Skye Gyngell, the Australian-born chef who found acclaim at Petersham Nurseries, has died at the age of 62 following a battle with Merkel cell carcinoma, an aggressive skin cancer.
The sad news was shared in a statement released this week by her family: “We are deeply saddened to share news of Skye Gyngell’s passing on 22nd November in London, surrounded by her family and loved ones. Skye was a culinary visionary who influenced generations of chefs and growers globally to think about food and its connection to the land. She leaves behind a remarkable legacy and is an inspiration to us all. The family requests privacy at this time.“
Cookery writer Nigella Lawson was one of many industry figures to add their own tributes, saying:“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. It’s a tremendous loss, and I’m heartbroken for Holly and Evie [Skye’s daughters] and all those who loved her and learned from her”.
Skye trained as a chef in Paris and London, where she worked under Anton Mosimann at the Dorchester and Fergus Henderson at the French House, but she will always be remembered for her remarkable achievement in eight years at Petersham Nurseries from 2004, when she transformed the cafe at an old garden centre on the edge of Richmond Park into one of the capital’s hottest restaurants. It remains hugely popular more than a decade after her departure, and Skye’s influence spread through regular columns in the Independent newspaper and Vogue magazine.
After leaving Petersham, she launched Spring restaurant in Somerset House and joined Heckfield Place hotel in Hampshire as culinary director, where she continued to preach the gospel of slow food using seasonal and local ingredients.
