Michelin-starred Australian chef Skye Gyngell dies aged 62
Skye Gyngell, the celebrated Australian chef credited with redefining modern British cuisine, has died in London at the age of 62.
Tributes have poured in for Skye Gyngell, the first Australian woman to receive a Michelin star, who has died in London aged 62.
Gyngell was battling a rare form of skin cancer for around 18 months, which spread to her salivary glands.
The acclaimed chef rose to fame as a pioneer of the ‘slow food’ movement, after her café, Petersham Nurseries in south-west London, was awarded a Michelin star in 2011. In 2024, the drinks business visited the acclaimed eatery, located in the back of an old greenhouse, finding “rustic charm” and “charming” dishes – a stamp of Gyngell’s prevailing legacy.
‘A culinary vision’
Gyngell was born in Sydney, but moved to France to pursue a career in the culinary world. She later came to London and worked at the French House in Soho with Fergus and Margot Henderson, before taking to the helm of Petersham Nurseries café in Richmond in 2004.
In a statement, Gyngell’s family confirmed Gyngell had died on 22 November, surrounded by family and loved ones. They described her as a “culinary vision who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land,” adding, “she leaves behind a remarkable legacy and is an inspiration to us all.”
In 2012, Gyngell, regarded as one of the UK’s top farm-to-fork chefs, joined Hampshire’s luxury hotel Heckfield Place as culinary director, overseeing the two restaurants Marle and Hearth. Two years later in 2014, she founded Spring at Somerset House – it was her first solo venture, as well as London’s first single-use, plastic-free restaurant.
‘Far more than a chef’
In a social media statement, Spring London described its founder as “one of the earliest voices championing British farmers”, adding she would be “deeply missed”.
Spring’s statement said: “Skye was far more than a chef – or, as she preferred to say, a cook. She was a mentor, an anchor and a force who helped so many of us find our place in what we do.”
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Gyngell was diagnosed with Merkel cell carcinoma last year, after finding a lump in her neck. She temporarily lost her sense of taste and smell as a result of the treatment.
‘She will be very missed’
During the 1980s, Gyngell pioneered the “slow food movement” before becoming a private chef for clients including Nigella Lawson, Madonna, Mick Jagger and Guy Ritchie.
Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver are among the chefs that have paid tribute to Gyngell, who is still the only Australian woman to have scored a Michelin star.
Lawson said: “However ill you know someone to be, their death is always a shock. It’s just awful that Skye is no longer in the world.”
On Instagram, Jamie Oliver thanked Gyngell for “all you did to inspire young cooks”. He said: “Terrible sad news. She was an amazing woman and incredible cook and kindhearted. She will be very, very, very missed.”
Paying tribute
Richard E Grant also paid tribute to the chef, who he said had sent his family food parcels after his wife Joan was diagnosed with lung cancer, and had also catered for his daughter Olivia’s wedding last year.
Born in Sydney in 1963, Gyngell was the daughter of well-known broadcaster Bruce Gyngell, who was the first person to appear on Australian TV, and interior designer Ann Barr, whose death was also announced at the weekend.
Gyngell rose into the limelight after gaining the Michelin star for Petersham Nurseries in 2011, but she left the café just one year later, frustrated by guests expecting a traditional Michelin experience at her “tiny restaurant” (Fairfax).
Gyngell was also a celebrated food writer. She published several cookbooks, including My Favourite Ingredients and A Year in my Kitchen, and wrote columns for Vogue as its food editor.
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