Australian chef and restaurateur Bill Granger, who took his country’s food to international capitals such as London and Seoul, has died at the age of 54, his family said.
Granger’s family reported Tuesday on social media that the chef passed away in a London hospital on Christmas.
“A devoted husband and father, Bill died peacefully in hospital with his wife Natalie Elliott and their three daughters, Edie, Inès and Bunny, in London, his adopted hometown,” the family statement said. No further details were given.
Born in 1969 in Melbourne, Australia, Granger was a self-taught cook who launched a three-decade career as a chef after dropping out of art school. He opened his first restaurant in 1993 in Sydney’s Darlinghurst neighborhood, where he soon became famous for his breakfasts served at a large shared table.
He and his wife then launched their business on a global scale, opening more than a dozen restaurants and cafés in London, Seoul, and Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka in Japan. His relaxed atmosphere and signature dishes, such as avocado on sourdough toast, creamy scrambled eggs and ricotta pancakes, were a hit with diners around the world.
“He will be remembered as the ‘King of Breakfast,’ for making unpretentious food something special full of sunshine and for stimulating the growth of Australian casual and community dining around the world,” his family wrote.
Granger wrote 14 cookbooks, according to his family, and hosted several cooking shows. He was also a guest judge on MasterChef Australia. Earlier this year he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to tourism and hospitality.