The hospitality industry has shared moving tributes and poignant stories of being inspired by Nico Ladenis following the announcement of his death.

 

Ladenis, who passed away yesterday at the age of 89, has been described as “the epitome of a true restaurateur and great chef” for his dedication to his craft and unwavering focus on consistency and precision.

 

He was a self taught chef who won three Michelin stars and a rare 10 out of 10 in the Good Food Guide for his restaurant Nico at Ninety in London in the mid 1990s, inspiring a generation of British chefs in the process.

 

His daughter, Natasha Robinson, said he had elevated his profession.

 

She added: “He gave chefs a voice and made them restaurateurs and business men, not just cooks. His statement 'the customer is not always right' and his run-ins with critics, was intended to show that we are professionals with standing and standards.”

 

Robinson said that Ladenis was always immensely proud of the chefs he worked with who went on to have their own success.

 

“He gave these very young, mainly British boys, a strong ethic of hard work, attention to detail, a sense that anything was possible if you committed to it and showed them the strength of teamwork,” she said.

 

“Over the years they continued to ring him for advice or to visit. Because he had stepped back so long ago, he was always surprised when his name came up or he was quoted anywhere. He found mentions of himself on Twitter amusing and often wondered how he would have dealt with social media if it had been around in his day!”

 

Tributes to a 'great mentor'

 

 

Chef Brian Turner said that Ladenis was a man who “never [compromised] his principles and beliefs”.

 

He added: “A passionate cook who passed on his talent for cooking to so many. I was privileged to know him and occasionally cross swords. He will always be remembered for the major influence he made on British gastronomy.”

 

Chef Ken Hom told The Caterer: “I salute one of the great chefs on the British culinary landscape chef Nico Ladenis. He is one of the pioneers who put British food on the world food map. He will be missed.”

 

Alan Bird, who worked with Ladenis for three years said he was “a great man as well as a mentor”.

 

He described the talent that was developed in the Simply Nico kitchen, including Phillip Britten, who won a Michelin-star while at the Capital hotel in London’s Knightsbridge, and Tim Johnson, who went on to win a star at Apicius in Cranbrook, Kent.

 

“When Tony Tobin’s plans didn’t work out in Manchester, Nico got him back to open Very Simply Nico, and Tony asked me to be his sous chef,” Bird recalled.

 

“I eventually went on to become head chef of Very Simply Nico along with Andrew Jeffs. Some of the best years in my career working with the best chefs.

 

“Nico was a great man as well as mentor and helped me on a personal level as much as he did as a chef. I will always be grateful for all of his help and guidance.”

 

Jeremy Ford, now executive chef at CH&Co, worked with Ladenis at Ninety Park Lane for three years between 1994 and 97.

 

“My lasting memory of Nico was of my interview with him,” he explained. “I was working for Brian Turner at the time in South Kensington and decided to apply to Chez Nico. I called the kitchen and asked for an interview, which i was duly invited in for.

 

“On the day of the interview I wore a new suit and tie and decided to walk the 20 minutes or so between Turners and Ninety Park Lane. Half way on the walk the heavens opened and I got absolutely soaked through. I was so sodden I considered turning back, but though i may as well go through with it.

 

“I sat nervous and steaming in the reception area, Nico walked in and looked me up and down, then after a pause he said ‘what did you do, swim here?’”

 

Like many chefs, Ford says the experience was “a pivotal point in my career”.

 

He added: “I was part of the team who earned the third star. Nico came into the kitchen that day and congratulated everyone. He said this isn’t my award, it belonged to everyone in this kitchen.

 

“I remember thinking wow, here is a chef restauranteur at the top of his game. He has just become one of only four three-Michelin-starred chefs in the UK and he is handing credibility over to the team. That taught me a lot. What a guy!”

 

Chef Paul Gayler described Ladenis as "the epitome of a true restaurateur and great chef".

 

He added: "He set the standard all us younger chefs tried to achieve. I was lucky to have him as a friend, he regularly visited me to eat both at Inigo Jones in the 80’s and at the Lanesborough for lunch during the 90’s.

 

"It was always a great honour to cook for him and Dinah-Jane. It felt like being in the presence of royalty. The industry has a lot to thank Nico for. May he rest in peace with the knowledge of a great job well done."

 

Steve Drake, who worked under Ladenis as a commis chef, said: "I’m so saddened to hear this news. Nico to me was an inspiration and one of if not the greatest chef of his generation.

 

"He was a pioneer and few understood where he was going back in the 70s and 80s. For me he was a man of achievement, never settling for second best and pushed himself daily to be the very best he could be and encouraged everyone around him to do the same. I feel privileged to have worked for him and Dinah-Jane."

 

Memories of 'legendary' fish soup

 

 

Royal Academy of Culinary Arts chairman and Ritz executive chef John Williams said: “Nico Ladenis will go down in the history of British gastronomy as one of our very best chefs and a true gentleman. He was an honorary member of the academy and never failed to stimulate conversation and debate. Our thoughts are with his family at this time.”

 

Tony Goodger, who trained as a chef and now works for the Association of Independent Meat Suppliers, recalled turning up at the kitchen door at Ladenis’s Rochester Row restaurant in the early 1980s for help with a project on on wine and fine dining he was undertaking while at Westminster Kingsway College.

 

He said: “The man himself answered. I explained who I was and why I’d called and he invited me in.

 

“He took me through to the restaurant, sat me down and then asked his sommelier to join us. Between them they gave me their views on menu construction and pairing wines, the art of selling wine and of recommending dishes to go with the wine and some “do’s and don’ts”.

 

“Nico then asked me if I’d like to try some of his legendary fish soup. I of course didn’t need to be asked twice and so a serving was brought to me with fresh from the oven bread and a dish of wonderful aioli.

 

“My piece of work received a distinction and my culinary palate a memory that is still strong today.”

 

Writing on X (previously known as Twitter) the Michelin Guide said: “Our thoughts go out to the family of Nico Ladenis. A legendary self-taught chef, he helped establish London's culinary scene with his dedication to restraint and precision. Chez Nico at 90 Park Lane was awarded three Stars – one of many achievements he will be fondly remembered for.”