When Skye Gyngell stepped out of the kitchen at Petersham Nurseries Café in 2012, she didn’t just leave a job—she walked away from the very thing that defined her career: a Michelin star. On Saturday, 22 November 2025, the trailblazing Australian chef died in London at age 62 after a quiet, fierce battle with Merkel-cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive skin cancer. Her passing, confirmed by 7NEWS Australia on 24 November, sent ripples through the global culinary world—not just because of her groundbreaking achievement, but because of how unapologetically she rejected the system that crowned her.
A Star That Became a Curse
Gyngell’s Michelin star, awarded in the 2011 Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland, wasn’t just a trophy—it was a lightning rod. She earned it at Petersham Nurseries Café, a humble, garden-set restaurant tucked into the grounds of Petersham House in Richmond upon Thames. The space? A converted greenhouse. The kitchen? She called it “cooking out of a garage.” Yet, against all odds, the food—seasonal, tender, deeply British with Australian soul—won over the most discerning inspectors.But the star came with strings. “If I ever have another restaurant I pray we don’t get a star,” she told The Guardian in 2013. It wasn’t bitterness—it was clarity. Customers expected white tablecloths, formal service, precision. What they got was rustic platters, handwritten menus, and chefs who picked herbs from the garden between orders. “The expectations were impossible,” she said. “You can’t serve a three-hour tasting menu when your staff is also watering the dahlias.”
From Sydney to the World
Born on 6 September 1963 in Sydney, Gyngell was the daughter of Bruce Gyngell, the first face on Australian television. That legacy of visibility shaped her, but not in the way you’d expect. She didn’t crave the spotlight—she craved authenticity.She trained in France before moving to Britain in the 1990s, eventually landing at Vogue as food editor. But her heart was in the kitchen. When Petersham Nurseries Café opened in 2004, she convinced its owners to let her build something wild: a restaurant that felt like a Sunday lunch at a friend’s country home. The star came in 2011. She left in 2012.
Her departure stunned the industry. No other chef had voluntarily walked away from a Michelin star. But Gyngell wasn’t interested in trophies. She was interested in truth. “I wanted to cook for people, not for guides,” she once said.
A Legacy Beyond the Star
Even after leaving, she remained influential. She launched a pop-up with Cloudy Bay in 2011, pairing her seasonal dishes with New Zealand whites in a way that redefined British wine pairing. She wrote cookbooks that felt like letters from a friend—no pretense, just good food. Her recipes emphasized vegetables, herbs, and simple techniques that anyone could replicate at home.“She made fine dining feel like family dinner,” said Jamie Oliver in a statement after her death. “An amazing woman, incredible cook, and kind-hearted person.” British baker Ravneet Gill echoed it: “She never made you feel small. Even when you were just starting out.”
She had two children, though their names remain private. She never married publicly. She lived quietly in London, gardening, reading, cooking for friends. She didn’t seek interviews. She didn’t do Instagram. But when she spoke, people listened.
The Cancer She Fought in Silence
Merkel-cell carcinoma is terrifyingly rare—less than 1% of skin cancers—but deadly. The American Cancer Society notes a 5-year survival rate of just 64% for those with advanced cases. Gyngell was diagnosed years ago but never spoke publicly about it. Not out of shame, but because she refused to let illness define her.Her final years were spent writing, teaching small cooking classes, and tending to her garden. Friends say she’d still cook Sunday roasts for neighbors, insisting on using the last of the season’s tomatoes, even if they were a little bruised. “Food isn’t about perfection,” she once told a student. “It’s about presence.”
The Petersham Nurseries Café still operates in Richmond, but without its star. The current team says they still follow her ethos: “No rush. No fuss. Just what’s in season.”
What’s Next?
As of 24 November, no memorial service has been announced. 7NEWS Australia says updates will come via their website and social channels. But in culinary circles, tributes are already blooming—on plates, in kitchens, in quiet moments when someone picks a sprig of thyme and thinks, “She’d have loved this.”Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Skye Gyngell reject her Michelin star?
Gyngell didn’t reject the star itself—she rejected the rigid expectations it imposed. The Petersham Nurseries Café was a rustic, garden-based kitchen she called “cooking out of a garage,” ill-equipped for the formality Michelin demanded. She felt the pressure distorted her cooking philosophy and alienated guests who came for warmth, not ceremony.
What made Skye Gyngell’s cooking unique?
Her style blended Australian sensibility—fresh, unfussy, vegetable-forward—with British seasonal traditions. She championed hyper-local ingredients, often foraging from the café’s own grounds. Her dishes tasted like memory: a perfect roast beetroot, a bowl of lentils with herbs picked that morning. No foams, no deconstructions—just deeply felt, honest food.
How rare is Merkel-cell carcinoma?
Merkel-cell carcinoma affects fewer than 3,000 people annually in the U.S. and is considered 10 times more deadly than melanoma, with a 5-year survival rate of just 64% in advanced stages. It’s aggressive, often spreads quickly, and is linked to UV exposure and immune suppression. Gyngell’s case highlights how even public figures can battle invisible illnesses without fanfare.
Is Petersham Nurseries Café still open?
Yes. The restaurant continues operating at its original location in Richmond, London, under new leadership. While it no longer holds a Michelin star, it still follows Gyngell’s guiding principles: seasonal menus, garden-to-table sourcing, and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Many staff members still refer to her as their culinary north star.
What was Skye Gyngell’s relationship with Vogue magazine?
As food editor for Vogue, Gyngell brought culinary storytelling to fashion’s elite audience. She didn’t just write recipes—she framed food as culture, identity, and resistance. Her pieces often explored how class, gender, and place shaped eating habits, making her one of the first chefs to bridge haute cuisine with social commentary in a mainstream magazine.
Will there be a tribute or memorial for Skye Gyngell?
No official event has been announced as of 24 November 2025. However, chefs across London and Australia are planning informal gatherings—potlucks, garden dinners, and silent cook-offs—in her honor. The Petersham Nurseries Café may host a quiet reading of her recipes on the anniversary of her death. For many, the tribute is already happening: in kitchens, on dinner tables, in the quiet joy of eating well.
