Famous Australian chef Peter Russell-Clarke dies

Celebrity chef and artist Peter Russell-Clarke has died in Melbourne after suffering complications from a stroke.

Celebrity chef Peter Russell-Clarke has died peacefully in Melbourne, aged 89.

Mr Russell-Clarke was a cook, artist, writer and television icon, and had suffered complications following a stroke.

He passed away on Friday, with his wife Jan and two children by his side.

“Adieu, Peter Russell-Clarke – the loveable larrikin artist and gentleman,” friend Beverley Pinder said in a statement. “We know him best as one of Australia’s first TV cooks. But Peter Russell-Clarke was a phenomenon – years ahead of his time.”

Mr Russell-Clarke, Australian chef, author and illustrator, pictured in 1990. Picture: Impressions/Getty

He was an artist as well. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“His wife Jan was his backbone. A loveable, larrikin artist and gentleman of the art of relaxed cooking.”

Peter Russell-Clarke enjoyed painting from his sprawling property on the outskirts of Melbourne. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Mr Russell-Clarke was best known for his television cooking shows. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Born in 1935 in Ballarat, Mr Russell-Clarke was best known for his television cooking shows, and hosted a five-minute television show called Come and Get It. The show aired on the ABC for nine years during the 1980s, with 900 performances.

The show aired just before The Goodies or Inspector Gadget.

The chef commonly used phrases such as “g’day”, “rippers” and “you beauts” and of course, “Where’s the cheese?”.

So, where is the cheese? Picture: Alex Coppel.

He was also a political cartoonist for The Melbourne Herald, and appeared in the 1983 film At Last … Bullamakanka: the Motion Picture alongside Derryn Hinch.

Mr Russell-Clarke also ran a pop-up restaurant in Carlton, penned almost 40 recipe books and was a presenter for the Australian Dairy Corporation.

He was also named a food ambassador for the UN.

When he reached his 80s, he preferred to paint from his sprawling property on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Friend Derryn Hinch described Mr Russell-Clarke as “talented and a bit of a rogue”.

“He was our first TV cook, he was the egg man,’’ Hinch told the Herald Sun.

“He taught me to put ground pepper on fresh strawberries, he wasn’t adverse to trying new things. He once cooked steak for Prince Charles — he was very talented.”

Originally published as Famous Australian chef Peter Russell-Clarke dies