After Dinner Speakers: Michel Roux, Wally Olins, Davina McCall

Michel Roux, award-winning Three-Michelin Star Chef and author of seven cookery books.Roux’s success story began at the tender age of 14, with heavy influence from his mother. During his youth, his experience disciplined his work, but in retrospect he adds, “It was hard, but it was wonderful”. Years later, as a thank-you gesture to his mother for the inspiration she induced, Roux presented her with a wage-packet he had kept as memorabilia of the start that made him one of the world’s most renowned Chefs. Another key source in Roux’s inspiration comes from the famous Chef Michel Gerard, whom Roux believes is a “genius”. The admiration Roux feels for Gerard is vivid in his praise of him and interestingly enough, of Roux’s request in having his last meal prepared by Gerard. As fate would have it, Roux set off to London as a “preaching monk to the culinary world’s stone-age city”. Along with his brother Albert, the Roux brothers opened La Gavroche restaurant near Sloane Square in London with a menu that revolutionized the London food scene. Consequently, five more restaurants ensued as well as new business ventures such as outside catering, a patisserie and a boucherie. The Academy’s students had done some pretty hefty research on Roux, prior to his arrival. This made their questions to him all the more interesting, especially when a student asked him to choose between his wife and food. With all charm and humor, Roux answered, “Food of course! Because my wife cooks well”. And when Grumpy Gourmet representatives asked him of the relation between food and love, the audience roared with laughter only for want to hear what Roux would say. Delighted with a question that could have taken him hours to answer, Roux frankly added, “When I go to the market, I get physical vibes. Food is sensual and we put a sense of love into food preparation”. (For visual proof of the dialect between love and food, see the movie, “Like Water For Chocolate”.) Naturally, we had to ask Roux what he thought of critics. His response was positive, saying, “I like good critics. It would be great to start a critics guild”. The climax of Roux’s awe-inspiring session was hearing him sing. That apparently is part of the dish completion. “At the end of the service I always have a glass of champagne”, added Roux. That means he’s done his job and done it marvelously, too. Roux definitely exhumes pride and has no problem admitting that he cooks for himself and not the client, “I cook what I like to eat. I don’t listen to my clients”. This unconcealed attitude is what has earned him three Michelin stars and numerous international awards. With technology affecting almost every part of our lives and with globalization almost standardizing all aspects of human life, the culinary world has, for sure, faced a downturn. As Roux suggests on the future of cuisine, “Gastronomy is not the way we want it. Dotcoms have arrived and they’re not going anywhere. It’s not bleak, but it’s not the way it should be”. Roux also believes in keeping cuisine close to home, by differentiating French food from British, or Italian from Mediterranean or Thai from Chinese. His proposition being, “we should stick to our nationalities in cooking, but continue the evolution and get the world smaller around food” asserted Roux. One of Roux’s current priorities is to “further help the young people of the world (in the food industry)”. This explains his visit to the Academy, which he believes is “commendable in its development in this part of the world”. The Academy’s students certainly appreciated Roux’s presence and expertise. As David Dos Santos, a student at the Academy noted, “When Roux says he shares what he knows, he does”. Another current project due published in October 2002, is Roux’s new cookery book, “Roux Modern Twist” which already calls for anticipation for yet another “modern” food revolution. After Roux’s fabulous presentation, a cocktail reception was held on the Academy’s grounds where people had the wonderful opportunity in meeting Roux in person. The Academy definitely deserves praise for this event and coming ones of the same nature. Watching those students in their Chef costumes with stitched nametags can only make one hope that the next Michel Roux might have graduated from the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. Ladies and gentleman, if Michel Roux did anything to us in his fantastic session-it would definitely be amazement. This man got us thinking about the crucial importance of food. Not just to the belly. The trick lies in the pallet and the mind, together.