The man who transformed fine dining in Britain, father of former Masterchef judge Michel Roux Jr. and dedicated Anglophile, Albert Roux – who died last year aged 85 – tells the fantastic story of his early life and successes in this honest and charming memoir, posthumously published. From his childhood in Vichy France during World War II to handing over his beloved London restaurant Le Gavroche to his son, Roux’s rich, relaxed storytelling takes the reader from humble countryside hamlets to the higher echelons of the British upper class.

The food is beautifully described without being laboured on. The effect a meal may have had on Roux is equally important to the experience of eating it. And this is where the charm and success of Le Gavroche can be traced back to. Suddenly finding himself in service to the Cazalets, cooking for the Queen Mother and dozens of other high-profile guests, the young Roux realised that it was his way with people – respectful without being reverential, confident yet considerate – that was as important as his ability to cook.

What Roux wanted was to recreate the bespoke cooking, intimate service and, above all, discretion he had offered the aristocracy – but on the streets of London, a revolution in restaurant dining that the late restaurateur himself chronicles well.