The pioneering chef Skye Gyngell has died, aged 62.
A statement released by her family and friends reads: “We are deeply saddened to share news of Skye Gyngell’s passing on 22nd November in London, surrounded by her family and loved ones.
“Skye was a culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land.
“She leaves behind a remarkable legacy and is an inspiration to us all. The family requests privacy at this time.”
Among those to pay tribute to her were Quo Vadis chef Jeremy Lee, who praised the chef for her “extraordinary life and career... how this lovely lass lit up the world.”
Jamie Oliver posted: “Terrible sad news. She was an amazing woman and incredible cook and kind hearted. She will be very very very missed. Thank you for all you did to inspire young cooks.”
Ravneet Gill wrote: “What sad news, what a woman and inspiration.”
The Australian-born chef, who cooked at the French House in Soho and under Anton Mosimann at the Dorchester, made her name at the Petersham Nurseries, which she joined as head chef in 2004. She reached national attention in 2011 when the restaurant won a Michelin star. Hitherto dedicated to classical restaurants — in terms of cooking, service and presentation — Gyngell’s win marked a turning point for the guide, as it began to recognise more relaxed venues offering excellent cooking. Under her tenure, the Petersham Nurseries was simply a restaurant with a garden centre greenhouse, albeit one with terrific food. Michelin’s recognition of it was widely welcomed by the restaurant industry, sick of having to conform to the old-fashioned French approach.
One person who did not welcome the Michelin nod, however, was Gyngell herself, who soon described the star as a “curse” for the guest expectations it encouraged. She quit the restaurant in 2012.
From there, in 2014 she launched her own restaurant, Spring, in Somerset House. Her forward-looking approach was much in evidence, as she became one of the first, if not the first, chefs to eliminate single-use plastic in her kitchen. In 2016, she introduced a Scratch menu, which made use of lesser-loved ingredients, surplus ingredients and “waste” food. The keenly-priced menu was one of the first to show diners the importance of sustainability within the kitchen, and is still available today.
Spring was not her only project, however: the year she left Petersham, she joined five-star Hampshire Hotel Heckfield Place as culinary director, a role she held till her death.
Besides cooking, Gyngell was a prolific writer, serving as a food editor for Vogue until 2003 and writing for the Independent on Sunday from 2006-2011. She also published four cookbooks, two of which (2006’s A Year In My Kitchen and 2010’s How I Cook) were award winners.
A long-term supporter of the StreetSmart charity initiative and the Felix Project, Gyngell was a widely-admired and much loved figure within the UK’s culinary scene and in June of this year picked up a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Restaurant Awards.
Her death follows a battle with a rare, aggressive form of skin cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, which had spread to her salivary glands. She was diagnosed only last year.
