Industry Mourns the Loss of 'World's Best' Chef

By Steve Wynne-Jones
Industry Mourns the Loss of 'World's Best' Chef

A number of high-profile chefs have paid tribute to French-Swiss chef Benoît Violier, who died by apparent suicide at the age of 44.

Violier ran the three-Michelin starred Restaurant de l‘Hotel de Ville in Crissier, Switzerland which was named the best in the world in December by La Liste. He was also named chef of the year by the influential Gault et Millau guide in 2013.

The world-renowned chef was found dead in his home by Swiss police on Sunday, one day before he was due to attend the unveiling of the new Michelin guide in Paris.

Various other world-renowned chefs expressed their sadnessover the news via Twitter, including three Michelin-starred Marc Veyrat who said he was "destroyed" to hear it. Paul Bocuse, another three Michelin-starred chef of his eponymous restaurant described Violier as a "great chef, great man, an immense talent".

The French-born chef took over the Restaurant de l‘Hotel de Ville with his wife Brigitte in 2012.

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