Renowned Australian chef Bill Granger – the “godfather” of avocado toast – has died.
A self-taught cook from Melbourne, Granger became a celebrated global restaurateur and food writer.
He passed away in a London hospital on Christmas Day, aged 54, his wife and three daughters by his side.
“He will be remembered as the ‘King of Breakfast’, for making unpretentious food into something special filled with sunshine,” they said on Instagram.
“He will be deeply missed by all.”
His cause of death has not been made public.
Over his 30-year career, Granger published 14 cookbooks, made multiple television cooking shows, and opened more than a dozen restaurants in cities like Sydney, London, and Tokyo.
Granger was beloved by diners across the world, but also by his fellow chefs.
“I’m heartbroken to hear this. So cruel,” food author and TV chef Nigella Lawson wrote on Instagram.
Meanwhile culinary legend Jamie Oliver paid tribute to Granger as “a wonderful human” and a “kind, calm soul”.
“I admired everything he represented in food,” he wrote on Instagram.
Granger began his career in 1993, after he dropped out of art school to open his first restaurant in Sydney when he was just 23 years old.
Bills – a sunny corner cafe – became renowned for simple dishes like avocado toast, ricotta pancakes with honeycomb butter, and top-quality coffee.
Its popularity exploded, and from there he opened offshoots abroad – including an entire chain of Granger & Co. restaurants in London.
Australian chef Darren Robertson said Granger had “changed the entire breakfast game” while Masterchef Australia alumnus Adam Liaw described him as “arguably [the] most influential pioneer of modern Australian food”.
“His ‘sunny’… codification of Australian cafe culture at Bills is the model on which every Australian cafe around the world is now built. Bloody great guy, too.” Liaw wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Such was his impact that in January, Granger was recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia – one of the country’s top honours – for his contribution to tourism and hospitality.
Speaking to the BBC in 2019, the chef reflected on the humble foundations of his breakfast empire.
“I’ve done all these extraordinary things, just from liking to cook pancakes and scrambled eggs, which is pretty amazing.”
Granger is survived by his wife and business partner, Natalie Elliott, and his three daughters, Edie, Inès and Bunny.
This video can not be played