Publishers pay tribute to 'joyful' Granger following 54-year-old's death

Publishers HarperCollins and Murdoch Books have paid tribute to Australian chef and author Bill Granger who has died aged 54.

Granger died on Monday (25th December), his family said. A post on Instagram described how the “dedicated husband and father […] died peacefully in hospital with his wife Natalie Elliott and three daughters, Edie, Inès and Bunny, at his bedside in their adopted home of London”.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Granger was a self-taught cook who became a global restaurateur and food writer with a career spanning over 30 years. He published 14 books, including titles published by HarperCollins and Quadrille. He also made five cookery series that are viewed in over 30 countries.

In 1999, he and his wife Natalie began a professional partnership that launched the business globally. They built a business spanning 19 restaurants across cities such as Sydney, London, Greater Tokyo as well as the offshoot chain Granger & Co. Known as the ‘King of Breakfast’, he helped pioneer the popularity of avocado and toast.

A HarperCollins spokesperson said: “HarperCollins was proud to publish two books with Bill – Bill Granger Easy and Bill’s Italian Food – which captured his relaxed and joyful approach to food, which worked as well on the page as it did in his restaurants. We are terribly sorry to hear of Bill’s death, far too young, and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."

Jane Morrow, publishing director at Murdoch Books, said: “Murdoch Books was so proud to publish many of Bill’s seminal cookbooks, the most recent of which was warmly embraced by readers and home cooks even as the world was in lockdown and his businesses were shut. A kind and generous man, Bill will be greatly missed."

He was published by HarperCollins in 2012 and 2014. His most recent cookbook Australian Food was published with Murdoch Books in 2020. Granger was previously published by Quadrille for Bill’s Everyday Asian and Feed Me Now!

Sarah Lavelle, managing director at Hardie Grant, which owns Quadrille, said: "So very sad and sorry to lose the wonderful, talented Bill Granger – his books and approach to food have inspired so many people, not only home cooks but in the worlds of recipe writing and cookbook publishing. He will be very much missed.”

He is survived by his wife and business partner, Natalie Elliott, and his three daughters, Edie, Inès and Bunny.