After Dinner Speakers: Albert Roux, George Clooney, Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Albert Roux is perhaps the best known chef in Britain, a household name as the proprietor of the United Kingdom's top restaurant and through his successful cookery books and television programmes, a face widely recognised by all those interested in food. However, it is with the London restaurant Le Gavroche that he is most closely identified. Opened in 1967 in Lower Sloane Street, Le Gavroche moved to Upper Brook Street in 1981 where its reputation was established. Now owned jointly with his son Michel Jr, Le Gavroche is one of the two most prestigious and award winning restaurants in the UK, a universally acknowledged fact by all the major food guides. Many titles and awards have been bestowed on Albert Roux since he started his career at the early age of 14, but perhaps the one closest to his heart is that of Maītre Cuisinier de France, awarded in 1967 - the youngest chef to have been so feted. With a background such as this, it is no wonder therefore that many of today's young star chefs point to Albert Roux as their inspiration and mentor - chefs of the calibre of Marco Pierre White of Harvey's and Pierre Koffman of La Tante Claire. However, though Albert's reputation as a chef and restaurateur is recognised by all, his wider involvement in the hospitality industry and in particular, his involvement in the elegant and luxurious all suite establishment adjoining Le Gavroche, that he created with his wife Monique in 1982 - FortySeven Park Street - is not so well known. All the more surprising as this establishment has long been recognised by the cognoscenti as offering a unique blend of traditional British style and French together, it goes almost without saying, with some of the best French cuisine to be found anywhere in the world. Albert has been a successful consultant for many years in his own right, operating his own consultancy in London. He has joined our international team of professionals, citing it as a unique form of consultancy where he can both support and be supported by his peers.