Ask Onix
Michelin-starred chef Skye Gyngell dies at 62 after cancer battle
Skye Gyngell, the pioneering Australian chef who reshaped London's culinary scene with her farm-to-table ethos and earned a Michelin star at Petersham Nurseries, has died at 62. Her family confirmed she passed away in London on Saturday, following a battle with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer diagnosed last year.
A legacy rooted in land and slow food
Gyngell's career spanned decades, beginning in 1980s Paris, where she trained under legendary chefs at the two-Michelin-starred Dodin-Bouffant. She later became a private chef to high-profile clients, including Nigella Lawson, Madonna, and Guy Ritchie, while championing the nascent slow food movement-a philosophy that prioritized seasonal, locally sourced ingredients long before it entered the mainstream.
Her breakthrough came in 2004 at Petersham Nurseries Café in Richmond, where she transformed a derelict greenhouse into a rustic dining destination. The Michelin star awarded in 2011-rare for a café-catapulted her to fame, though she later admitted the accolade clashed with her unpretentious vision. "Customers expected white tablecloths," she once said. "We were serving food on mismatched plates in a greenhouse."
Innovation and advocacy beyond the kitchen
After leaving Petersham Nurseries, Gyngell opened Spring at Somerset House, London's first single-use plastic-free restaurant, and later Marle and Hearth at Heckfield Place in Hampshire. Her work extended to award-winning cookbooks and a stint as Vogue's food editor, where she blended culinary expertise with advocacy for sustainable farming.
Colleagues and mentees remembered her as a mentor who "inspired young cooks to think differently," as celebrity chef Jamie Oliver wrote in tribute. Nigella Lawson, a longtime friend, shared her grief on Instagram: "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."
A life marked by resilience and reinvention
Born in Sydney, Gyngell abandoned university studies to pursue cooking, moving to Paris at 19. Her early career was punctuated by struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, which she openly discussed as part of her journey. Last year, her cancer diagnosis-followed by surgery that temporarily robbed her of taste and smell-became another chapter in a life defined by reinvention.
Gyngell's death came days after that of her mother, Ann Barr, a renowned interior designer. Her father, Bruce Gyngell, holds a place in Australian history as the first person to appear on the country's television screens in 1956, uttering the iconic line: "Good evening, and welcome to television."
Tributes and lasting influence
Across the culinary world, Gyngell was celebrated for bridging the gap between fine dining and agricultural roots. Her approach-rooted in respect for growers and seasonal produce-left an indelible mark on modern British cuisine. As tributes poured in, many noted her ability to elevate simplicity: "She taught us that great food doesn't need fuss," one former colleague told The Meta Times.
"Skye was a culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land."
Statement from Gyngell's family
