French-born chef and restaurateur Michel Roux has died aged 79. He passed away on Wednesday night surrounded by his family at home in Bray, Berkshire, after battling a long-standing lung condition. Roux and his brother Albert made gastronomic history when their London restaurant, Le Gavroche, became the first three Michelin-starred restaurant in Britain in 1982.

A family statement said Roux’s “star will shine forever”. His son Alain and daughters, Francine and Christine, on behalf of the family, said he was “a father figure inspiring all with his insatiable appetite for life and irresistible enthusiasm”. “We are grateful to have shared our lives with this extraordinary man and we’re so proud of all he’s achieved,” they added. “A humble genius, legendary chef, popular author and charismatic teacher, Michel leaves the world reeling in his wake. “But above all, we will miss his mischievous sense of fun, his huge, bottomless heart and generosity and kindness that knew no bounds. Michel’s star will shine forever lighting the way for a generation of chefs to follow.”(BBC)…[+]