Emily Roux: "If I'm going to make it I'm going to make it by myself"
You’ve got quite a name to live up to…
The Roux name certainly adds extra pressure. Of course I want to live up to my family name, but the most important thing is that every customer leaves the restaurant happy.
Did you ever consider other careers?
No. I’ve always enjoyed food and eating and the atmosphere in a restaurant. I love the camaraderie.
How is the restaurant going?
It’s been intense but great. Having been involved in restaurants from a very young age it feels incredible to now have one of our own. It’s every chefs dream and Diego (Roux’s husband and former Le Gavroche head chef) and I count ourselves very lucky. Stress and logistical challenges have given us a few sleepless nights, but we’re enjoying ourselves.
Has your dad been in yet?
Of course, more than once in fact. He’s been incredibly helpful in lots of different ways. He has great contacts in the industry and is able to flag things that you’d only know after decades in the business. I welcome his advice.
Is the Roux family financially involved in the restaurant?
No. We went to the bank. Getting money from my family would not have been me. I’ve always been a very independent person. If I’m going to make it I’m going to make it by myself.
Why didn’t you use the Roux name in the title of your restaurant?
Caractère is something I’ve created with my husband. We’ve both put an equal amount of effort in so it did not feel right to put my surname on the door.
What’s behind the name of the restaurant?
Caractère is French for character. We wanted a French name as that’s the language Diego and I speak together, and we met in France. It just makes sense for us to have a restaurant with a French name. We chose character because neither of us are short of it. We’re stubborn.
Is the food at Caractère a mix of French and Italian?
Yes, but Diego has spent 10 years cooking in France, so he has that classical training. The menu is made up of dishes that we like eating at home. It’s not too fancy, just produce at its best cooked simply so you can recognise what it is you’re eating. It’s a combination of what we have grown up with and where we have worked, so it’s not quite as simple as pizza vs coq au vin.
What’s it been like creating dishes together?
Enjoyable. We didn’t have access to the kitchen at Caractère as soon as we would have liked so he did most of the development in our tiny flat. We work well together, there haven’t been any arguments.
Is that why you’re not in the kitchen at Caractère?
Yes. Two chefs in one kitchen is not great. We thought that if we wanted our marriage to last we needed our own spaces so Diego heads the kitchen and I’m out front. But we created it together so it’s very much our menu. My experience in restaurants is nearly all back of house, but I’ve found the transition quite easy because since we’ve been back in London I’ve been doing a lot of demonstrations and events where I talk in front of crowds and meet people. I’m happy with the decision. I’m well-qualified to talk about the menu and it’s nice to get customer feedback first hand.
Tell us about the menu…
It’s divided into different character traits including ‘curious’, ‘subtle’ and ‘robust’. We don’t have starters and mains as such. We also offer set lunch and tasting menus. If I had to pick two favourites it would be the celeriac ‘cacio e pepe’ with extra-aged balsamic vinegar, which is a take on the famous Roman pasta dish. Diego’s mother used to make it for us when we went to her house so it brings back nice memories for us. We make tagliatelle-like strips out of the celeriac and dress it with a cheesy peppery sauce. The other would be the gluten-free chocolate cake, which is served in the pan that it has been cooked in. You get crispness on the outside but the interior is gooey. We serve it with mascarpone ice cream and caramel sauce.
Where did you and Diego meet?
We met in the kitchens of Alain Ducasse’s Le Louis XV in Monaco. I actually haven’t spent much time working in my family’s restaurants. I did a couple of months at Le Gavroche before going to catering college and that’s about it.
Where else have you worked?
I worked at a number of restaurants in Paris including Le 39V under Frédéric Vardon and at Arkame under Akrame Benallal. The former was classic and the later was contemporary, but still very French.
Is there an expectation that you will one day take over your father’s restaurant?
I’m not keen. I obviously spent a lot of time there as a child. The members of staff that have been there that long are like family. I didn’t particularly want to work for them and I don’t think they’d particularly like to work for me. It could be awkward. My dad is well aware of my view on it.
