Australian chef and restaurateur Bill Granger, known for his cafes and credited as the inventor of avocado toast, has sadly passed away at the age of 54.
A statement was released on the chef's Instagram just a couple of days after Christmas to share the sad news with his followers. It read: ‘A dedicated husband and father, Bill died peacefully in hospital with his wife Natalie Elliott and three daughters, Edie, Inès and Bunny, at his bedside.’ Although information is still limited, it has since been reported that Bill had been battling with cancer. He sadly passed on Christmas Day.
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Bill opened his first restaurant, Bill's, in Sydney's Darlinghurst at the age of 23 after dropping out of art school. As success followed, he continued to grow his business, run alongside his wife Natalie, with a chain of cafe-cum-restaurants that embody the informal and communal style of Australian dining. Bill would go on to launch 19 international restaurants across Sydney, London, Tokyo and Seoul.
This eventually led to the launch of Granger & Co, his London chain of restaurants that now spans five locations across the city. He popularised dishes like avocado toast, as well as his famous ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter.
Throughout his career Bill also published over a dozen cookbooks and made several television series about his travels and recipes. In January 2023, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his services to tourism and hospitality.
Over the past week, outpourings of love have spread across social media with fellow colleagues reaching out to share their tributes to the chef.
Nigella Lawson wrote: '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.'
Meanwhile, Jamie Oliver wrote: 'He was such a wonderful man, warm, charming, and had an extraordinary ease and style in cooking that could only come from Australia.'
James Martin wrote: 'So shocked. The world has lost a special person a brilliant man and talent… my thoughts and prayers to his family … a wonderful man gone too soon.'
You can find out more about Granger & Co here, which has long been ranked amongst one of the best brunch spots in London.