The only Scottish chef to hold two Michelin stars, at his eponymous restaurant at Gleneagles, Andrew Fairlie died on 22 January aged just 55. Here, two of his close friends and admirers, the chefs Sat Bains and Tom Kerridge, pay tribute to one of the UK’s culinary greats.

Sat Bains, chef-owner of two-Michelin-star Restaurant Sat Bains, Nottingham

I met Andrew in 1999 – I was competing to win the Roux scholarship and he was the first ever winner [in 1984]. We kept in touch and later went on research trips together to Japan, the Black Forest, San Francisco, New York, Tuscany; Andrew’s thirst for knowledge of new cuisines was phenomenal. He became a good friend, and my wife Amanda and I have been going up to Gleneagles for the last eight or nine years on pilgrimages to eat his food.

Andrew was a quiet guy, always very humble. I never heard him lose his temper nor did I ever hear anyone say a bad word against him, which is rare among chefs. In a world where everyone talks about themselves, he just carried on consistently creating a world-class restaurant. He was like a mentor: he had a level head, was very informative and could always give you guidance.

He was one of the first chefs I knew who actually went to work in France, training with Michel Guerard at Les Prés d’Eugénie, so his knowledge of French gastronomy was amazing. Because he was the first Roux scholar, he was almost like one of the Roux brothers – that’s the kind of respect he had. As the first Scottish chef to get two Michelin stars, and a member of Les Grandes Tables du Monde, he was very highly regarded by his peers.

Tom Kerridge and I are judges for the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, which has been set up to encourage cooking talent in Scotland. It will be awarded annually to a chef to give him or her a career boost. I’m very proud to be part of that, making sure that Andrew’s legacy lives on. I’ve got a picture of him in my office so I can make sure I see him every day. I miss him all the time.

Tom Kerridge, chef-owner of two-Michelin-star the Hand & Flowers, Marlow, Buckinghamshire

I first met Andrew at an awards do many years ago. At a time when a lot of chefs didn’t like sharing recipes or mixing with one another, Andrew was the complete opposite.

On a professional level, he was always very controlled but when he let his hair down he was very, very good fun. Once, when Andrew and his wife Kate were visiting the Hand & Flowers for dinner, we went out afterwards to a pub up the road called the Ship, which was open till two or three in the morning, for lots of heavy drinking. One of the highlights of my life is witnessing Andrew moonwalking through the Ship in front of all our young chefs.

There’s many a story about Andrew enjoying life, I think because of his illness. He never ever talked about it or used it to make a point or excuse. He was getting on being the incredible chef Andrew Fairlie while he had this horrible brain tumour. He dealt with it in his own way. He had it for a long time [Fairlie was diagnosed in 2005]. They thought they’d got rid of it but then it came back.

His food is classic, rooted in French cuisine, but embracing Scotland’s incredible larder. He was fiercely proud of Scottish produce, particularly shellfish and game, and his smoked lobster dish was justly famous.

People will remember Andrew as one of the leaders of our industry when chefs were breaking through in the UK. Thirty years ago, we were a laughing stock. British food was never seen as being that great. Andrew drove things forward.
For more on the Andrew Fairlie Scholarship, visit hitscotland.co.uk/scholarships