Australian Michelin-starred chef dies at 62

Australian chef Skye Gyngell has died aged 62.

Ginger rose to fame in the UK after her café at Petersham Nurseries in south-west London was awarded a coveted Michelin star, one of the highest culinary honours. She went on to oversee the Spring restaurant at Somerset House and the Marle and Hearth restaurant in Heckfield Square, Hampshire.

Ginger’s family said she died in London on Saturday, describing her as “a culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers around the world to think about food and their connection to the land”.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has paid tribute to Ginger, who was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, and thanked her for “all she has done to inspire young chefs”.

Ginger pioneered the Slow Food movement in the 1980s and later became a personal chef for clients including Nigella Lawson, Madonna and Guy Ritchie.

Lawson expressed his condolences over her death, writing on Instagram: “No matter how sick you know someone is, their passing is always a shock. It’s so sad that Skye is no longer in this world.”

Ginger died days after the death of her mother, Ann Barr, a well-known interior designer.

Her father, Bruce Gyngel, was the first person to appear on Australian television in 1956, with the line: “Good evening and welcome to the television”. He died in 2000.

Skye Gyngell was born in Sydney and while studying at the University of Sydney she realized the culinary world was where she wanted to be. At 19, she moved to Paris, where she trained and worked as a chef with renowned chefs, including at the two-Michelin-star restaurant Dodin-Bouffant.

Ginger later moved to London to work at the French House in Soho with Fergus and Margot Henderson.

In 2004, Gyngell became head chef at Petersham Nurseries Cafe in Richmond, where she transformed the run-down venue into a thriving cafe that was awarded a Michelin star in 2011.

But the honor was a double-edged sword for Ginger, who left the cafe a year after winning, saying she was frustrated by customers who wanted a traditional Michelin experience at her country cafe.

Her later ventures include Spring at Somerset House, London’s first single-use plastic-free restaurant.

Ginger, who overcame drug and alcohol addiction at a young age, is also known for her award-winning cookbooks and writes a column for Vogue as its food editor.

Last year, she discovered a lump in her neck and was diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer.

She underwent surgery, which included the removal of her salivary glands, causing her to temporarily lose her sense of smell and taste.