London loses restaurant icon

Rose Gray, co-founder of the iconic River Café restaurant in west London, has died aged 71 after losing her battle with cancer.

Known as a pioneer of simple cooking, Gray and business partner Ruth Rogers opened the River Café in Hammersmith in 1987, striving to create authentic, simplistic Italian cooking with an all-Italian wine list.

River Café soon became “the most talked about restaurant in London” according to TV chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who trained there is 1989, and in 1998 the restaurant earned itself a Michelin star.

Jamie Oliver paid tribute to her as “one of the most important chefs of our times, who has revolutionised the British culinary scene”.

Other renowned chefs who have trained at River Café under Gray’s management include Sam Clarke, Theo Randall, and Ed Baines.

Gray has also written six highly successful cookbooks along with Rogers, as well as presenting The Italian Kitchen, a 12-part series on Channel 4.

After first being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, Gray went into remission after surgery and a bout of chemotherapy.

However the cancer returned last year, and after her health deteriorated rapidly, she died at her home in Marylebone at the weekend.

Natalie Verduystert, 02.03.2010