Restaurateur was known for the UK chain that bore his name and TV programmes including Two Greedy Italians

Antonio Carluccio, the Italian chef and restaurateur, considered by many to be the godfather of Italian gastronomy in the UK, died on Wednesday aged 80.



A statement from Carluccio’s agent on Wednesday afternoon said: “It is with great sadness that we announce that Commendatore Antonio Carluccio OBE sadly passed away this morning.”

Antonio Carluccio (@CookCarluccio) It is with great sadness that we announce that Commendatore Antonio Carluccio OBE sadly passed away this morning. https://t.co/LWJtijvtf6 pic.twitter.com/WJsqSks7ud

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Carluccio, a colourful and well-loved character familiar to British food lovers for his dozens of cookery books and appearances on television, had an extensive career, having catered for the likes of Prince Charles and Mick Jagger.

He wrote 22 books and starred in TV programmes including Antonio Carluccio’s Italian Feast and the BBC2 series Two Greedy Italians, alongside the chef Gennaro Contaldo, in which the pair would bicker and tease each other while reminiscing.



Carluccio was one of six children and was brought up in Italy’s north-west region. He briefly worked as a journalist in Turin before moving to Vienna and then Germany, and eventually to London to work as a wine merchant, before devoting himself to restaurants.

He opened his first restaurant in the UK in 1981 – the Neal Street restaurant in London’s Covent Garden – when he was named the runner-up Sunday Times Cook of the Year. The restaurant was patronised by the Prince of Wales and Sir Elton John and launched the career of Jamie Oliver before it closed in 2007.

Oliver paid tribute to the chef and said it was “with great sadness” that he’d heard of his death. In a post on Instagram Oliver wrote: “He was my first London Boss at the Neal Street restaurant 25 years ago which was an institution and Mecca of wild mushrooms where I had the pleasure of working for him.



“He was such a charismatic charming don of all things Italian! Always hanging out the front door of the restaurant with a big fat cigar a glass of something splendid and his amazing fuzzy white hair.”



Oliver credited Carluccio with getting him “hooked” on pasta, and said that his “love goes out to his partner Sabina his family and his dear and close friends on this very sad day”.

Angela Hartnett said that although she had never worked with him professionally, she remembered him fondly as a “bon viveur”.



James Martin described him as “one of the true greats of TV chefs”.



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“His passion and commitment to both the restaurant business and to television was lifelong. He was a giant in the food world and he helped bring Italian food to the masses around the world,” he said in a statement. “My thoughts go out to his family. Sadly missed.”

Carluccio opened a delicatessen next door to his Neal Street restaurant in 1991, but it wasn’t until 1998 that he started the first Carluccio’s Caffè, now a common staple of many high streets, offering a range of Italian dishes and wines.

The Carluccio’s chain has continued to expand across the UK and today operates from more than 80 locations. Carluccio sold his interest in the restaurant chain in 2005 but maintained involvement from a distance.



“When I came here in 1975 I found the situation a little bleak,” Carluccio told the Guardian in 2009. “There were some stereotypical trattorias, delivering stereotypical Italian food, and in many cases what I call Britalian food: chicken surprise was a favourite one where you’d open the chicken breast and a splash of butter would come out, or avocado with aurora sauce, which was mayonnaise and ketchup, very depressing. Since then, many things have changed.”

British people, he added, “eat an awful lot of wrong pasta. An example would be spaghetti bolognese, which doesn’t exist in Italy. You wouldn’t have bolognese, or a meat sauce, with spaghetti, it would be with tagliatelle.”

He was appointed commendatore by the Italian government in 1998 – the equivalent of a British knighthood. He received an OBE from the Queen in 2007 for services to the catering industry, and in 2012 he received the AA Hospitality Lifetime Achievement award, given to people who have made significant contributions to their industry.

The chef battled with depression throughout his life, and in 2008 checked himself into the Priory, the west London psychiatric hospital, after an attempt to end his life. In later interviews, he spoke about his depression after the closure of his Neal Street flagship restaurant and the breakup of his 28-year marriage to Priscilla, the sister of the designer Sir Terence Conran. He had been married three times.

He said his motto was “mof mof” – minimum of fuss, maximum of flavour. “I’ve received a lot of letters from old men recently, widowers, wanting to know if they can improve the quality of their life through cooking,” Carluccio said a few years ago. “And they can! No matter the budget! Even, say, baked beans, fried in a little oil, with some salt, garlic and chilli, can transform an ordinary meal into something special and can provide you with a sense of purpose, achievement. Hey, I should know.”



A statement from the Carluccio’s restaurant chain said: “We are incredibly saddened by the news that Antonio Carluccio, our founder, passed away on Wednesday. Antonio built Carluccio’s from one restaurant to the fantastic brand it is today. It isn’t just Antonio’s name above our doors, but his heart and soul lives and breathes throughout our restaurants.

“Antonio was an OBE, OMRI and a much-loved and respected Italian cookery writer, cook, restaurateur, food expert and TV personality. He was regarded as the godfather of Italian cooking. Antonio has been a huge inspiration to many of us and his energy, zest for life and sense of humour will be greatly missed.”

Other admirers posted tributes on social media.

THE MEAT MAN (@barrypvera) Sad news of Antonio Carluccio. One of the chef legends. RIP @CookCarluccio pic.twitter.com/7gEmYP1GS1