Bill Granger's close circle of friends before he achieved worldwide fame as the “godfather of avocado toast” included aspiring bikini model Annalize Braakensiek.
The pair spent weekends partying together during their college days and remained close as they each built successful careers, but now they're both gone.
Granger succumbed to cancer in London on Christmas Day at the age of 54, almost five years after Braakensiek was found dead in her Sydney home at the age of 46.
Both suffered from depression, but Granger believed it was caused by heavy cannabis use, as he revealed in a magazine interview ten years after opening his first restaurant.
Chef Bill Granger and bikini model Annalize Braakensiek met in college and became close. Granger, who died on Christmas Day, and Braakensiek, who was found dead in 2019, pictured after a weekend of partying
Granger had briefly studied architecture in Melbourne before moving north to study at the City Art Institute, now known as UNSW Art & Design.
There he met Braakensiek, a fellow student and emerging model.
They quickly hit it off and Granger accompanied Braakensiek on her first modeling trip to Japan when the blonde beauty was just 20.
“During a summer holiday he came with me to Tokyo,” Braakensiek told Sunday Life in 2002.
“He was inspired by the Japanese lifestyle and had his first idea for communal dining.”
Granger dropped out of college at the age of 22 and started waiting tables at La Passion Du Fruit in inner-city Surry Hills – then a favorite of stars like Nicole Kidman.
After working in the kitchen and running the restaurant three nights a week, Granger opened his first cafe in nearby Darlinghurst in 1993.
Known simply as 'Bills', the café would become known for its communal table, Granger's signature scrambled eggs and avocado on toast.
Granger and Braakensiek had both suffered from depression, but the self-taught chef had only been temporary. The model is pictured left with Granger and his wife Natalie Elliot in 2004
A second account followed three years later in Surry Hills before Granger checked himself into a clinic after losing control of his 'chaotic life'.
“I smoked a lot of weed to calm down and ended up getting depressed,” he told Sunday Life.
“People say there's nothing wrong with it, but it's true; it's depressive.'
Granger revealed that his mother Patricia had been hospitalized for depression and alcoholism at the age of 13 and that he feared he would develop similar problems.
It was Patricia and Granger's father, Bill, who took over the two cafes for a few months while their son recovered.
'It was really just a timeout,” Granger told Sunday Life.
'At first I was worried because there is a history of depressive illness in my family, but when I saw other people in the hospital I realized I wasn't that bad.
“Plus, it was wonderful to sleep in and not have to get up for breakfast.”
Braakensiek graced the covers of FHM, Maxim and GQ, scored roles on Heartbreak High, Home and Away and Fat Pizza and subsequently became a jewelry and lingerie designer
While Granger achieved international fame as the 'King of Breakfast' with cafes in London, Seoul and Tokyo, Braakensiek followed her own path to fame in her own country.
She graced the covers of FHM, Maxim and GQ, scored roles in Heartbreak High, Home and Away and Fat Pizza and subsequently became a jewelry and lingerie designer.
But as Granger continued to expand his business and raise three daughters with his wife Natalie Elliot, his old friend's life seemed to unfold.
Braakensiek, ambassador for RUOK for many years? Day was married to stockbroker Danny Goldberg in 2002, but they split in 2018 without ever having children.
Family and friends had not heard from her for several days when Braakensiek was found dead in her Potts Point apartment on January 6, 2019.
Police said there were no suspicious circumstances and loved ones who said she was excited about the future disputed the theory that she had committed suicide.
Granger revealed that his mother Patricia had been hospitalized for depression and alcoholism at the age of 13 and that he feared he would develop the same problems
The month before her death, Braakensiek wrote on Instagram: 'Hanging there by the hair on my chinny chin chin…'
Another university friend of Granger and Braakensiek, Imogen Kelly, took to social media on Wednesday to mourn the latest loss of their old group.
Kelly, who describes herself as 'Australia's first lady of striptease' and the country's 'queen of burlesque', is an award-winning writer and producer who has performed at the Sydney Opera House.
'Nooooooooo! Dear Billy! My friend, dear person.' Kelly wrote on Facebook.
'First Annalize and now you. I'm devastated.
“Bill Granger was a wonderful person. I have such fond memories of our years in college, when Annalize was an aspiring bikini model, I was an aspiring stripper, and Bill was a kitchen worker at La Passion Du Fruit with dreams of becoming a chef.
'We all dreamed of success and a better life. We all worked so hard.
'Then we all became famous, each in our own fields… it was incredible to see my friends rise.
“I was always so proud of Bill's achievements and am saddened to read of his passing.”
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