Celebrated Australian cook Bill Granger has died peacefully in a London hospital on Christmas Day aged 54. In an obituary posted on the restaurateur and cookbook writer’s Instagram profile, his family wrote:
“It is with great sadness that the family of Bill Granger announce he has passed away on 25th December at the age of 54. A dedicated husband and father, Bill died peacefully in hospital with his wife Natalie Elliott and three daughters, Edie, Inès and Bunny, at his bedside in their adopted home of London.”
Stars of the food world flooded the comment section of the post offering their condolences and memories.
“This is devastating news, I’m so sad to hear this, what a guy he was,” wrote Jamie Oliver. “A wonderful human, (a) kind calm soul … I admired everything he represented in food.”
Nigella Lawson wrote, “I’m heartbroken to hear this. So cruel.”
“An impact forever felt on Aussie cooking,” wrote Sydney cookbook writer Elizabeth Hewson, while Emiko Davies said, “Bill's cookbooks were always on my family's shelves, I've cooked from them often and his easy going recipes have slid into our family routine. Eating at one of his restaurants was always a treat. He's an Aussie icon.”
Julia Busuttil Nishimura said, “What a legacy,” and chef Mark Best wrote, “A gorgeous man leaving behind a beautiful family.”
No cause of death had been revealed, with details expected to be released in the coming days.
The post recalled Granger’s rise to fame and influence on the world food stage, where he brought dishes such as ricotta hotcakes, avocado toast and corn fritters to international attention. “Born in Melbourne, Australia, Bill was a self-taught cook who became a celebrated global restaurateur and food writer with a career spanning over 30 years,” it read.
“In 1999, he and his wife Natalie began a professional partnership that launched the business globally. Together they built a successful business that today has 19 restaurants across Sydney, London, Greater Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Seoul. Bill authored 14 cookbooks, made 5 TV series ...
He will 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.”
Granger’s previous post was from Australia Day 2023, with a photo from 30 years earlier, upon receiving a Medal of the Order of Australia. “Hospitality is not always the easiest business,” he wrote. “But I can’t think of many other jobs where the job is just to bring a bit of happiness and sunshine into people’s lives, and for that, and of course the award, I am hugely grateful.”
