Pioneering Australian chef Skye Gyngell has died aged 62.
Gyngell rose to fame in the UK after her cafe at Petersham Nurseries in south-west London was awarded a coveted Michelin star, one of the highest culinary honours. She went on to helm Spring restaurant at Somerset House and Marle and Hearth at Heckfield Place in Hampshire.
Gyngell's family described her as a culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver paid tribute, thanking her for all you did to inspire young cooks. Gyngell was diagnosed with skin cancer last year.
During the 1980s, Gyngell pioneered the slow food movement before becoming a private chef for notable clients including Nigella Lawson, Madonna, and Guy Ritchie. Lawson mourned her death, highlighting the unexpected nature of loss regardless of prior awareness.
Gyngell died shortly after the passing of her mother, Ann Barr, a well-known interior designer. Her father, Bruce Gyngell, was a television pioneer in Australia.
Born in Sydney, Gyngell aspired to join the culinary world during her university studies. She honed her skills in Paris under celebrated chefs at the two Michelin-starred hotel Dodin-Bouffant, later working in London with Fergus and Margot Henderson.
In 2004, she became head chef at Petersham Nurseries café, transforming it into a thriving establishment, earning a Michelin star by 2011. However, disheartened by the expectations of fine dining, she left shortly after.
Her subsequent projects included Spring, renowned as the first single-use plastic-free restaurant in London. Gyngell also overcame past struggles with addiction, becoming an award-winning author and food editor for Vogue.
Last year, she was diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare, aggressive skin cancer, and faced significant challenges following surgery, including the loss of her sense of taste and smell.
