Beloved chef Bill Granger, who passed away peacefully from cancer at the age of 54, was credited with “perfecting” scrambled eggs and inventing the now iconic avocado toast, while he is fondly remembered as the “King of Breakfast” Australia.
Granger's family confirmed in a statement that the father-of-three had died at his home in London on Christmas Day, surrounded by loved ones.
The Australian – who received the Medal of the Order of Australia in January – was praised for inventing the humble avocado on toast, which has since become a breakfast staple in Australia and around the world.
The Washington Post traced the “first recorded sighting” of avocado toast to the accounts of the chef's original Darlinghurst cafe.
Granger was forced to put the now-famous breakfast snack on the menu out of necessity in 1993, after his trading hours were limited to 7am to 4pm, meaning he had to open for breakfast to pay the rent.
The chef previously admitted he thought it was “stupid” to include the first credited recipe for avocado on toast in a cookbook.
Bill Granger, the 'King of Breakfast', has passed away peacefully at his home in London at the age of 54
Granger was celebrated for his relaxed approach to simple and delicious breakfast foods
Granger (left) is pictured in 1993, a year after he opened his first café 'bills' in Darlinghurst
'We had been selling it in the restaurant for years and I remember thinking it was so stupid to put a recipe for avocado on toast in a book, so I brightened it up a bit and put a little lime and coriander on it ', he says. said.
Described by the New York Times as 'Sydney's egg master', Granger is credited with making scrambled eggs 'sexy'.
His cafe in Darlinghurst is known for its 'perfected' scrambled eggs which were described by one food critic as 'light as an angel's breath'.
Granger's secret to the best scrambled eggs is to use free-range eggs and plenty of cream – which you can replace with skimmed milk to make them fluffy.
“Eggs are ubiquitous, a basic ingredient,” he told Sunday Life Magazine in 2002.
“I'm glad I raised their profile.”
“He will be deeply missed by all, with his loss felt most deeply by his adored family, who are grateful for all the love and support given,” they said.
The celebrity chef is survived by his wife, documentary producer Natalie Elliott, and their three daughters, Edie, Inès and Bunny.
Born in Melbourne, Granger was a self-taught chef who became a celebrated global restaurateur and food writer with a career spanning more than 30 years.
The chef opened his first restaurant, Bills, in Darlinghurst on the outskirts of Sydney in 1992 as a 21-year-old art school dropout.
Granger will be remembered for his unpretentious food and encouraging the growth of informal and communal dining in Australia after being inspired by the Japanese.
'It's part of the Australian attitude to life. People are interested in health: they want to get up early, go surfing and eat healthy, and because the climate is so mild, you get a craving for fresh food,” says the chef.
Granger (pictured at a book signing) is described as 'Sydney's egg master'
The Washington Post traced the first 'recorded sighting' of avocado on toast to Granger's first café in Darlinghurst (bills are pictured)
In an interview with food blogger Lorraine Elliott, Granger revealed that his father was a butcher, while his mother was a vegetarian.
His focus on family and sitting together over a meal was fueled by many nights of eating alone without his father, who worked late.
'Dinner is such an important time to sit and relax and talk about your day. Especially when everyone has such different days in terms of school and work, those moments of shared experiences are wonderful,” he said.
Granger also revealed that his first job was at Kmart Fountain Gate, where iconic Australian comedy Kath and Kim was filmed.
He quit studying architecture at RMIT in Melbourne and moved to Sydney, where he says he was immediately 'seduced' by the beautiful city.
Granger then made the life-changing decision to switch from art to food.
“When I was in my second year of college, I needed some money to pay my way and there was a restaurant across the street and I applied for a job as a waiter,” he said.
“So I became friends with the owner and I cooked for her and she really liked the way I cooked, so she invited me to cook in the kitchen and it started from there.”
The self-taught chef said he learned to cook from Women's Weekly cookbooks and recipe cards kept in a box next to the stove in his family home.
“Then Margaret Fulton, but as I got older I got into more advanced books like Elizabeth David. When I was 19, I used to read them all the time and became a good home cook, which is what I am today. Just a good home cook,” he said.
Granger's relaxed approach to breakfast food has been praised by acclaimed chefs such as Jaime Oliver and by celebrities such as Cate Blanchett and Baz Luhrmann (he is pictured in 2015)
Granger said that despite his fame on TV and with his cookbooks, he preferred to make his customers happy at his restaurants.
“There's nothing I enjoy more than seeing people really happy with food, getting really excited and having a nice cup of coffee,” he said.
'Food is a great way to communicate with people.'
The restaurateur also shared what he would like his last meal to be.
'A perfect steak, as a butcher's son I cannot ignore it: a beautiful rib eye or any other delicious steak; some fries; a perfectly dressed green salad with lettuce from my garden; strawberries and cream and some small chocolate truffles and a nice glass of champagne. Plain and simple,” he said.
As the Bills approached their 20th anniversary, Granger said he hoped he had another 20 years of scrambled eggs and ricotta hotcakes ahead of him.
'That joy factor of food is often overlooked, even in reviews. Food should be about joy, they are the flowers of life,” he said.
His relaxed approach to breakfast dishes has been praised by acclaimed chefs like Jaime Oliver and celebrities like Cate Blanchett and Baz Luhrmann.
Granger has written fourteen cookbooks, created five TV series and was recently honored with the Medal of the Order of Australia in January 2023.
Tributes flowed for Granger on Wednesday from fellow celebrity chefs including Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, as well as Australian actor Hugh Jackman.
Granger was a self-taught chef who became a celebrated global restaurateur (photo, accounts)
'I am devastated to hear this. So cruel. Deepest love for N, E, I and B,” Nigella wrote.
Oliver, 47, wrote that he was “devastated” by the news of Granger's death and described the chef as an “amazing human being” whose food was “so good.”
“This is devastating news, I am so sad to hear this, what a man he was…. a wonderful human, kind, calm soul,” Jamie wrote.
“I admired everything he represented in food. I remember the first time I met him many moons ago, he couldn't have been nicer and his food was so good.
“Sending so much love to his entire family. Rest in peace, Bill, he will be greatly missed.”
“We are devastated to hear the news of Bill's passing,” Jackman wrote.
'His talent, his zest for life, the way he brought people together and his commitment to his family were inspiring. We will miss his friendship most of all.'
Sydney chef and Netflix star Mark Best also shared a touching tribute to Granger and his family, describing him as a “beautiful man who leaves behind a beautiful family.”
Swazi-English actor Richard E Grant was left speechless and chose to share a series of heartbroken emojis in response to the shock announcement.
Granger has four cafes in Sydney in Bondi Beach, Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Double Bay and 19 worldwide in locations including London, Hawaii and Korea.
Avocado on toast has remained a staple within his café empire ever since and has become the breakfast that defines a generation.
