Skye Gyngell, the first Australian female chef to earn a prestigious Michelin star, has passed away at the age of 62.
Gyngell rose to prominence in the UK after her garden centre café in south-west London received one of the highest accolades in the culinary world. She later led acclaimed restaurants including Spring at Somerset House and Marle and Hearth at Heckfield Place in Hampshire.
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.”
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver paid tribute to Gyngell, who was diagnosed with skin cancer last year, thanking her for inspiring young cooks worldwide. Nigella Lawson, one of Gyngell’s former clients, also mourned her death, writing 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.”
Born in Sydney to Bruce Gyngell, the first person to appear on Australian television, and interior designer Ann Barr, Gyngell initially studied law at Sydney University before pursuing a career in cooking. She moved to Paris at 19, training under acclaimed chefs, including at the two Michelin-starred Dodin-Bouffant, before relocating to London to work at the French House in Soho with Fergus and Margot Henderson.
In 2004, she became head chef at Petersham Nurseries café in Richmond, transforming the run-down site into a thriving culinary destination. The café earned a Michelin star in 2011, making Gyngell the first Australian woman to achieve the feat. However, she left the café a year later, frustrated by patrons expecting a traditional Michelin experience at her rustic eatery.
Gyngell’s later ventures included Spring at Somerset House, notable as London’s first single-use plastic-free restaurant. She also authored award-winning cookbooks and contributed as food editor to Vogue.
In her later years, Gyngell battled Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer. Surgery involved removal of her salivary glands, temporarily affecting her sense of taste and smell.
Beyond her culinary achievements, Gyngell overcame drug and alcohol addiction in her youth, leaving behind a legacy of innovation, mentorship, and advocacy for sustainable, thoughtful cooking.
