Michel Roux and The Waterside Inn: Seven Decades of Carpigiani

Opened in 1972 by brothers Michel and Albert Roux, The Waterside Inn changed the British culinary scene and has held three Michelin stars for 35 years, the first restaurant outside France to do so. Today Chef Patron Alain Roux, Michel’s son, runs it with Head Chef Fabrice Uhryn, offering a modern take on classical French gastronomy.

A career built on good equipment

Michel Roux trained as a pastry chef and is devoted to excellent plated food, especially desserts. For him, pastry is the last memory a guest takes from a meal, so it should be as good as the rest of it, if not better.

He first used a Carpigiani gelato machine at just 14, while learning pastry in Paris. He was taught from the start of his career that the best desserts need the best equipment, and says he has used Carpigiani for over 65 years and would not consider anything else.

Old and new machines side by side

The Waterside Inn used a Labo 8-12E for over 20 years before investing in a new Carpigiani machine. The older machine has not been retired: Alain Roux says the new purchase simply brings the kitchen up to date with the latest technology, while the original is still used when demand requires and works perfectly after two decades. The Roux family also bought the same new machine for their kitchen at Roux at Skindles.

Alain adds that Carpigiani makes equipment for every sector, from fast food to fine dining, always to the same high standards. Michel describes Carpigiani as one of the restaurant’s best suppliers, crediting both the results the machines deliver and the quality of the service support. A relationship between chef and manufacturer lasting almost seven decades is rare.

What this means for chefs in Australia

A machine that keeps working for twenty years depends on build quality and on service. Majors Group is the official Carpigiani distributor here, with a national service team, and can help you find the right batch freezer for a pastry or restaurant kitchen. If you are weighing up the investment, see our finance options.

Source: Carpigiani news. Rewritten for Australia by Majors Group.