Michel Roux names Gordon Ramsay most ‘naturally gifted chef’ he has ever worked alongside

Michel Roux, the celebrity chef known for his two Michelin-starred London restaurant Le Gavroche, has dubbed Gordon Ramsay the most “naturally gifted chef” he has ever worked alongside.

The MasterChef: The Professionals judge, 64, gained notoriety after he took over the Mayfair restaurant from his father, Albert Roux, in 1993. The celebrated establishment closed in January after 56 years.

Ramsay, 58, trained under Albert in the Le Gavroche kitchen for a year in the Eighties before the chef invited him to work at Hotel Diva, a ski resort in the Alps, as his number two.

The former Hell’s Kitchen star went on to open his own three Michelin-starred London restaurant, Restaurant Gordon Ramsey, in 1998 and now has an empire of over 90 eateries worldwide.

It was announced in February that, in somewhat of a full circle move, Ramsay’s restaurant team will take over the iconic Le Gavroche site as Union Street Cafe – one of the group’s associated companies.

The restaurant has secured a 15-year lease on the grounds of the former French restaurant, with Restaurant Gordon Ramsay chef patron Matt Abé in charge of the kitchen.

Speaking to The Times about Ramsay’s Le Gavroche acquisition, Roux said: “I’ve no regrets about closing the restaurant and I’ve turned the page, but it was a huge chunk of my life that I can’t get back.

“Gordon Ramsay was the most naturally gifted chef I ever saw coming through. He and I worked alongside each other for a couple of years so I’m pleased he has taken over the old site. He’s a big name and he’ll fill the place. I mean, I wouldn’t want it to turn into a McDonald’s, would I?”

Roux announced he was closing Le Gavroche in January so he could spend more time with his family.

“I have always felt that should Le Gavroche ever close, it must be on a high,” the chef wrote in a statement at the time. “Le Gavroche continues to be fully booked, week in, week out, but I have known for a while that I must make time for a better work/life balance.”

Ramsay said of his return to the restaurant’s much-loved site: “Le Gavroche holds some incredible memories from my early career.

“When I heard the property was going to be available, it felt like the right moment to support Matt and come full circle with a restaurant that I loved so much.”