Chef Jeremy Strode dies

English-born chef Jeremy Strode, who forged a successful career as a restaurateur in Australia, has died aged 54.

 

Strode was executive chef of Bistrode CBD in Sydney and died on Monday last week, according to www.goodfood.com.

 

An apprentice with Trust House Forte, he worked under Bernard Gaune, the chef at London's Hyatt Carlton Tower (now the Jumeirah Carlton Tower), before moving on at the age of 24 to work for Michel Roux at the Waterside Inn in Bray.

 

Success at the Waterside Inn led to Strode being offered a job as sous chef of Albert Roux's Le Gavroche in London.

 

Following a sting working for Roger Verge at Le Moulin de Mougins in the south of France, Strode worked with Pierre Koffmann on setting up the newly renovated Belvedere in Holland Park in London but the venue went into receivership despite positive reviews and Strode took the decision to move to Melbourne in Australia.

 

It was there that he helped Donlevy Fitzpatrick to create the George Cafe in St Kilda (later the Adelphi), before running restaurants Pomme and Langton's.

 

He took charge of MG Garage in Sydney in 2002 and opened Bistrode soon after. Bistrode won a chef's hat, awarded by the Australian Good Food & Travel Guide, for the first time in 2007 and repeated the feat every year since.

 

After seven years, Stride moved Bistrode from Surry Hills into Sydney's CBD area and opened Bistrode CBD with the Merivale hospitality group, along with a second venture called the Fish Shop.

 

Commenting on Strode's death, Michel Roux said: "I was fortunate to count Jeremy amongst my team at The Waterside Inn for a year in the late '80s. He was a little star at a young age, always striving to improve his skills and working extremely hard. In addition, Jeremy was a great team player with a delightful temperament. This is tragic news for all of us especially Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, where he enjoyed a good following and trained so many chefs."

 

The Sydney Morning Herald‘s chief restaurant critic Terry Durack said: "Jeremy leaves an enormous hole in the dining cultures of both Melbourne and Sydney.

 

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