Michelin-starred Australian chef Skye Gyngell dies aged 62
Pioneering Australian chef Skye Gyngell has died at the age of 62, her family confirmed. Renowned for her innovative approach to food and sustainability, Gyngell was hailed as a culinary visionary who inspired generations of chefs and growers worldwide.
Gyngell rose to fame in the UK after her garden centre café in south-west London, Petersham Nurseries, was awarded a Michelin star in 2011. She later led restaurants including Spring at Somerset House and Marle and Hearth at Heckfield Place, championing plastic-free dining and sustainable practices, News.Az reports, citing BBC.
In the 1980s, Gyngell was an early proponent of the slow food movement.
She worked as a private chef for celebrities including Nigella Lawson, Madonna, and Guy Ritchie.
Trained in Paris under acclaimed chefs, including at the two Michelin-starred Dodin-Bouffant, she moved to London to further her career, working at The French House in Soho.
At Petersham Nurseries, she transformed a neglected site into a thriving café, though she left a year after the Michelin star, frustrated by customer expectations of a traditional fine-dining experience.
Her later ventures emphasized sustainability, with Spring becoming London’s first single-use plastic-free restaurant.
Born in Sydney, Gyngell initially studied at Sydney University before moving to Paris at 19 to pursue her culinary dreams. She overcame struggles with drug and alcohol addiction early in her life.
Gyngell also authored award-winning cookbooks and served as food editor for Vogue, sharing her expertise with a wide audience.
She was diagnosed last year with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer, undergoing surgery that affected her sense of smell and taste.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver paid tribute, thanking Gyngell for inspiring young cooks, while Nigella Lawson described her death as “just awful” on Instagram.
Gyngell passed away just days after her mother, interior designer Ann Barr, and leaves behind a lasting legacy in the culinary world.
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