He was 54 years old. He died “peacefully” in a London hospital bed on Christmas Day. At his side are his wife Natalie Elliott and their three daughters: Edie, Inès and Bunny. Many people are paying homage these hours to Australian chef Bill Granger, who, according to the prestigious Washington Post, was the “father of avocado toast,” which he first proposed in 1993.
Granger was born in 1969 in Melbourne in the southeastern part of Australia, a melting pot and hub of cuisines from around the world. Granger was a self-taught chef who was driven more by a passion for all things food culture than by a desire for fame. And supported by the talented ability to transform simple ingredients into special recipes that are always accessible to everyone.
An approach to food that over time has led to it conquering the general public. In his thirty-year career, Granger has published 14 cookbooks, created five themed television series, opened over ten restaurants around the world, and won converts at every latitude.
The homage from social media
Many comments continue to arrive on his Instagram profile – @bill.granger – which “only” has 63,600 followers. Ordinary people who valued Granger as both a man and a professional. But also celebrities. Jamie Oliver, famous British chef, TV presenter, author and entrepreneur, writes: “Devastating news! I am incredibly sad. (Bill) He was a gentle, quiet soul…I admired everything he did. I remember the first time I met him many moons ago: beautiful! I send so much love to his entire family. Rest in peace Bill, we will miss you very much. American actress Gwyneth Paltrow says she is heartbroken. Author and TV chef Nigella Lawson praised her on social media: “He was a lovely man and the joy he gave us – through food, books, the time and space he even gave us personally – came from kindness, from the “generosity and absolute, brilliant exuberance of himself.” Then he wishes N, E, I and B, his wife and daughters, deep love. For Australian food writer and gastronomy blogger Emiko Davies, the news is “devastating. Bill's cookbooks fill the shelves of the family library. I often cooked with him and his simple recipes became part of my routine. Eating at one of his restaurants has always been a pleasure. He remains an Australian icon.”
Bill Granger, who was he?
His passion for art was so great that he began attending a thematic school. In her early twenties, Granger left her studies to devote herself to cooking. In 1993 he opened his first restaurant, Bills, in Darlinghurst, Sydney, which soon became an essential spot for fresh flavors and breakfast and brunch dishes served at a central communal table. The evergreens that are always on the menu include avocado toast, his very own creation, ricotta pancakes with honeycomb butter and quality coffee. Few things well done that, in short, make it a point of reference not only at home but also abroad. That's why Granger opens cafes in Japan and South Korea. In London he founded the Granger & Co chain with branches in Chelsea, Clerkenwell, Notting Hill, Kings Cross and Marylebone. Australian chef Darren Robertson will say he has “changed the way we understand breakfast” while he will become “the pioneer of the world's most influential Australian food” for Masterchef Australia graduate Adam Liaw. A far-sighted vision, because last January the chef was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia – one of the country's highest honors – for his contribution to food culture, tourism and hospitality.