wool which is not only going to look nice, but even when you feel it to say, “Oh my god, I love it. That’s the one I want.” Heritage is so important, too, and we try to be one of the leading companies to give the French taste by using our roots. As Jean-Louis Dumas once said, “No creation has amnesia.” It means you always start from something, even if it’s a more modern creation, a modern recipe, that idea has to come from something or somewhere.

LR: It’s the same with an old recipe book. When you go back to a recipe, it may reveals the secret to a sauce, or a dish, by doing it the way it was originally made. You can be creative, but you need the fundamentals. So, where do you find inspiration? Do you look for it or does it find you?

PF: I love that. I think it finds me. My mother was a designer and she used to say, “A lot of people look, but there are very few people who see.” It’s a question of education, and that’s true about the world. You learn. You learn how great food tastes, you learn how to style your home, and in the same vein, you learn what makes a beautiful document.

I spent many years learning the difference between a real document from the 18th century printed by hand and a document printed last week. It looks so ordinary by comparison, but a lot of people will not see the difference because they only see the same design. Curiosity is everything.

LR: You’ve eaten in many great restaurants, what makes The Waterside Inn special to you?

PF: First, before the food, it’s the heritage and the atmosphere. It’s very special. There are very few multigenerational French restaurants today with a family behind it; where you feel the presence of the children, the grandfather. After that, it’s the service: it’s really like a ballet, but not so stiff; it’s full of charm with nice people who really talk to you. You are in a very cosy atmosphere. Then there’s the location, this beautiful position on the Thames just one hour from London, especially when the sun is shining as it is today– it’s beautiful, it’s unbelievable.

Of course, the food is wonderful. When we dined yesterday, everyone was so amazed and impressed by the quality, by all the little details, everything’s so delicate. It’s exquisite.

I always compare my job to that of a chef. In many ways it’s similar. You take a recipe, you mix it, you evolve it until you find just what you’re looking for

And, Laura, I love your understated interior design. Everything you do, you do with your heart, with elegance. You don’t treat your design like a business; it’s not the first motivation, your first motivation is to help create the perfect atmosphere to present The Waterside Inn in the best possible way. We must remember, always, that flare is a good thing.

▴ GREEN WITH ENVY: Pierre Frey’s Colette fabric in “Pois Cassé” was chosen for the bespoke banquette seating in The Waterside Inn’s main dining room.

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Alain Roux, Chef Patron, The Waterside Inn

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▸ FOIE GRAS POÊLÉ: Pan fried foie gras with caramelised peach and toasted almonds, peach jus

The next chapter starts here

◂ GOOD BOOKS:

Michel Roux passed down more than 1,000 cookbooks to his son Alain, which are now on display in the Michel Roux Library.

When Michel Roux OBE passed away, his son Alain wanted to build a fitting tribute to his father’s legacy. The result is the Alain Roux Culinary School and Michel Roux Library. BEn WInSTAnLEY learns about the importance of passing on knowledge

HOW DO YOU honour the memory of your father? A mentor, a teacher, a guiding light, a friend, and sometimes simply “Dad”. This is the impossible question that faced Alain Roux following the sudden death of his father, the culinary legend, restaurateur and former owner of The Waterside Inn, Michel Roux OBE in 2020. And then there was the pressing matter of what to do about Chef Michel’s home, situated adjacent to the restaurant itself, no more than a stone’s throw from the kitchen’s rear entrance. Add into the equation that the government had just announced the first lockdown, alongside enforced restaurant closures, and it would be fair to say it was the most testing period of Chef Alain’s life.

But in the grips of mourning, Alain channelled his efforts into an idea that he hoped would represent a bridge between his father’s legacy and The Waterside Inn’s prosperous future. Armed with the unbounded creativity of his wife Laura Roux and the unrelenting support of his team, Alain began the process of creating something beautiful: the Alain Roux Culinary

School and Michel Roux Library. After several years of hard work, unexpected challenges, and disruption, the project was finally completed in spring 2023.

Sitting in the stunning library, thumbing through his dad’s incredible collection of cookbooks, Alain talks about the passing down of knowledge and what this new development brings to The Waterside Inn.

BEN WINSTANLEY: After a long period of planning, designing and building, how do you feel now that the culinary school and library have finally come to fruition?

ALAIN ROUX: It’s a very exciting time. It’s so rewarding to see what’s been achieved by the team, and the results are even better than I was originally expecting.

We worked with a brilliant team of professionals on the design and fit out, including Nicholas McColgan and his team at Snug Kitchens, who helped create and install the kitchen of our dreams. Not forgetting my wife Laura, who has overseen the entire interior design throughout. It’s beautiful. ↘

BW: Tell us about the early stages of planning and developing the project?

AR: Dad passing away was a shock – and knowing what to do with his house was difficult. As it is situated so close to the restaurant, it was impossible to see anyone else living there. Any new neighbour would be constantly faced with activity – from the staff to the guests – not to mention the smells of what’s being prepared and cooked.

So I discussed the idea of creating the library and cooking school with the team; I asked everyone for their opinions and feedback – everybody thought it was a great idea, so we moved on from there.

The beginning was challenging: having to apply for ‘change of use’ planning permission for the house was the first hurdle we faced, as the council initially objected.

Several of the councillors asked ‘What’s your business plan?’ I said, ‘Well, there’s actually no business plan; that’s not what it’s about. It’s Dad’s house, which I want to keep as part of his legacy. This is the place where he gave his last breath; it is a place where I’m not primarily looking to make money from it.’

Our neighbours and the council understood – and once all the questions and inquiries were answered, the plans were finally accepted.

AR: The library is a room where we’re presenting our boutique products, which we sell through the restaurant and online.

And it’s also a place where we can present some of our favourite mementos from Dad’s life: a few of his favourite knives from across his career; a message from our beloved Queen; photos of the family.

And of course, his books – his collection, which he left to me. Chefs all like to buy

◂ LOOK AND LEARN: [left] the new library is a place to relax; [right] the state-of-the-art culinary school.

books and we’re often given many as well, and Dad was very fond of that. Some are relatively new and others are extremely old and rare, so much so that you couldn’t find them elsewhere – they’re priceless.

There are also the 12 books he wrote, which were translated into multiple different languages. Some have his handwritten notes on them – and still have little sticky labels on certain pages. It’s quite wonderful.

So this is a space where we can come and pay respect, but at the same time live and enjoy life. Dad’s house was always a lovely, bubbly, lively home: between him, his wife Robyn and the dog running around, alongside friends, family and the team coming in and out. It’s now a place where we can try to keep those memories going.

For guests, it should be a place to spend time before or after the meal. The door to Dad’s home was always wide open anyway, so it should carry on that way.

It’s also a breakout room for the team, where they can relax, pick a book, study at the table, take notes, and research. It’s there so they can come when they’ve got a break or on their day off. There are so many recipes in these books that have ↘

BW: Talk us through the library…

▸ HOUSE RULES: [near right] the library and school are enhanced by a beautiful culinary garden.

↘ been forgotten, so I want this library to be a source of inspiration.

BW: With mobile phones and access to the internet, there’s an overwhelming amount of information constantly on tap, but it fails to inspire in the same way…

AR: To hold a book, to turn the pages, has a value which should never fade. You can search on a computer or with a phone, but when you look at books on a shelf, your eyes will stop somewhere and you’ll be intrigued. You’ll want to pick a book up and look through it. It’s when you read an old book from, say, 1800 that you realise nothing’s actually been invented in cooking in many years; it’s been passed from generation to generation. These days, it’s a lot more difficult to create by inventing. There’s nothing wrong in doing what’s been done before.

BW: Tell us more about the culinary school?

AR: Teaching is something that Dad used to love. It’s why Dad and my uncle started

the Roux Scholarship. It’s about passing knowledge on to the young generation; it’s about succession.

Even if certain things took time to explain technically; they would never mind. They always wanted to share their knowledge, and passion. They felt privileged by their journey, and to be doing well, and to be appreciated. And they wanted to give back.

It’s why my dad wrote so many books. He never had a ghostwriter or a food stylist: he was the one writing the recipes and working on the photos of the dishes.

I am still amazed that he wrote 12 books. When you think of the knowledge and the work involved in writing just one cookery book – they’re not small books. It’s incredible. He was very good at it.

BW: Did your father ever run a cookery school in the past?

AR: Yes, Dad used to love to show people how to prepare ingredients and how to cook. He did many demonstrations and ran a cookery school as well. We also did this with

To hold a book has a value which should never fade. You can search on a computer or a phone, but when you look at books on a shelf, your eyes will stop and you’ll be intrigued

Dad – for about ten or 12 years in our small kitchen next to the private dining room in River Cottage. It wasn’t fit for the purpose, to be honest; we were all a bit too close to one another. But it went on for a good ten years, because people loved it.

I’ll never forget the watercress soup incident. My dad, bless his heart, was so quick in his movements that the lid of the mixer was not placed on properly, if at all. He turned the machine on; the ceiling was white before we started the course, and at the end it was green. It took a long time for me to clean it off after the class.

It got to the point where Dad had so many other things on his plate – and he could see I was capable of running the classes on my own – that he left me to it. He only used to come back when he heard the pop from a bottle of champagne being opened. He was a wise man.

But eventually, after taking over the main kitchen, I had to stop too. So opening this new cookery school is fabulous – especially relocating it to Dad’s old kitchen.

It’s also unique to any three-Michelin starred restaurant in UK, as far as I know.

BW: The school is also not limited to those in attendance, thanks to the camera set-up…

AR: That’s right. Video cameras are in place to be able to record the courses and demonstrations, so we are capable of having guests at home or abroad watching live and follow along. That’s very exciting.

BW: And it also hosted this year’s Roux Scholarship finals, I believe?

AR: Yes, having six individual kitchen stations that are equipped with the best appliances ensured it worked well for the final.

That’s why, with my cousin, we decided for the competition final to be held here. It’s a homecoming of sorts. To host the final here is very exciting for the family, for the judges, for the team, and for the finalists, too. Especially knowing that it was the first of many, we hope.

◂ PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST: [left] one of the family’s favourite portraits of Michel Roux OBE hangs in the corridor between the library and the school.

BW: Who do you see using the school?

AR: When it comes to our guests, we want to make sure there’s something for everyone –from total novices to the most experienced person. We opened last October and have been overwhelmed with fantastic feedback.

The day to day running of the school and the tuition is led by our Culinary Instructor, Michael Nizzero. My Dad met Michael in Dubai in 2007. He came to work for us as Senior Sous Chef, before taking up a position as head chef at Hostellerie La Briqueterie in Champagne, where he became one of the youngest Michelin-starred chefs in France. He returned to UK to work at The Ritz as premier sous and Bath Priory as Head Chef, before coming home to The Waterside Inn to oversee our incredible school.

We offer a huge variety of courses throughout the year, from half to full day, covering topics such as fish and seafood, pastry, three-course menus, sauces, soufflés, cocktails, canapés and so much more. Each class caters for a maximum of six students, so you can come along with a friend or family member and have some fun, which is always the best way to learn. The courses involve a balance of demonstration and supervised practical application.

Our full day courses include lunch at The Waterside Inn, a tour of the main kitchen and more. We can also cater for groups, bespoke events, host masterclasses. I even held a birthday party in the school for my ten-yearold daughter. We’re open to almost anything.

I also want the school to be used by the team for training and development. It’s there for people, certainly those working in the kitchen but also any other department, to use.

Every member of our team is extremely important. But there are key people, most of them have been here for years, that have so much knowledge to pass on. I wanted this space for them to share this with the rest of the team and be able to go into depth.

It could be a one-to-one course, it could be a small group, it could be front of house –something about carving, about laying a table

Teaching is something that Dad used to love. It’s why Dad and my uncle started the Roux scholarship. It’s about passing on knowledge to the younger generations

in a different way. It could be cheeses, it could be wine, it could be anything.

When you work in a normal restaurant kitchen, you don’t manage to see everything. A young chef will work in a section – and might just work on one dish. Chefs can move and should move in the kitchen to different sections, but they can’t move that fast. So the culinary school will open up new experiences and new knowledge – for the team to be able to sit down and see a dish being made, to ask questions at any stage. It’s a place for learning and for sharing.

Ultimately, I’m glad that the legacy will carry on – and will be passed on to as many people as possible. That’s my only wish.

I’m very proud of what we have built here – and of the overall benefit I can see it bringing to the business, to my team, to my community, and to the country. This cookery school and this library are unique. Dad deserves that.

BW: Were there any points where you faltered along the way?

AR: As I said, this project had no business plan; it wasn’t the aim to only make money. Even if that sounds crazy, that was my choice. I spent the money I had to make it happen. It certainly was a big risk. I know quite a few people would’ve backed off or turned away or would’ve never dared to do something different.

But for me, this business, this house, my team, and certainly my dad has no price. What he gave to his staff, to his guests, to his customers, never had any price. He gave everything he had, and I think the least I can do is to pay him back in this way.

▸ PRESERVING HIS LEGACY: [right] Chef Alain tops up his Strawberry Jam, with a little help from the school’s Culinary Instructor Michael Nizzero.

BOOK: Alain Roux’s Culinary School in Bray-on-Thames

On top of his game

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha – aka Top – has enjoyed a five-year rollercoaster ride as chairman of Leicester City Football Club. He speaks to MAX WILLIAMS about continuing his father’s legacy and his determination to bring Leicester back to the Premier League

FOLLOWI n G A LEGE n D is never easy. And when that legend is your father, then the task must feel even more daunting.

Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha – known to his friends as Top – took over as the owner and chairman of Leicester City Football Club following the tragic death of his father Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, in a helicopter accident in 2018. Two years earlier, Leicester had captured perhaps the most remarkable league title in English football history; now Top was required to continue Vichai’s legacy in the toughest of circumstances.

Top’s own tenure in charge of Leicester has been quite the ride. An FA Cup triumph in 2021 was followed by relegation last year, and as we go to press, Leicester are locked in a three-way tussle to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking. Their chairman certainly isn’t getting ahead of himself. “I don’t want to put the pressure that we should be playing in Champions League or Europa League,” says Top. “The priority is to get the team back into the Premier League.”

Whatever happens on the pitch, Top is continuing his father’s legacy off it by valuing hard work and good people. We caught up with Top in the Club Room at Huntsman.

THE WATERSIDE INN: How do you approach the role of the football chairman?

TOP: Personally, I try to give autonomy to everyone to take care of their job, which is ultimately to do well and to try to make the club be harmonised and together.

I also bring some cultural elements from Thailand, such as building the whole club as a family. We’ve tried to create this since

day one when we bought the club. That’s my addition to the role. The rest of the work is – as with other chairmen, I’m sure – making decisions and driving the vision of the club.

TWI: How do you continue your father’s legacy through your work as chairman?

T: It’s never easy, following a visionary like my father. Everything that he mentioned, it seemed to happen. When we were promoted, I remember in Thailand we had an interview. The reporter asked: “Now that you are in the Premier League, what are you going to do?” And my father replied, “In the next four years, we’re going to play in the Champions League.” Everybody laughed, and then we won the Premier League, and we played the Champions League.

I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn so closely from him – about football, about business, about people. But my father’s gift to people was not in telling them how to do things, but to provide the opportunity for them to build their path and fulfil their own potential. His vision is a legacy we all carry, but he would have wanted us to pursue it in our own way.

TWI: Is there a particular lesson from your

My father’s gift to people was not in telling them how to do things, but to provide the opportunity for them to fulfil their own potential

father that sticks with you until this day?

T: He always said, ‘Nothing comes easy. You have to work hard, you have to do the job.’ One big thing that he taught me is to pick good people, to never forget those that helped you get to where you are and to understand the value of the opportunities they have helped to create along the way. You have to try to always remember that and return that goodwill. Not necessarily in terms of just money, but in terms of gratitude, respect and offering the help you can provide when it’s needed.

TWI: You keep a lower profile than many chairmen. Is that deliberate?

T: I can’t compare myself to another chairman because I’m a different person, who works in a different way, at a different club. For me, I work wherever I can and make sure everything is set and ready for the fans, for the players, for the staff – and make sure the club is well equipped to pursue its ambitions and tackle any challenge it faces.

TWI: Do you watch shows like Welcome to Wrexham or Sunderland ’Til I Die?

T: I watch some, yes.

TWI: Would you ever do something similar with Leicester?

T: Given the journey our club has been on in the last 14 years, there is a lot of interest in projects that would tell that story. It’s not something we can speak about at this ↘

Ciaran

McCrickard

↘ moment, but let’s see what happens in the future. There are some plans, yes – about the whole story of how we won the league.

TWI: Where would you like Leicester to be in, say, ten years’ time?

T: When we bought the club, we tried to establish the club to be a Premier League team and we did better; we won the Premier League, we won the FA Cup and we consistently competed in Europe. Now we are competing in the Championship.

It’s not where we want to be, but football like life presents many challenges, and this is the latest one for us to overcome. We try to learn from every experience and ensure it makes us better in the long-term.

Everyone at the club is working hard to get back, to re-establish ourselves as a highstandard Premier League club, which is never easy because everyone is operating at such a high standard, and the most established teams are so powerful that they can operate with consistency. But it’s where we want to be and where the club deserves to be, so we have to fight. I don’t want to put the pressure that we should be playing in Champions League or Europa League. The priority is to get the team back into the Premier League, that is the main goal.

TWI: Alain Roux of The Waterside Inn has also experienced taking over the family business. Do you feel a sort of kinship with Alain in that regard?

T: I’ve met Alain and I’m sure that he’s doing well, and he learned a lot from his father. I can see how much passion he gets from his family. The Waterside Inn is one of the best restaurants, no comparison. And I see his drive from the family, from his father, and also, he loves everything that he learned in the kitchen and the restaurant.

When it comes to a family business, you have the opportunity to learn from someone that understands the whole thing.

TWI: You said The Waterside Inn is one of the best restaurants – what is it specifically that keeps you coming back there?

T: It’s a place where every time we go, it feels so warm and we feel so welcome. It’s

▸ STRONG SUIT: For our shoot with Khun Top, we wanted to find a fitting location. The result?

The new Club Room at Huntsman on Savile Row. Ciaran

not just the food itself but it’s the all-round experience – the service, and the way they treat customers. You feel at home, you feel easy, you feel comfortable sitting anywhere in the restaurant. You don’t feel pressure or that you have to be afraid of anything; you just sit, and you talk.

TWI: The human touch?

T: Yeah, everything is very detailed. I’m sure it’s not by accident. It’s by working hard and by the way Alain manages his team.

TWI: Do you have a favourite dish?

T: Wow, their tarte tatin. Now, that is a dessert! But every season they change the menu, so I love to go and try everything.

TWI: You have a hotel yourself. What do you look for in the restaurants that you visit?

T: I would never compare my restaurant in the hotel to The Waterside Inn, but I think there are similarities. The service is tight, that’s the first thing – the service needs to be perfect. Food is so varied; people have different tastes and a different preference. Maybe people take, say, one dish and dislike it, but then another one comes, and they might love it, but something that all people will love is the service.

TWI: What are the advantages of having a family deeply involved in the business?

T: Not every business from a family is successful. I think there has to be a clear message from the people who create the business: what they like, what they do. When the message is clear, it’s easier for the next generation to follow.

There has to be a clear message from the people who create the business.

When the message is clear, it’s easier for the next generation to follow

I think it’s about the first generation. If the first one works, it’s easier for the second and third and fourth to succeed.

TWI: You’re also a keen polo player. Where does the passion for this sport come from?

T: My father also loved horses. I was six or seven and one day he came to the house and said to the whole family, “Let’s go horse riding.” So we went and had a great time together – and now everybody rides. We all learned how to do horse jumps and dressage. Then one day, he just flew to England and bought the mallets, the ball, knee pads, elbow pads, and helmet –everything he needed to play polo – from some shop in London.

Back home, he went to play polo alone. Me and my brother asked, “What are you doing? What are you doing on the horse hitting a ball?” And he said, “This is called polo.” We started playing and we loved it. We built a polo field in Thailand. We also bought a field in England. It’s a passion. He loved the sport.

TWI: I’ve never played polo…

T: It’s good. It’s not easy. Do you play golf?

TWI: Not really. Do you?

T: I play golf, yeah.

TWI: Can I ask your handicap?

T: Eight. But they say polo is like playing golf in an earthquake. That is polo. It’s definitely not easy.

TWI: You were ordained as a Buddhist monk: can you tell a little bit about that experience?

T: That was back in something like 2015. If you have the chance, you should do it. It’s not ‘you must’, it’s ‘you should’ – because once in your life, you should understand how peace of mind can bring wonderful changes to your normal routines.

I’m so busy with work, with the travelling that work requires, with life, and everything life throws at you. So, I wanted to take this

opportunity to forget everything. I went on that monkhood, and in one month, I spent 15 days in India and 15 days in Thailand. I can say it’s one of my favourite times in my life.

TWI: What did you do in those 30 days?

T: Wake up at 3am. You walk barefoot, ask for food, come back, eat, and then pray. Meditation before lunch, we have our food, and then more meditation, pray, and study the Buddhist teachings. I felt truly peaceful for the first time.

TWI: Do you still apply some teachings from Buddhism to your life?

T: Oh, of course. When you are a monk, there are 227 rules you have to follow. If you are not a monk, you can follow just five. So, it’s much easier!

TWI: What are the five rules?

T: Firstly, don’t kill anything – don’t kill animals, don’t kill people. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t cheat – on your wife, on your family. And lastly, don’t drink so much alcohol that you get drunk. These are the five core rules Buddhism asks you follow. If you follow those five, you won’t be in danger, you’re not going to be in trouble, and people around you will be safe.

Leicester City Football Club were promoted back to the Premier League after our interview took place.

Eight of the best

The Waterside Inn’s ever-evolving menu changes with each season to encompass the very best ingredients sourced from earth and sea. From modern twists on old favourites to classic French flavours, here’s eight signature dishes to enjoy

CHOOSI n G JUST EIGHT dishes that best exemplify some of the classic skills and techniques alongside the style and ethos of The Waterside Inn was always going to be challenging; for a chef, it’s like choosing between your children! But, after careful consideration and lively debate among the entire brigade de cuisine, Chef Alain and his team settled on a selection of delicious and beautiful dishes that evidence the

teamwork and the Roux legacy in action. All of these dishes are the result of a heroic team effort in the kitchen. Alain and the head chefs, Adam and Fabrice, love to work alongside their colleagues in the kitchen, bouncing ideas, inspiring each other and creating new recipes, some of which become classics in the making. If there is a common thread between the featured dishes here, it’s that each tastes as good as it looks…

Chicken “pâté en croûte”

With foie gras and hazelnuts, mushroom flavoured jelly and Puy lentils salad

Starter, Autumn Menu 2023

This is so French! A classic pâté en croûte that showcases the finest Autumn flavours. This version is chicken based, featuring a duck foie gras insert, roasted hazelnuts, chicken breast fillet, confit chicken,

black trumpet mushrooms, and a delicious chicken jelly that is flavoured with wild mushrooms.

The garnish is a wonderful combination of dressed Puy lentils, chervil and pickled girolles, whose acidity helps balance the richness

of the pâté. There’s also Jerusalem artichoke crisps for texture and a hazelnut dressing.

There are not many components, but a lot of work goes into this deceptively simple pâté en croûte dish.

Pan fried foie gras

“Crécy” style, sweet and sour jus with mustard seeds

Starter, Spring Menu 2024

Pan fried foie gras is one of the most recognisable ingredients in French cuisine, but our version is a little different. This rendition is a neo-classic combination that makes the most of the finest Spring ingredients. This dish has a carrot

theme, using sweet and sour elements to create contrast and balance against the opulence of the foie gras. It’s then topped with crispy carrot, to add texture. It’s served alongside a slice of orange and yellow carrot terrine,

little mounds of carrot purée enhanced with spices to add a subtle warmth, and some carrot and mustard gel, to bring acidity and spiciness to the dish. Finally, the dish is finished with duck jus with pickled mustard seeds.

With vegetable pearls and sorrel nage

Main course, Spring Menu 2024

This dish is a perfect example of a classic combination, namely fish and sorrel, epitomising the first transition into Spring. It’s inspired by the classic dish, made famous by Pierre and Jean Troisgros during the 1970s and 80s, that featured

salmon and sorrel. It was seen as avant garde at the time, but it has to be tasted to be believed!

Our dish uses fresh turbot sourced from Cornwall, served with a sorrel nage, utilising sorrel from our own gardens. The dish is

completed with vegetable pearls, including cucumber, watermelon, radish and peas, alongside tapioca pearls and trout roe, and finally French green bean batons. It’s a light and delicate dish, offering Spring on the plate.

Poached turbot fillet

With pistachios, young turnips and cherry sauce

Main course, Summer Menu 2023

Another wonderfully classic combination of meat with fruits, namely duck and cherries, we have given this dish a modern twist, with the addition of the bright flavours of young turnip, chard, and pistachio.

We use only the best of English duck, sourced from Merrifield Farm in Devon, which brings with it a rich and decadent duck taste. The dish also features a delicate crumble of pistachio nuts and seeds; yet another classic

combination, pistachio and cherries, but one usually reserved for dessert. It’s a great marriage, with the freshness of the sweet, slightly tart fruit counterbalancing perfectly against the richness of the beautiful duck.

Roasted spiced Merrifield duck breast

Seasonal selection of stuffed vegetables

Main course, Summer Menu 2023

This dish is composed of five different small, young, stuffed vegetables, inspired by the classic “Petit Farcis Niçois”, a popular summer dish in Provence, France. We incorporate fresh herbs from our garden, creating a broad

combination of flavours and textures, applying extra focus on quality of ingredients, those that are at their best and in season. The combination is a very careful balance, taking care to prevent any flavour overpowering another. This dish epitomises

everything we do, namely to achieve a perfect balance on the plate. This dish has been on the Summer menu for many years, however like many of our long-standing dishes, it’s kept under continual review. We update it year on year.

Ian Dingle

Spit-roasted veal chop

From Corrèze with sweetbreads, pearl barley and cep mushrooms, white wine jus (for two people)

course, Autumn Menu 2023

This dish was introduced to the Autumn menu last year, so it’s a new dish. Again, it exemplifies our objective to always highlight the best ingredients – in this case, the spotlight is on this stunning milk-fed veal chop from Corrèze in

Limousin, France, which we cook on a spit roast. It’s complemented with seasonal produce, flavours that concentrate on the purity of ingredients. The dish is prepared for two people and served at the table, with the veal chop

beautifully presented on a copper pan, resting on a Scots Pine and Juniper bouquet, and an onion stuffed with osso buco.

The chop is carved and served garnished with pearl barley, cep mushrooms and a white wine jus.

Main

Ian Dingle

Whole Dover sole

Filled with a truffle flavoured mousse baked in puff pastry, vin jaune and crayfish sauce (for two people)

course, Autumn Menu 2023

This is yet another classic French combination: fish wrapped in puff pastry. The parcel is made to serve two, served whole and then cut tableside in the dining room.

This features Dover sole fillets filled with a delicate sole mousse

and black truffle, wrapped in a layer of spinach, rolled in a pancake and then puff pastry.

For garnish, we use pointed cabbage and cauliflower mushroom, crayfish tails, and serve it with a crayfish sauce

flavoured with vin jaune, from the Jura region in France. Vin jaune, or “yellow wine” is a popular ingredient in this region in France, and it marries well on this dish, with a variety of techniques creating depth of flavour.

Main

Lightly flavoured with green peppercorns, blood peach and lemon verbena sorbet

Here, we elevate a single key ingredient, the summer peach, via a variety of forms on the plate, showcasing combinations of flavour and texture. A delicate creation, introduced onto our summer menu last year, this dish features white peach, yellow peach and blood peach varieties. It’s a beautiful,

complex dish that pays homage to the most summery of fruits, but it’s certainly a challenge to assemble all the delicate elements and ensure it reaches the guest in perfect form! This dessert includes:

■ Blood peach spherification topped with edible gold leaf.

■ Yellow peach carpaccio

garnished with tiny green peppercorns.

■ Thin wafer cylinders, one encasing white peach espuma and another filled with yellow peach compote, flavoured with lemon verbena and topped with a thin sugar tuile crisp.

■ Blood peach sorbet.

Ian Dingle

Peach dessert

Dessert, Summer Menu 2023

The gold standard

For more than 50 years, The Waterside Inn has offered its guests an unparalleled dining experience. BE n WI n STA n LEY sits down with senior front-of-house figures

Frédéric Poulette, Dean Bonwick and Marco Pettinicchio to learn the secret

IT BEGINS BEFORE you’ve even made it through the front door. As you hand over your car keys to the valet and are met with a smile and a cheery “welcome” from the greeting staff, your experience at The Waterside Inn is already in its early throes.

You may think this a little premature, but the truth is that every aspect of your time at one of the most celebrated restaurants in the UK has been meticulously considered by

general manager Frédéric Poulette and his two assistant managers, Dean Bonwick and Marco Pettinicchio. Together they are the conductors of an orchestra, a harmonious performance of talented professionals coordinated to provide the best meal possible.

Three-Michelin-starred restaurants are vaunted institutions that can often seem like intimidating places in which to dine –

the kind of place where you might imagine being escorted off the premises should you drop a fork or break a glass. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Despite more than 50 years at the pinnacle of fine dining, The Waterside Inn front-of-house team showcases the kind of warm, welcoming service that leaves guests easing back into their chairs.

Good hospitality should whisk you away from quotidian life to a place suspended in time, where the extraordinary is commonplace: where your main course is flambéed and carved tableside, your glasses appear to refill almost on their own, and your every whim is acted upon before you can even verbalise the thought.

If this sounds somewhat mystical, maybe a little enchanting, that is precisely the point. As Frédéric explains with a slight

Ciaran McCrickard

smile, “We are in the business of fulfilling our guests’ wishes.”

We sit down with Frédéric, Dean and Marco to reveal the secrets of dining at The Waterside Inn, which perhaps go unnoticed by the general guest, and learn more about why the heart of good hospitality begins and ends with looking after your team.

KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY

FRÉDÉRIC POULETTE: We don’t treat our customers as a number. In some cities, because of the intensity of life, the number of people and the high turnover, sometimes there are restaurants that don’t have such a personable approach to their guests. But I still think that the service should be friendly – don’t treat people any differently than if it was your family, basically. Guests are not expendable, they are a privilege.

For us, I think that originates from Mrs Robyn Roux, the wife of Chef Michel. She was this wonderful, super happy Australian, who had a sense of what best put the guests at ease. She went to a number of restaurants worldwide where everybody spoke exactly the same, everybody explained the dish in exactly the same way, and she refused for The Waterside Inn to train its staff to be robots –she wanted everyone to proudly show their own personality; she encouraged people to be themselves. To this day, we have the same ethos. It’s not just the guests that we want to relax and be themselves, it’s our staff, too.

DEAN BONWICK: The Waterside Inn is a family business in the purest sense. Chef Alain is here every day and his wife Laura as well, just as Michel and Robyn were, so automatically it’s different to working in any of the other three Michelin-star restaurants in the UK. Everything you do you care about in a wholly different way. It’s almost as if it’s yours. It’s like your home, so you respect the materials, the things that we use in a very different way and you also feel personally responsible for and invested in the guests’ enjoyment of the experience.

For us, everyone who comes through the door, you’re really working on not only giving them a great experience but the kind of lasting memory that means that they want to come back every year. You want to be the wedding anniversary place for them, the birthday venue, the romantic meal, because it was the greatest experience. Ultimately, if you do that with enough people over a 50-year period, the restaurant’s fully booked every day. That kind of guest experience is what gives you longevity. That’s certainly why I believe we’re still here today.

Many great restaurants open their doors every year, they’re fashionable and on your social media feed for a while, but then they’re forgotten about. Chef Alain has never made a television series or sought the spotlight, he’s just been here focused on The Waterside Inn, being involved in every facet of the business, nurturing the staff, and we’re

Going above and beyond for each guest isn’t so much the grand gestures of hospitality, but the little things, the hidden details

here 52 years now carefully improving our product and cultivating our client base.

We have people who have been coming here since before I was born, and they tell you stories about three managers from years gone by. That’s a true legacy. It’s amazing.

MARCO PETTINICCHIO: I think going above and beyond for each guest isn’t so much the grand gestures of hospitality, but the little things, the hidden details that maybe they don’t even notice. Maybe somebody ↘

▸ SERVICE WITH A SMILE: [Opposite] The talented front-of-house team at The Waterside Inn; [right] Molly Walton, Maître d’hôtel, sets one of the dining tables; [above] head wine waiter, Marius Plesa.

↘ mentioned a little something and you just do it without them asking, or anticipating every need of the guests, or making them feel comfortable in the restaurant.

There are some guests, especially younger ones, who are very tense when they first arrive. They’re on their best behaviour! But there’s nothing worse than thinking about how you look rather than enjoying the experience. We like to see by the end of the meal, that they have dropped any pretence, they’re more relaxed in their chair, and they’re at ease. I like to think that’s when we have done our job properly.

FRIENDLY FACES

FP: I’ve been told lately by a few guests that the service at The Waterside Inn is friendlier than it used to be. And I thought, “My god, I haven’t changed that much, have I?” But it’s a combination of things that ultimately add up to something the customer can see and feel: that the service is less traditional, a little less formal, a little friendlier.

I know we have 51 years of history, but The Waterside Inn is not actually old fashioned at all. Especially over the past five years, we have evolved and are still evolving in terms of making the restaurant more approachable to the general customer.

Yes, we are a classic restaurant in terms of our heritage and our approach to culinary technique, but every day we are trying to make the customer feel like they can make any request they want. For us, it’s our pleasure to say yes to as much as we can. After all, we are in the business of fulfilling our guests’ wishes.

DB: I think it’s a natural evolution. The new generation of staff come along and they bring with them a fresh perspective on hospitality.

It’s hugely different from when I first started. Back then, all the key figures here were over 40 years old. Now the oldest member of staff is 45 on the team. I’m 31, Marco turns 31 at the end of the year, and the maître d’s are in their twenties, which was unheard of 15 years ago. Back then, you would be a commis de rang or maybe a chef de rang. Obviously, the younger generation think in a different way and every generation

times, five times a year. That’s why we’re so proud of our low staff turnover, because it improves the experience for the guest.

CONSISTENCY IS KING

FP: Chef Michel would always say, “The best food is not only nutrition, it’s consistency.”

That’s ingrained into our DNA. Our benchmark has to be high. Let’s say our very top level is a ten, and then you have an eight or a nine is a high level of service, if we reach below an eight for service, that’s when my alarm bells are ringing.

We don’t do seven two days or even two services in a row. I’ll gather the team at the next briefing and we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again. For me, it’s about not cutting corners. As soon as you start cutting one corner, you are reaching an eight already, and that has to be rectified straight away. That might be serving something from the wrong side, serving the water perhaps and reaching across the guest. It’s really little things – carrying three main course plates, not replacing the butter on time, not serving the bread on time, finished glasses of wine or water not replenished. It’s a lack of concentration. My number one rule is if a customer mentions something, you have failed. It doesn’t matter how small the detail.

We don’t really employ based on experience here; we employ based on attitude. If you’ve got a hard-working learning approach and an attitude that’s positive, you’re naturally going to pick things up because that’s what you want to do. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first job ever, you could work here as long as you want to be here and want to learn.

becomes wiser than the previous. They improve on what has come before.

MP: Continuity does matter a lot. And actually lots of guests say, we love to come back here and see that you’re still here and see the same faces. The last thing you want is to start the whole new relationship a year after for guests that maybe come three, four

DB: The higher up in the restaurant hierarchy you get, the more you realise that the dining room is like a game of chess where you are trying to always be 20 moves ahead of your opponent, except you’re playing multiple games of chess against different opponents at the same time!

Generally when a new member of staff arrives, they’ll be given one or two small jobs to execute, but the rest of the time they’re observing how the rest of the team operate. If you joined in the service today, we’d give

▴ IMPRESSIVE SERVICE: The Waterside Inn has reprised the classic dish, duck à la presse, which is completed in front of guests in the dining room.

Ciaran McCrickard

you bread duty: to learn to offer the bread, to present it properly, and we’d have someone standing by watching you. Then if you are maybe doing anything wrong, we’d quietly take you to the back of the restaurant and correct it. At the end of the day, it’s just putting a piece of bread on the plate, but it’s the perfect microcosm: you’ve got the natural stand, the eye contact, all those little mannerisms to get right.

THERE’S NO ‘I’ IN TEAM

FP: Staffing is one of the biggest issues at the moment in hospitality, maybe the single biggest issue. It’s not particularly exciting to talk about hiring, retention, and turnover of staff, but it’s so important to The Waterside Inn to have continuity of service.

More than anything that means we must look after our team, to support them, and then hopefully they will stay because they

are happy here and they enjoy what they do. We can’t hide from the problems in our industry, it’s important that we do all we can. And so we do everything to support our team, whether it’s mental health, help with drugs or alcohol; we use every association and resource we can to help our team.

More than that, we are looking to improve the health and wellbeing of each member of staff. It’s for this reason that one of our biggest improvements in the last five years is changing our holidays and working hours. We are closed for the festive period now, so that everybody can have Christmas with the family, and then we also have two weeks off in the summer. On top of this, we now close on Sunday nights from October to May.

In a fine-dining restaurant such as ours, it’s undoubtedly a financial hit, but it’s a decision that Chef Alain and I had to take for the wellbeing of our staff, to keep them going throughout the year. You have to think about what you gain rather than any money you may lose. There are no shortcuts when it comes to training staff to the levels that we expect. The question is, what is the easiest: to change and train people every nine or 12 months, or to decrease turnover of staff by taking better care of them?

It means we have a more dynamic, better skilled team, as we aren’t having to start from the beginning every few months. And that investment starts to pay off in the dining room as the repeat customers are ↘

Chef Michel would always say, “The best food is not only nutrition, it’s consistency.” That’s ingrained into our DNA

▸ IN THE SPIRIT OF SHARING: Assistant manager Marco Pettinicchio takes the front-of-house team through a cognac masterclass.

↘ building a rapport with the team. They’re not just coming for the food or the wine or the setting, they’re coming to be served by Marina, Molly, Marco, Dean, myself. They know everybody by name. When you see this happening in your own dining room, you think, “Yes, I’m onto something here.”

DB: When you come to work, the attitude and the mood that you bring when you walk through the front door, everyone becomes a part of that. So if you are calm and talk calm, everyone matches your energy. But if you start bouncing around, shouting, well you’re going to make other people start shouting and then there’s going to be arguments and then what’s going to happen? The guests are going to pick up on the atmosphere and that damages the whole restaurant.

For me, it starts from the moment we arrive at the restaurant – not the guests, but the staff. If your mentality isn’t right, you can be sure you’re going to have a hard day. After all, it’s more than a job, it’s a lifestyle. You spend more time here than at home. And

so the responsibility on us is to look after our staff to ensure that they’re coming to work in the best possible head space.

MP: We’re here for the customer, but if we don’t look after our staff and the team here, they won’t look after the guests in the same way. They have to be happy to be able to offer the service that we offer to the guests.

And I can tell you, the guests can feel it. They can feel it. Many times the guests say, “Wow, you all look so happy.” And then everything moves in harmony. It’s a performance, it’s theatre: it comes naturally, the way we move, the way we direct the service, it’s very important.

It’s also how we keep traditions alive. Over time, you slowly turn into the teacher, but you never forget what you have learned. You know, I’ve got so many mannerisms and things that I do during service that I learned from Frédéric, and back in the day, Mr Diego Masciaga, our former manager, he used to do many things that I still do today.

Sometimes, some of our longer standing

If we don’t look after our staff and the team here, they won’t be able to look after the guests in the same way

regulars will tell me, “Oh, you look like him. He used to do it just like that.” It’s so funny, because I didn’t even realise it myself. But that’s the legacy of The Waterside Inn.

LIQUID ASSETS

DB: The wine list is where you get to build up the real connection with the guest. Every table has to have a wine conversation (unless they don’t drink alcohol), and that builds rapport and trust with the guest. It’s one of our biggest opportunities to get to know the guest, really. Other than that, you have to approach a table and you have to be looking for the moment and because you don’t really want to be talking when they’ve got the food in front of them or they’re having a little romantic or key business moment.

But the wine conversation has to happen at the start of the meal before almost anything else, so it’s our window of opportunity to understand the guests better. You’ll learn quickly if they’re a big foodie, really interested in wine, or perhaps looking for a little more discretion from their service.

For me, that’s the pivotal moment in the whole guest experience. They don’t realise what’s happening. And that’s why this job is so hard because if you’re understaffed or overworked, or there’s a really busy service, you lose those interactions and all of a sudden the hospitality experience suffers.

I don’t do any food-to-drink pairings, which is not what they teach you. My conversation starts with, “What do you like?” For me, that’s part of the whole, perceived arrogance of fine dining – if you’ve ordered fish, you need to have a white wine or what have you. If you prefer red, I’m going to find you a red that you’re going to be happy with that will go perfectly well with your fish.

There’s no such thing as the ‘wrong’ wine. The worst thing I could do is make you feel like you shouldn’t be drinking what you want just because it’s fish. The moment you feel uncomfortable, the wine won’t taste the same, and you’ll be disappointed.

◂ THE DREAM TEAM: For Frédéric, the wellbeing of his team is paramount to creating the right guest experience. It’s why staff care is at the centre of recent changes at The Waterside Inn. [Bottom left] Dean with Naomi Shepherd, demi chef de rang.

It might seem strange to say, but your mindset and your mood can dictate your enjoyment of the wine. So if I tell you, “Oh, I love having red wine fish,” suddenly you’re at ease. And I do! I drink whatever I like with whatever I like to eat. It’s that simple.

MP: We have also recently introduced the Coravin wine system, both for still wine and Champagne, which for me personally is one of the great modern inventions in wine. It allows people who are driving or perhaps don’t like to drink a lot to enjoy one great glass without having to buy a whole bottle.

The Coravin is a preservation system that allows you to pour wine without removing the cork from the bottle, which means that it maintains its quality and can be preserved for longer. If you uncork a bottle, the wine begins to oxidise almost immediately and will slowly deteriorate over 24 hours, but the Coravin maintains quality for a month, maybe longer without any drop off.

It means that in addition to our standard by-the-glass offering we have been able to slowly offer a wider selection of premium wines by the glass. It’s been a great success and a real game-changer for us.

THE ART OF GUÉRIDON SERVICE

FP: We are very fortunate that Macallan are now the sponsor of the Roux Scholarship. It’s such a big name and we wanted to do something to mark their sponsorship, without being too commercial. So I spoke to the team about reviving a lobster press.

It’s a wonderful example of guéridon service. It starts with the cooked lobster, which we set aside, and then you take the whole shell including the head, you put it into the press, and you crush it to extract the juice. You pour this into a pan, with a little stock and then you flambé it with Macallan 12 Years Old Double Cask. Add a touch of lobster butter and a little cream, and you have this very special whisky sauce, made in front of the guest’s eyes. It’s got such a wonderful intensity of Macallan whisky without any alcohol heat; this woody, smoky touch that pairs beautifully with the lobster. We serve it alongside mashed potato that is smoked with whisky chips. It’s a great dish.

It was really a collaboration between myself and Chef Adam. Then Chef Fabrice and Chef Alain added their own thoughts after a little trial and error. It was Alain who

suggested we flavour the butter with lobster to extract the maximum flavour from the dish.

When the dining room is working well, you can take time to create things such as this. We can improve our service and focus on new and exciting ideas for the guest.

MP: We started focusing again on guéridon, or tableside service a few years ago as we were determined to preserve this dying art form. Very few restaurants offer it anymore because you need a skilled team and the time dedicated to staff training to do it perfectly. You also need a big enough team to be able to look after the needs of the dining room while others are focusing on carving a beautiful piece of beef or operating the lobster press –it can’t disrupt the rest of service.

I’m very lucky that when I started at 18; we were doing tableside carving for almost every single table but that slowly was reduced owing to it being impractical. I’m really pleased that we’re bringing it back because it’s such a novelty to the guests and it really makes the experience that little bit more special. So many people love to ask questions, to understand why we are doing something a particular way, it gives them a tangible connection between the chef and the dish, even if we’re just slicing a crown of duck, because it shows the skill that goes into every detail of the meal.

One of the latest things that we have introduced is the duck à la presse, which is another service we used to offer in the past that we have revived. Like the lobster and Macallan dish, it’s all about showing the guest these wonderful skills. There’s a little knifework, a bit of cooking, a bit of flame as well, and the whole restaurant stops when something like that is going on at one table. It’s always exciting.

It’s great for our staff, too, because it’s so interesting to learn, and a fantastic skill for their career. Tableside service is beautiful and every waiter should have at least the basic knowledge of how to carve a duck, how to fillet a sole or properly slice a rib of beef. The pressure of performing in front of the guest is unlike anything else; it’s a real thrill. It’s something that pushes you to do even better than what you would do otherwise. See more at waterside-inn.co.uk

▸ FIRE STARTER: The rare art of tableside service, exhibited by Dean and Frédéric.

▸ TARTELETTE DE FIGUES VIOLETTES

MERINGUÉE: Purple fig and meringue tartlet, fig leaf ice cream

82 Roux at Skindles

85 Regent Seven Seas

89 Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust

92 Waterside Inn Boutique

97 From the archives

Ian Dingle

Going with the flow

Riverside views combine with classic modern French cuisine at Roux at Skindles Brasserie & Cocktail Bar, where you can be assured of the warmest of welcomes

THE n AME, ROUX, is a giveaway: Roux at Skindles Brasserie & Cocktail Bar, located on the banks of the River Thames in picturesque Taplow, is indeed part of the famous Roux family restaurant empire. Overseen by Alain Roux, who created it alongside his late father, Michel, it evokes the French brasseries which provided the kind of laid-back, welcoming atmosphere they enjoyed with their own friends and family. The difference is that instead of being in a Parisian neighbourhood, Roux at Skindles has a prime waterside position in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, offering stunning views you won’t find elsewhere.

Skindles itself is a very special venue, with a rich and varied history. It started out as an 18th-century coaching inn, before being transformed into a fashionable hotel by William Skindle in 1833. It soon attracted patrons from high society, including King Edward VII – and by the 1950s it was known for its elegant tea dances on the lawn and appealing to the likes of Hollywood icon Bette Davis and King Hussein of Jordan. In the 1960s, it even played a part in one of the biggest British scandals of the age, serving as a clandestine meeting place for the trysts between the then-Secretary-ofState for War, John Profumo, and his lover, Christine Keeler. Adding to Skindles’ allure is its subsequent reinvention as Studio

Make time for an aperitif or post-dinner drink at the first floor Cocktail Bar, with amazing views of the River Thames

Valbonne, a glamorous 1980s nightclub, which hosted everyone from the Rolling Stones to John Lennon and Princess Margaret.

Studio Valbonne shut down in the 1990s, but in 2014 Alain and Michel Roux saw the site’s potential and the chance not just to rekindle the spark of the old Skindles story for a new generation, but to realise a long-held dream of opening a place together. Their aim was to recreate the informal, neighbourhood brasserie they grew up with in France – a convivial hang-out place, where the mood is buzzy but the dining is relaxed.

Today, it also stands as the proud little sister to The Waterside Inn, just down the river, and since opening it has become a goto for special occasions, from Mother’s Day to Easter and Christmas. It’s even licensed for weddings, and makes a dream location for any big day, where you can guarantee there will be superb food served at the reception.

Roux at Skindles’ fantastic team, led by Alain Roux, preside over the open kitchen, creating dishes for a regularly changing, seasonal à la carte menu, to constantly bring guests something fresh and new.

In addition, you’ll find daily specials, as well as a three-course, set-price table d’hôte menu every Wednesday and Thursday, which offers incredible value for money. Enjoy an outside table overlooking the river to enhance your meal, enjoying the likes of moules marinières, pan-fried sea bream, and braised veal osso buco; the friendly, attentive service will make you feel utterly at home.

But please do make time for an apéritif or post-dinner drink at the first floor Cocktail Bar. With amazing views of the River Thames, its wildlife and surrounding countryside, the outside terrace is perfect for daytime

tipples, sundowners and evening drinks alike. If you’re not staying for a full meal, take advantage of the ‘Brioche & Bubbles’ bar menu, which includes Alain Roux’s take on the classic hotdog, while still nodding to his French roots; or try the ‘Loaded Lobster’ or the ‘Prawnstar’ – top quality seafood served in a delicious brioche bun. The menu also includes light bites, burgers and fries, and a few of Alain’s favourite dishes.

You can also sign up for the Cocktail Bar’s series of exclusive events, ‘Something Special’: designed to be immersive, fun, informal and entertaining, these include themed winepairing dinners brought to life by master sommeliers, mixology masterclasses, gin tasting, live entertainment and more.

And why not take a tour of the river itself during your visit? The Brasserie’s elegant electric launch, Le Valbonne, is moored on site, just waiting to whisk your party up and down the Thames. And if you’d like to book private dining, or even hire the whole venue for a special occasion, there are a range of options from the Brasserie itself, the first floor Cocktail Bar, the Terraces or the Chairman’s Room, where you can celebrate anything from birthdays to weddings.

At just a mile upstream from its iconic stablemate The Waterside Inn, and a stone’s throw from The Elizabeth Line station, Royal Windsor and Eton, Roux at Skindles is so easily accessible you’ll wonder why you haven’t visited before. Come soon; a warm and Gallic welcome is waiting for you. For enquiries and reservations, call 01628 951 100. Visit rouxatskindles.co.uk to sign up for their newsletter, and follow Roux at Skindles on Facebook at facebook.com/rouxatskindles and Instagram on @rouxatskindles

▸ DOWN BY THE RIVER: Roux at Skindles Brasserie & Cocktail Bar started out as an 18th century coaching inn, but is now an incredible addition to the Roux portfolio. [Right] The stunning Cocktail Bar.

The call of the sea

I n AUGUST 2023, Chef Alain Roux and Culinary Instructor, Chef Michael Nizzero made their masterclass debut aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner, during a tennight “Epicurean Spotlight Voyage” cruise touring the eastern Mediterranean from Rome to Venice, as part of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises “Epicurean Perfection” culinary programme. It was a great success with guests treated to a little slice of The Waterside Inn out on the open ocean.

It was also a rare opportunity for the chefs to combine business with a family holiday. Alain’s wife Laura and two young children, Paul and Louise, plus Michael’s wife, Jackie and young daughters, Mila and Alessia, were delighted to join them on a trip that combined business with pleasure.

It was a poignant adventure for Chef Alain and his family as it was a sequel

to their trip in April 2019 with the late Michel Roux OBE. This collaboration set the foundations for the family’s unique and special partnership with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Indeed, not only is Regent Seven Seas the exclusive cruise line sponsor of The Roux Scholarship, but plans are already underway to combine forces on another Spotlight cruise in August 2025.

The idea behind the “Epicurean Perfection” series is to take the traveller beyond the traditional culinary offerings found at sea, giving guests the opportunity to enhance their experience and knowledge through special immersive experiences including shore-side excursions, curated menus, hands-on cooking classes, demonstrations, talks and more.

The 700 guests aboard included some familiar faces for Chefs Alain and Michael.

Taking advantage of a special offer, some friendly seafaring patrons from The Waterside Inn joined the cruise, having been gifted with a special signed book and letter from Chef Alain prior to their boarding.

The party set sail from Rome on an exciting trip that encompassed Salerno, Sicily, Santorini, Ephesus, Gythion, Corfu, Dubrovnik finally docking in Venice. The two chefs hosted some fun, interactive experiences including a demonstration in the Constellation Theatre, where 100 guests observed the two chefs prepare Coulibiac de Saumon et Bar, a delicate French seafood dish featuring salmon and sea bass, followed by an informative Q&A session.

On another day, beneath a backdrop of the ancient city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, Chefs Alain and Michael took to the Pool Deck to demonstrate how to prepare the quintessential French sweet, Crêpes Suzettes.

Throughout the cruise, the menu in Chartreuse, the on-board elegant contemporary French restaurant, showcased popular classic dishes from The Waterside Inn’s extensive repertoire. Executive Chef John Pugh and his team did a wonderful job reproducing and mastering the dishes, and feedback from the guests was excellent.

For Chef Alain, it was a privilege working with such a slick enterprise operating at the top of their game: “Clearly, Regent Seven ↘

Last summer, Chefs Alain Roux and Michael Nizzero shared a small slice of The Waterside Inn aboard the Regent Sevens Seas Mariner. LEE WHITLOCK tells the story

▴ CRUISE CONTROL: Regent Seven Seas will partner again with The Waterside Inn during August 2025.

◂ SEAS THE DAY: [Top left] The Roux party at the Casa Marrazzo farm; [top right] Chefs Andrea Aprea and Michael Nizzero; [below centre] taking in the view at Il Faro di Capo d’Orso – Andrea Aprea in Salerno; [bottom right] Chefs Alain and Michael on board the Regent Seven Seas Mariner.

↘ Seas and The Waterside Inn aspire to and are defined by the same principles. Our teams consist of extraordinary people who are passionate about creating very special memories. There’s the same commitment to unique, immersive hospitality experiences, impeccable service, exquisite cuisine and unashamed luxury. But the luxury is not simply found in the beautiful fittings and fine furnishings, but in every detail being taken care of and every need anticipated.”

“We enjoyed being able to build a rapport with the audience. This was the most enjoyable part for us, sharing professional tips and tricks and the guests wanting to know more and more. An experience like this is such an eye opener for chefs like me and Michael. The operation on board could not be more of a contrast to our kitchen at The Waterside Inn where we have 26 chefs preparing dishes for 60 covers maximum. The ship’s operation is vast and complex, having to cater for hundreds of covers in various restaurants throughout the day. We share the same principles of excellence in our service but the execution is very different.

The Regent Seven Seas motto is the same as at The Waterside Inn: if ever a guest should have to ask for anything, you have failed

“Like The Waterside Inn, Regent Seven Seas’ ships share a staff to guest ratio of almost 1:1, so the hospitality is exceptional. The crew members remember your name, they greet you wherever you are on the ship and even remember your favourite drink. It is this aspect that makes the Regent experience so unique, namely the memories created through the interaction of the guests, crew and staff. Their motto is the same as at The Waterside Inn: if ever a guest should have to ask for anything, then you have failed in your duty to look after them. It’s hard to define perfection but it’s easier to feel it.”

A highlight for the chefs and a select group of guests proved to be a hosted excursion held on the second day, organised and accompanied by Chef Andrea Aprea, friend of Michael Nizzero, former chef at The Waterside Inn whose eponymous restaurant in Milan boasts two Michelin stars.

After an early start, the group headed to “Casa Marrazzo” Tomato Farm in Salerno, a friend and supplier to Chef Andrea. Since 1934, the Marrazzo family has been growing tomatoes from this small family farm. The family is a proud artisanal producer of tinned tomatoes, tomato jam and is known for its classic red and also yellow tomatoes. The owner, Gerardo Marrazzo and his family, including sister Teresa and son Gaetano, hosted the group’s visit. This artisanal family operation aims to preserve and innovate the ancient art of preserves, inseparably linked to the culture of the territory, whilst respecting the environment, using clean energy and recycling of water and packaging. The group toured the fields and tasted the delicious tomatoes ripening in the sunshine, whilw listening to Gerardo talk about his family’s heritage and passion for tomatoes. Since it was a bank holiday, the production facility was closed but entertainment was on hand in the form of Chef Andrea and Michael, who demonstrated some simple dishes showcasing the amazing tomatoes, in a dedicated area of the show kitchen.

With appetites encouraged by a morning at the tomato farm, the group then enjoyed a delicious lunch hosted by Chef Andrea at his restaurant Il Faro di Capo d’Orso –Andrea Aprea in Salerno that boats one Michelin star. Alongside views across the

Le Menu

APPETISER

■ Foie gras poêlé à la grenobloise et sa rondelle d’orange caramélisée Pan fried foie gras Grenoble style with a caramelised slice of orange

MAIN COURSE

■ Tournedos d’Angus grillé au charbon de bois, tatin aux échalotes et girolles sautées, jus à la sarriette du jardin

Barbecued fillet of Angus beef served with caramelised shallot tarte tatin, sautéed girolle mushrooms and savoury scented jus

DESSERT

■ Tarte des Demoiselles Tatin aux pommes et glace à la cannelle Classic apple tarte tatin with cinnamon ice-cream

Mediterranean, guests tucked into a bespoke traditional menu featuring: mackerel, beans, and dandelion; herb risotto with oysters and candied lemon; tortello pasta with a concentration of Neapolitan ragù; cod Pizzaiola style; scamorza cheese; and a celebration of Amalfi lemons.

The tour was a huge success with greatly positive feedback from guests who enjoyed not only this excursion, but all the activities hosted by the Roux party on board.

For Chef Michael, the trip was an unforgettable experience from a professional standpoint but, more importantly, for his family: “The family and I appreciated the ship’s luxurious design, the variety of excursions, the spacious yet intimate feel of the ship, the unparalleled level of service and attention to detail. But for us, it was not only the grandeur, the exquisite food and beautiful décor that impressed us, but the pleasure and happiness to be found simply in being together with everything taken care of. It’s there in the warmth of the welcome, the perfection of the service and the way each guest is made to feel equally special. We are grateful to have shared an unforgettable holiday. We can’t wait for the next cruise!”

For cruise bookings and more information on Regent Seven Seas; rssc.com

▴ TASTE OF ITALY: Michelin-starred chef Andrea Aprea, former chef at The Waterside Inn, pictured here with Chefs Alain and Michael, prepared a standout meal for the Roux party.

ROCHEUSE Rug

Photo by Philippe Garcia

Ian Dingle

▸ KINDRED SPIRITS: In 2023, Alain contacted Peter Bryce, chairman of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust, to discuss a donation. It led to a patronage that has only just begun.

It comes from the heart

In February 2023, Alain Roux became the patron of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust after losing his father, Michel, to the disease, in 2020. He and the Trust’s chairman, Peter Bryce, explain why its work is so crucial. LAURA MILLAR sits down with both men

A FEW YEARS ago, Michel Roux went for a series of medical tests after suffering from a cough that came and went, but never fully disappeared. The diagnosis showed there was something wrong with his lungs; tragically, it turned out to be pulmonary fibrosis, a disease neither Michel nor his son Alain and their family had ever heard of. Sadly, Michel lost his life to it on 11 March 2020, which spurred Alain on to seek out more information online. “Some people had shared the experience of what they had gone through,” he says, “and I wondered if it would help others if I shared mine. It was good to find out I wasn’t alone, but there weren’t many resources available.”

Further research eventually led him to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust, with which he

was only too happy to become associated in order to help educate the wider public about the condition.

LAURA MILLAR: What is the aim and importance of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust?

PETER BRYCE: Mainly it’s about looking after people who have been diagnosed, as well as their families and carers, and offering help, advice and information. We are here to give practical, emotional and financial support where needed. Practically, that can include things like mobility scooters, to give patients some independence, or installing stairlifts in their home.

We also own a static caravan in Great Yarmouth, where patients and their families

can enjoy a well-deserved break. And of course, we aim to raise awareness of, and funds for research into, the disease.

LM: How did you become involved, Peter?

PB: It was after my own diagnosis in 2013. After I had a CT scan, the consultant said: “You have idiopathic [which means the ↘

The consultant said: “You have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease which has no cure.” I was in shock…

Pulmonary fibrosis can affect anyone; it happened to my dad, to my family, to me. Knowing that there is so little support for it is sad

↘ cause is unknown] pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive lung disease which has no cure.” I was in shock; I’d never heard of it before. He just told me to go home and look it up on the internet. When I did, the first thing I saw was that I might only have three years to live, which is the average life expectancy. It was devastating. And I thought, this can’t be right, that in modern Britain we have an illness like this that no-one’s really heard of and that doesn’t have a cure. When I came across the Trust, which was founded by a group of patients in 2010, I decided to dedicate my life to helping those affected.

LM: Alain, how did you first connect with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust?

ALAIN ROUX: It wasn’t until after Dad passed away that I managed to take time to

research the illness he had, because I still didn’t understand what it was. You might see the lack of information about pulmonary fibrosis as a good thing, in a strange way, as that might mean it’s pretty rare, but it’s not; the statistics are that 20 people die from it every day. And when I came across the Trust, and saw that it’s helping people from all around the UK, including Scotland and Ireland, that shows there is nothing else available in terms of support in our country. I wanted to help, so in 2022 we held a series of special dinner events to coincide with The Waterside Inn’s 50th anniversary, where we raised money for three charities, one of which was the PFT.

PETER: In February 2023, Alain contacted me out of the blue, and said he had a cheque he’d like to present to the Trust, and invited me to come and receive it. I was delighted, and that’s when we first met. Afterwards I thought: hang on, the Roux family is one of the most famous dynasties in the world –having Alain as our patron would massively help raise awareness, so I got back in touch.

AR: I was very clear that I did not just want to be a name on a letterhead, however; if I was

What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease where lung tissue becomes thickened and scarred over time, making it harder for oxygen to reach the bloodstream; some types have an identifiable cause, but many do not. Symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent cough, fatigue, and chest discomfort. While life expectancy varies, the disease typically worsens over years, leading to respiratory failure. Treatment aims to manage symptoms and slow progression, often including medications and oxygen therapy. Early diagnosis and intervention can help improve quality of life and prolong survival, but pulmonary fibrosis remains a serious and challenging condition with no cure.

going to take on the role, I wanted to be as actively involved as I could be.

LM: So as patron, Alain, what is your mission?

AR: I would like the government to put money towards funding, and for us, as the voting public, to know what is being put where when it comes to funding different illnesses. Pulmonary fibrosis can affect anyone; it happened to my dad, to my family, to me. Knowing that so many other people have it and yet don’t really know what it is and that there is so little support for it, is very sad. But it’s not just about money, it’s also about the little things, like the caravan which can give families some respite. Ultimately, one day I’d like to find a cure. If we can create a vaccine for COVID-19 in a matter of months, I’d love to think that with enough drive, determination and research, we could do the same for pulmonary fibrosis. How you can help: To donate to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Trust, or to find out more about the work they do, go to pulmonaryfibrosistrust.org, or call 01543 442 191.

Ian Dingle

▴ FOR MICHEL: The Waterside Inn donated a portion of the profits from its 50th anniversary dinners to the PFT.

BERKMANN WINE CELLARS ARE PROUD TO WORK WITH THE WATERSIDE INN.

60 years experience supplying wine drinkers nationwide, our portfolio contains some of the most recognisable and pre-eminent names in the wine world. For information on our wines and our services please contact: Peter Lowe, Chairman on 0207 609 4711.

www.berkmann.co.uk @Berkmann_Wine @BerkmannWine

Waterside at home

The Waterside Inn is an extraordinary experience in every possible measure, but you can bring a small slice of it home with you thanks to these products and gifts

Ian Dingle

1 FINE BONE CHINA MUG, £25.00

Enjoy your favourite brew in our exquisite mug, designed and created exclusively for Alain Roux by William Edwards Ltd, based in Stoke-on-Trent. It features a stunning, detailed, architecturalinspired illustration of the iconic Waterside Inn façade, with handpainted 22ct gold details.

2 ALAIN ROUX SIGNATURE MINI CRÈME BRULEE DISH £7.50

Boasting style, elegance and a clean finish, our bespoke Revol mini china dishes are the perfect touch when serving anything delicious – especially crème brulée, a true French classic dessert.

3 FIZGIG GLASS BUTTER DISH, £27.50

A beautiful, functional work of art, our distinctive, handcrafted glass butter dish has been designed and produced for The Waterside Inn by Nottingham based artist, Anna French, founder of Fizgig Glass.

4 ALAIN ROUX SIGNATURE MINIATURE LION HEAD SOUP BOWL

£7.50 Add a touch of elegance to your dining experience with our beautiful mini lion’s head soup bowls, a traditional fixture of French classic cuisine. Further selection of china online: waterside-inn.co.uk

5 HOMEMADE BY ALAIN ROUX –SEVILLE ORANGE MARMALADE, £8.00

Handmade in small batches at The Waterside Inn to Grandma Roux’s secret recipe, Alain’s medium-cut marmalade is bursting with the fresh zestiness of Seville orange.

6 HOMEMADE BY ALAIN ROUX –APRICOT PRESERVE, £8.00

All the goodness of fresh apricots, packed into this delicious preserve, made to Grandma Roux’s special recipe, preserving the fresh apricot flavour, vitamins and aroma, with no artificial sweeteners or additives.

7 HOMEMADE BY ALAIN ROUX –BLUEBERRY JELLY, £8.00

This divine blueberry jelly comes straight from the Roux family archive. Alain Roux’s preserves are

wholesome, nutritious and retain all the goodness of the fruit in the jar. This jelly is ideal served on buttered bread, tea time treats, desserts, ice cream, or crepes.

8 HOMEMADE BY ALAIN ROUX – STRAWBERRY PRESERVE, £8.00

Delivering a taste of summer all year round, Alain Roux’s strawberry preserve boasts high fruit content, and is carefully prepared at The Waterside Inn in small batches to preserve that wonderful strawberry flavour.

9 SELECTED BY ALAIN ROUX – LONG LANE HONEY, £12.50

A favourite breakfast treat served at The Waterside Inn, and used in some of our dishes, this is a complex, delicate single-harvest honey, locally made from nectar collected in wooden hives from the verdant garden of apiarist, AnneMarie Eve, who lives in the Parish of Bray. A glorious honey, golden in colour, with floral, herby and slightly lemony overtones.

10 HOMEMADE BY ALAIN ROUX –CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT SPREAD, £12.00 The perfect French way to start the day! Specially created by Chef Alain Roux and served to our guests for breakfast, our smooth, velvety, delicious chocolate and hazelnut spread is carefully made by our Chef Pâtissier.

For more information and plenty more fantastic products, scan the QR code

1 ALAIN ROUX SIGNATURE MINIATURE LION HEAD SOUP BOWL £7.50 see previous page for details.

2 SELECTED BY ALAIN ROUX – ROBERT THOMPSON’S MOUSEMAN CHOPPING BOARD, £450.00 A heavy-duty chopping board, designed and created for Alain Roux by Robert Thompson. A stunning centrepiece, beautifully carved from naturally seasoned solid oak, with the Robert Thompson signature mouse running around the edge, each board is unique. Your board will mature with you, as you enjoy great times together in the kitchen. Ideal for chopping your herbs, garlic, lemons or carving a large joint of meat, the board will also make a handsome cheese platter when entertaining friends and family at home.

3 FIZGIG GLASS BUTTER DISH, £27.50 see previous page for details.

4 50TH ANNIVERSARY CHEF’S “GLOBAL” CHOPPING KNIFE, £174.00

One of the finest Japanese knives, this classic Global manufactured knife has to be used to be believed! Indispensable in The Waterside Inn’s own kitchen, this extraordinary knife offers the perfect cut, excellent balance and lightness of use. These classic knives are used in the best kitchens worldwide, making light work of toil in the kitchen! This unique, special commemorative knife has been specially created to mark The Waterside Inn’s 50th anniversary.

Discover a further selection of Global knives online: waterside-inn.co.uk

5 HOMEMADE PRESERVES BY ALAIN ROUX see previous page for details.

1 THE WATERSIDE INN MORNING BLEND COFFEE, £9.50 Exclusively Selected by Alain Roux, this morning blend is a smooth, rich perfectly balanced coffee. A combination of 80% high quality Arabica beans from Southern America and Vietnam, plus 20% high grade Robusta beans from India. Roasted and blended in Italy by our master roaster, this blend impresses with a taste profile characterised by cocoa, roasted hazelnut and subtle toasted bread notes.

2 THE WATERSIDE INN ESPRESSO BLEND COFFEE, £9.50 Exclusively Selected by Alain Roux, this espresso blend consists of 85% high-quality Arabica beans from Southern America and Ethiopia, and 15% Indian Robusta beans. Featuring a fruity aroma, the taste profile encompasses vanilla and dried fruits with subtle citrus notes of orange, apricot and bergamot. Roasted and blended in Italy by our master roaster.

3 MOTTI COFFEE POD DUO, £23.25 Motti coffee pods are designed by a Master Barista and are modern, reusable and economic. The pods are compatible with Nespresso and Vertuo systems. Fill the pod with a fine ground coffee (we recommend our espresso blend), gently tamper, insert the pod, and enjoy.

4 ALAIN ROUX SIGNATURE CHEF’S CLOTH, £14.00 Enjoy a little bit of Roux inspiration in your kitchen at home. Our Alain Roux Signature Chef’s Cloth is branded, embroidered and made in the UK from 100% cotton, as used by our chefs and Culinary School students. Beautiful, durable, bespoke, our quality cotton cloth is the perfect choice for keeping tidy and clean as you cook in a busy kitchen.

Ian Dingle

FACT NO. 3: WE REDUCED OUR CHOCOLATE FACTORY’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 49% between 2013 and 2022. This is 2,574 tonnes of CO2, or the equivalent of 660 passengers flying from Paris to Tokyo and back. And this is just the beginning! As part of our Climate Plan, we are committed to contributing to worldwide net zero efforts by reducing our direct and indirect emissions by 50% between now and 2030. TO

Take a stroll down memory lane through The Waterside Inn's history, featuring photographs of the restaurant’s most influential faces from the past and present

1) Fred Poulette and family at Wookey Farm, 2017.

2) The Waterside Inn’s first menu, 1972.

3) Fabrice Uhryn, 2015.

4) In the kitchen, 2011.

5) Alain in his private orchard, 2017.

6) Two generations of Roux chefs, 1988.

7) Adam Wright and his gougères, 2013.

8) Dean, Alain, Fred and Fabrice, 2021.

9) Alain and Michel, 1996.

10) Dean Bonwick, 2013.

11) In the kitchen, 1978.

12) Alain and Laura with their children, 2015.

13) Excerpt from the visitors’ book, 1993.

14) During Royal Ascot, 2018.

15) Michel and Albert with Mark Dodson, Pierre Koffmann, Christian Germain & Russell Holborn, 1997.

16) Waterside Inn dishes, summer 1984.

17) A young Alain with his father, 1982.

DOUBLE CASK

By Erik Madigan Heck. The Macallan Estate.