Skye Gyngell, the pioneering chef who championed local and seasonal ingredients and earned a Michelin star for her garden restaurant Petersham Nurseries Cafe, has died at the age of 62. She passed away on 22 November in London, surrounded by her family, following a battle with Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer.
Gyngell was born in Sydney on 6 September 1963, the daughter of broadcaster Bruce Gyngell and interior designer Ann Barr. After studying law, she trained at the École de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris and worked at the two-Michelin-starred Dodin-Bouffant. She later moved to London, working at the Dorchester under Anton Mosimann and at the French House under Fergus and Margot Henderson.
A proponent of the slow food movement, Gyngell transitioned to teaching and private catering for clients including Nigella Lawson and Madonna before becoming food editor of Vogue. In 2004, she opened Petersham Nurseries Cafe in Richmond, which won a Michelin star. She also opened Spring at Somerset House and ran Marle and Hearth at Heckfield Place, with Marle earning a green Michelin star in 2022.
Tributes poured in from the culinary world. Jamie Oliver called her an 'amazing woman and incredible cook', while Nigella Lawson said she was 'heartbroken'. Jeremy Lee praised her 'extraordinary life and career', and Cyrus Todiwala described her as a 'great culinary leader'. Gyngell is survived by her daughters, Holly and Evie.
