Vale: Bill Granger

Restaurateur, food writer and TV chef Bill Granger, best known for Bill’s Food, has died aged 54.

He passed away in a London hospital on Christmas Day, aged 54, his wife and three daughters by his side. His cause of death has not been confirmed.

“He will be remembered as the ‘King of Breakfast’, for making unpretentious food into something special filled with sunshine,” they said on Instagram.

“He will be deeply missed by all.”

A self-taught cook from Melbourne, described as the “godfather” of avocado toast, he became a celebrated global restaurateur and food writer.

Over his 30-year career, Granger published 14 cookbooks, made many television cooking shows, opened more than a dozen restaurants around the world, and won legions of fans – many his own peers.

Tributes flowed from actor Hugh Jackman, Matt Preston, Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson who said, “He was the loveliest man, and the joy he gave us – whether through his food, his books, the spaces he made for us or in person – came from the kindness and generosity and sheer, shining exuberance of his very self. So devastated for his family. It’s too cruel.”

Darren Robertson said Granger had “changed the entire breakfast game” while Adam Liaw described him as “arguably [the] most influential pioneer of modern Australian food”.

“His ‘sunny’… codification of Australian cafe culture at Bills is the model on which every Australian cafe around the world is now built. Great guy, too,” Liaw wrote online.

Amongst his TV shows were 2004’s six-part series, Bill’s Food and 2009’s Bill’s Holiday, featuring Granger’s travels exploring the varying regions and produce of Australia. Bill’s Kitchen: Notting Hill screened in 2013 and My Greatest Dishes in 2019. There were also appearances on The Living Room, Saturday Kitchen and Taste.

Source: BBC