On Christmas Day, Bill Granger, the beloved Australian cookbook author and authority on brunch culture, unexpectedly passed away. His age was fifty-four.
“The Granger family announces Bill’s demise on December 25th with deep sadness… The spokeswoman for the family stated, “A committed husband and father, Bill passed away quietly in the hospital with his wife Natalie Elliott and their three daughters, Edie, Inès, and Bunny, at his bedside in their adopted home of London.”
Bill Granger is recognized for having brought Australian café culture—particularly avo toast—to a wider audience and elevating the humble café to a destination restaurant.
Following the establishment of his own café in Darlinghurst, Sydney, in 1993, the self-taught chef rose to fame in Australia during the 1990s. This spacious, airy, relaxed café on Liverpool Street still features a central table that’s great for big gatherings, and its creamy scrambled eggs are some of the best in the area.
However, sunny-colored eggs, avocado toast, and ricotta hotcakes were just the beginning of the amazing 30-year history of the Sydney café Tzar.
After his Darlinghurst café became popular, he opened more locations in Sydney, London, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Seoul. In addition, he has written five culinary TV shows and fourteen cookbooks. Bill Granger established 19 restaurants under his own names, Bills and Granger & Co., which are still in business today.
Granger received the Medal of the Order of Australia earlier this year in recognition of his exceptional contributions to hospitality and tourism.
“He will be remembered as the ‘King of Breakfast’, for making unpretentious food into something special filled with sunshine and for spurring the growth of Australian informal and communal eating around the world,” stated a spokesperson. Everyone will miss him terribly, but his devoted family will feel his loss the most deeply.
Read More
In addition to the family’s Instagram post, friends and prominent people in the hospitality business, including Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Martin Boetz, Chris Lucas, Mark Best, Hetty Mckinnon, Matt Preston, and many more, also expressed their sympathies.
I’m sorry to break this bad news to you. I was appreciative of what he stood for in the food sector. What a sweet man with a serene, caring nature he was.” Jamie Oliver: “This news breaks my heart. So callous.” Lawson Nigella
“The news is depressing to hear. Bill and I met at Darley Street Thai, a spinoff of his Darlinghurst eatery. I’m shocked, I have to say. Greetings from me to Nat and their beautiful daughters. Martin Boetz
“I’m shocked that Bill Granger passed away at such a young age. He will never be forgotten for introducing the globe to Australian cafe culture. A man of great honor will be greatly missed. Thank you, Grant Granger. Chris Lucas
A wonderful father is the head of a fantastic family. I’m sorry for your loss. Mark Alone
“This is quite detrimental. iconic in Surry Hills prior to becoming well-known worldwide. This breaks my heart to hear. McKinnon, Hetty
I regret learning of this news. Bill was a truly kind man and an inspiration. He and Natalie contributed to the global perception of contemporary Australian cuisine.” Matt Preston
Share this content:
3 Comments