Skye Gyngell, the Australian chef who became a leading figure in the UK culinary scene, has died aged 62. Her family described her as a “culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land”.
Gyngell rose to prominence after transforming Petersham Nurseries cafe in south-west London and earning a Michelin star. She later led Spring at Somerset House and Marle and Hearth at Heckfield Place in Hampshire.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver paid tribute, thanking her for inspiring young cooks, while Nigella Lawson wrote on Instagram that her death was a shock despite knowing of her illness. Gyngell had been diagnosed with rare and aggressive Merkel cell carcinoma last year. She underwent surgery that affected her sense of taste and smell.
Background
Born in Sydney, Gyngell studied at Sydney University before moving to Paris at 19 to train under acclaimed chefs, including at the two Michelin-starred Dodin-Bouffant. She later worked in London at the French House in Soho with Fergus and Margot Henderson.
In 2004, she became head chef at Petersham Nurseries cafe, transforming the neglected site into a thriving destination, earning a Michelin star in 2011. Gyngell left the cafe a year later, frustrated by diners expecting a conventional Michelin experience.
Her later work included Spring at Somerset House, London’s first single-use plastic-free restaurant. She also wrote award-winning cookbooks and contributed as food editor for Vogue.
Gyngell, who had overcome addiction in her younger years, briefly worked as a private chef for high-profile clients including Madonna, Guy Ritchie and Nigella Lawson, and was an early advocate of the slow food movement in the 1980s.
She died just days after her mother, interior designer Ann Barr. Her father, Bruce Gyngell, became the first person to appear on Australian television in 1956 and passed away in 2000.
