Gary Rhodes has died at the age of 59 in Dubai. The popular British chef was a star both in the kitchen and on TV as the presenter of MasterChef for many years, where his spiked hairstyle quickly set him apart from other chefs.
A passionate advocate of British food, Rhodes had numerous restaurants around the world including Rhodes 1 in Dubai’s Grosvenor House hotel.
Rhodes died “with his beloved wife Jennie by his side,” his family said. “The Rhodes family are deeply saddened to announce the passing of beloved husband, father and brother, Gary Rhodes OBE. Gary passed away last evening, Tuesday 26th November 2019, at the age of 59. The family would like to thank everyone for their support and ask for privacy during this time.”
According to Jaideep Bhatia, PR director of the Grosvenor House hotel in Dubai, Rhodes was working “until the day he died.” The cause of Rhodes’ death is not yet known.
Tributes
Fellow British chefs Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay paid tribute to their friend. Ramsay said, “We lost a fantastic chef today in Gary Rhodes. He was a chef who put British cuisine on the map.”
Oliver wrote on Instagram, “Sadly Chef Gary Rhodes OBE passed away. My heart felt sympathies to his wife, kids, friends and family, sending love and thoughts. Gary was a fantastic chef and incredible ambassador for British cooking, he was a massive inspiration to me as a young chef. He reimagined modern British cuisine with elegance and fun. Rest in peace Chef.”
EDGAR spoke to Rhodes at the launch of his Dubai Restaurant Rhodes W1 where he spoke enthusiastically about his home country. “We have fantastic ingredients in Britain and this restaurant is all about celebrating the best of British food,” he said.