The Editor's Hospitality Blog

Monday was a happy-sad day for hospitality and tourism. Londoners awoke to the bad news that the Cutty Sark, one of the capital's top tourist draws, was ablaze.

But then, at noon, around one hundred lucky individuals met at 43 Upper Brook Street to celebrate the forthieth birthday of one of London's most iconic restaurants, Le Gavroche.

As editor of the Caterer, people often ask me if my working life is an endless whirl of champagne and Michelin-starred cuisine. Sadly, the honest answer is "no". But sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and admit that you're a very lucky boy.

Lunch was a triumph, and on hand to enjoy it was a happy throng of guests that included critics Matthew Fort, Jay Rayner and Giles Coren and chefs and restaurateurs Richard Shepherd, Richard Corrigan, Rowley Leigh and Simon Hopkinson.

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The announcement was made by Albert Roux at a Champagne reception this evening. Desai (pictured left with Alain Roux) commented: "The Roux Scholarship is the competition as far as I'm concerned and I've entered before but failed to reach the finals. I am so relieved to have managed to win after just one attempt at the final."

Desai, who credited Hywel Jones as being the "driving force" behind his recent career, and his fellow competitors were judged by Albert, Michel, Michel Junior and Alain Roux, Heston Blumenthal, Andrew Fairlie (the first winner of the Roux Scholarship title), David Nicholls, Gary Rhodes, Brian Turner and guest judge, Bloomberg food critic Richard Vines.