Respected chef Jeremy Strode has died at the age of 53. Merivale, who Strode worked for as executive chef of Bistrode CBD, confirmed the news on Monday 17 July. He is believed to have taken his own life.
The hospitality community is grieving the loss, with many paying tribute to the chef’s chef who spent much of his career mentoring young chefs.
“Jeremy was such a kind and quietly thoughtful man. He was a friend and mentor to many at Merivale, always so generous in sharing his exceptional talent. We are very lucky to have been part of Jeremy’s life for many years and we are all going to feel his loss enormously. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are of course with Jane, his wife and partner, and their boys,” said Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes.
“Jeremy was my friend. I wish I had the words to express the loss.”
Strode came to Australia from London in 1992 after working his way through some of the UK’s most reputable kitchens, including the Waterside Inn with Michel Roux. Strode spent several years in Melbourne, making a mark at restaurants like the George Hotel and the Adelphi, before opening his own venture Pomme.
After moving to Sydney in 2002, Strode opened Bistrode CBD under the Merivale empire along with his wife, chef Jane Strode, in 2010.
In 2015 Strode organised a charity dinner for not-for-profit R U OK, which is focused on suicide prevention.
Strode is survived by his wife Jane, their two children and a son from his previous marriage. The family has asked for privacy and, in lieu of flowers, have requested that donations be made to R U OK.
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Image: goodfood.com.au