Michel Roux outside Le Gavroche – credit Jodi Hinds
Le Gavroche will be running its last service on January 13th 2024 after 57 years of trading, and marking the closure of the restaurant with three hospitality industry-linked dinners being held over the following week and an open day sale of branded goodies at the end of January.
The first of the special dinners will be on January 16th when catering students from Westminster Kingsway College, College of Food University College Birmingham, and University of West London will be the guests of Michel Roux. Each college will be represented by 21 students and three lecturers who have been selected by their colleges to enjoy the full Le Gavroche dining experience. “It’s in the Rouxs’ DNA to empower the next generation. By giving this opportunity to these students, they will carry a bit of Le Gavroche in their culinary future,” says Michel Roux.
On 17th January, Michel will be hosting a dinner for Le Gavroche’s long-standing suppliers to say a huge thank you for their excellent and valued service over the years as part of the Roux extended family. Michel Roux says: “It’s thanks to them that Le Gavroche has stayed at the top over the decades; they’ve never failed to deliver the best.”
There will be a charity dinner and auction on the 18th January, which sold out within minutes of being announced on Le Gavroche’s newsletter. All the money from the evening will be donated equally to three charities which have been supported by Michel over many years; VICTA, Hospitality Action and BIGKID Foundation. The uptake was instant, adding to the enormous waiting list for tables which has grown to 25,000 since the announcement of the closure was made in August last year
The restaurant will also invite guests in on the 27th January for an open day when cookbooks, house wine, branded T-shirts and aprons, chairs, sofas, glassware, silverware, kitchen equipment and crockery will be on sale.
“It’s incredibly important to me that we close the restaurant on a high as a fitting tribute to everyone who has ever worked with us, dined with us or been inspired by what we have created at Le Gavroche. This is not ‘farewell’, but ‘au revoir’, as ‘Le Gavroche’ name will continue to be a familiar presence in pop-ups both in the UK and overseas, as well as in our other ventures,” says Michel.
