Dishes created for Andy Murray’s £2 million Cromlix Hotel in Dunblane have been served up by celebrated Michelin star chef Albert Roux.
The French restaurateur, who trained celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White, hosted an exclusive tasting event at Greywalls Hotel near Edinburgh on Monday.
Foodies were invited to try the cuisine before filling out feedback forms which will help Mr Roux decide which dishes will make the final cut.
There is a three-week waiting list for Albert Roux’s London restaurant Le Gavroche and the chef hopes that demand for Chez Roux at Cromlix will soon be similar.
He said: “I personally feel it’s going to be terribly busy, like a volcano.
“I’ve been in the trade for long enough. I meet a lot of people socially from Japan, Russia, America, Canada, Australia, China and the Philippines. They all talk about Murray and the new venture.
“It’s a combination between two factors a guy who’s local, who’s achieving by winning Wimbledon, and our reputation worldwide.
“When put together, they do not clash, they complement each other. There is great interest from the public.”
The chef has yet to meet Andy Murray but had lunch recently with his mother, Judy, who he describes as a “formidable woman, in a good way”.
Albert Roux also revealed the Wimbledon champion hasn’t had the chance to try the new dishes, which he admits are not aimed at top athletes.
Mr Roux said: “95% of the menu will be Scottish and preferably local produce. It’s of great importance.”
When it opens on April 1, Cromlix will seat up to 174 diners at any one time 65 in the restaurant, 35 in two separate lounges and a further 74 in three private dining rooms.
The average price of a meal in the lounge will be £20, with lunch coming in at £25, according to Mr Roux. Restaurant prices are yet to be revealed.
Albert Roux will oversee the kitchen in the first two weeks of April before handing over to executive head chef Darin Campbell.
Mr Campbell said: “My focus will be on getting the food right and I’m very much looking forward to it. Working with Mr Roux has been fantastic.”The taste testI was relishing the prospect of dining with Albert Roux and the sample Cromlix menu he has created did not disappoint, writes Peter Swindon.
A combination of haute cuisine and traditional Scottish fare, there was clearly a lot of thought behind each course.
To start was cream of Jerusalem artichokes, bacon and artichokes crisp, a rich flavoursome soup which left me wanting more as I scooped up the last spoonful.
The next course was a puff pastry mackerel tart with chives beurre blanc, which had a light and fluffy consistency and a delicious blend of tastes.
The main was roast leg of suckling pig, creamy polenta and sprouting broccoli, all cooked to perfection.
The final course, a vanilla rice pudding, rhubarb compote and nutmeg, was just delicious.
Mr Roux can be rightly proud of the dishes he has created and diners descending on Cromlix in April will be in for a treat.