Bill Granger, top chef and entrepreneur, dead at 54
Bill Granger, a renowned Australian restaurateur and the “godfather” of avocado toast, has died at 54, his family confirmed in an Instagram post.
The food writer died peacefully in a London hospital on Dec. 25 alongside his wife, Natalie Elliot, and his three daughters – Edie, Inès and Bunny, the post said.
Granger’s family added on Instagram the chef would be remembered as the “‘King of Breakfast’ for making unpretentious food into something special filled with sunshine and for spurring the growth of Australian informal and communal eating around the world.”
The acclaimed restauranter, whose career in the food world spans more than three decades, wrote 14 cookbooks, made multiple TV cooking shows and recently was honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2023.
He is also known for being the person primarily responsible for creating avocado toast – a globally beloved dish that was called “his gift to the world.”
“I know, it’s just a couple of ingredients, barely a recipe,” Granger told the Australian Financial Review about avocado toast. “Hospitality people always eat quickly, because they have so little time. It’s immediately accessible, it’s fresh and it’s light. And it’s green.”
The self-taught cook dropped out of art school in 1993, moved to Sydney and opened his first restaurant, bills, a corner cafe that became known for its breakfast food.
Granger and his wife later opened 19 restaurants together in major cities across the world, including London and Seoul.
Celebrities and the food world poured out support for Granger and his family, including Jamie Oliver, who called him a “wonderful” human.
“This is devastating news, I’m so sad to hear this, what a guy he was,” the British celebrity chef said on Instagram. “I admired everything he represented in food I remember the first time I met him many moons ago he couldn’t have been nicer and his food so good.”
Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness also mourned the loss, saying they will “miss his friendship most of all” in a joint statement on Instagram.
“We are devastated to hear the news of Bill’s passing,” they wrote in an Instagram story. “His talent, his joie de vivre, the way he brought people together, and his commitment to family were inspiring.”
