An Extraordinary Evening at The Waterside Inn

What an extraordinary evening at The Waterside Inn, celebrating an incredible 40 consecutive years of three Michelin stars – a remarkable achievement and a milestone in British culinary history.

We were treated to a spectacular celebration menu, including some beautiful dishes featuring our black truffles. But the most memorable moment of the evening was something nobody saw coming.

There had been no mention of white truffles on the menu, so it was a complete surprise for the other guests when cousins Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr. suddenly appeared, each carrying an enormous white truffle. They were followed by a procession of more magnificent truffles, which were placed in the centre of the room. Within moments, their extraordinary aroma had filled the entire space.

Then came another surprise. A plate was placed in front of each guest, bearing the legendary Soufflé Suissesse from Le Gavroche. Alain and Michel then made their way around the room, generously shaving the beautiful white truffles over every plate.

The combination of that iconic dish, the incredible scent of the truffles and the theatre of the moment was something I’ll never forget.

It was a real privilege to be invited to such a historic occasion, and especially wonderful to see our truffles playing a part in it.

And beyond the extraordinary food and celebrations, the evening had an even more meaningful outcome: The Waterside Inn used its 40th anniversary to raise an astonishing £127,755 for good causes.

A very special evening, and one I’ll remember for a long time.