The first Australian female chef to win a Michelin Star, Skye Gyngell, has passed away at the age of 62 following a battle with a rare cancer.
Credited as being a pioneering force within the global culinary landscape, Skye Gyngell started her career at only 19 years of age, when she moved to Paris and trained and worked under acclaimed chefs at the two Michelin-starred restaurant, Dodin Bouffant.
The Australian chef was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer, a condition she had battled for the past 18 months, causing her to lose her taste. Gyngell passed away in London.
Gyngell’s restaurant, Spring London, announced her death on social media, calling its founder one of the earliest voices championing British farmers, and that she would be deeply missed.
"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,” the statement said.
"Above all, her most treasured role was as mother to her daughters, Holly and Evie, and grandmother to Cyprien, who remain at the heart of everything she achieved."
Gyngell was a leader in the “slow food movement” of the 1980s, before becoming a private chef for clients including Nigella Lawson and Madonna.
Lawson took to social media to share her memories of Gyngell.
"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."
Other famous faces from the culinary world also shared messages upon the news being announced.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver thanked Gyngell for all she did to inspire the younger generations of chefs.
"She was an amazing woman, an incredible cook, and kind-hearted. She will be very, very, very missed," said Oliver.
Fellow Australian chef Kylie Kwong called Gyngell one of the greatest cooks.
Gyngell’s culinary style emphasised farm-to-plate, with a strong focus on sustainable ingredients and cooking, as well as seasonal produce.
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