The Roux Brothers have been at the vanguard of restaurants for many decades. The wealth of knowledge those guys had was astonishing. I was lucky to have worked with Michel at The Waterside Inn in Bray and met Albert a few times, who had Le Gavroche, and each restaurant had 3 Michelin Stars. 

My father always said, “work with the Roux Brothers”, they were culinary royalty. Totally focused on quality and determined to make food better in Britain in the early ’70s. Patisserie will always be a go-to for me, and thousands of chefs and cooks from my era and today. There are the simplest of recipes, and the basics are covered, but the more elaborate desserts are shown off very well too. This book stands the test of time, and even to this day, I go to it if I’m stuck or need to learn how to do something. 

The pastry section at The Waterside Inn was a separate area on the other side of the pass and it was so perfectly clinical. A showstopper was produced every day, and the chefs were so proud of their work. It was a tough kitchen to work in, and I was only there during a winter whilst working on the Royal Scotsman train, but I learned a huge amount. Alain Roux was my go-to guy, and he was wonderful to work with.

I love the photography in this book, even the cover is brilliant. They look so young! Step-by-step instructions with lavish photography so even the modest cook can make a mouth-watering confection after reading this book. To think Michel was Chef de Cuisine for the Rothschild family, and he offered me a business opportunity all those years ago based on me serving him white truffle risotto, foie gras terrine with brioche, and scallops with leek purée and black truffle. But, I don’t remember what pudding he had!