Bill Granger laid the shared table

It is hard to think of a greater compliment than having introduced the world to an unpretentious, more convivial style of brunch. Bill Granger is renowned for perfect scrambled eggs, ricotta hot cakes and pioneering the now ubiquitous avocado on toast. Brunch was almost an accident. A self-taught cook, at the age of 22 Granger took the only restaurant lease he could get, one that allowed him to trade only between 7.30am and 4pm, Monday to Saturday. One of his first dishes was avocado quarters laid on sourdough bread and dressed with just lime juice, olive oil and cilantro leaves. A dish calculated to impress Sydney’s body-conscious beach set, it evolved through a multitude of hands and iterations into avo on toast to conquer the world.

From the original Bill’s restaurant in inner-city Darlinghurst that opened in 1993, Granger’s empire grew to include 19 restaurants across Sydney, London, Greater Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Seoul. He was the author of 14 cookbooks, made five television series and was honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia in January.

Granger’s story of a self-made life rooted in hard work and wholesome food should be an inspiration for everyone, including a generation that might have prioritised his signature dish over saving for a home deposit. His untimely death in London at 54 is a loss felt deeply by his family and peers. Celebrity chefs including Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson paid tribute to his personal grace and contribution to their craft. Millions who never knew Granger personally have enjoyed his culinary contributions in the relaxed and healthy style in which they were intended. Bill’s legacy lives on at the shared table and will be difficult to smash.