On Wednesday, the BBC reported, “Renowned Australian chef Bill Granger - the "godfather" of avocado toast - has died.” His family announced the news on his Instagram account, @bill.granger, saying that he passed away peacefully on Christmas Day. Tributes poured in from chefs like Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson, and celebrities such as Hugh Jackman.
Granger was a self-taught cook with a career spanning 30 years. He opened his first restaurant at the age of 23 in the nineties. Named Bills, it was a hearty breakfast place with a menu featuring avocado toast. It gained a large following, and by the late nineties, Bill and his wife Natalie took the business global under the company Granger & Co. They have 19 restaurants across Sydney, London, Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Seoul.
Granger’s formula for creating good breakfasts in spaces that offered communal eating earned him international acclaim. He had mastered the art of making toasts. In an Instagram post from 2019, he had uploaded a photo of an open toast with grilled cheese and kimchi saying it ‘might steal the Avocado toast crown’.
He had appeared in several cooking shows on TV and written 14 book that feature wholesome everyday recipes. It could be a good idea to get the book, Best of Bill (2011), to learn the art of creating simple, honest meals.
He is survived by his wife Natalie, and three daughters Edie, Inès and Bunny. Writer and MasterChef judge Matt Preston shared his condolences on Instagram. He wrote, “Bill was a genuinely lovely bloke and an inspiration. Together he (with Natalie by his side) helped shape the image of modern Australian food around the world.”
In an Instagram post uploaded in 2021, Granger had uploaded a photo of an open sandwich with the caption, "My new favourite breakfast ...paleo toast, panne and crushed tomato ...add a dash of sunshine and I’m very happy!”
