Max Dowzer-Strode still questions himself every day, two years after his father's death.

Was there a tell-tale sign he should have noticed? Was there a question he ought to have asked? Was there anything at all he could have done?

Jeremy Strode was a few weeks shy of his 54th birthday when he took his own life in 2017.

Max Dowzer-Strode and his father Jeremy pictured during the 1990s. ( Supplied: Max Dowzer-Strode )

Strode had built a career as a leading chef in the Sydney and Melbourne hospitality scenes, and was nicknamed The Truth for his straight-forward approach to cooking.

Mr Dowzer-Strode found out about his father's death while on a holiday in central Asia. Just days earlier, they had chatted over the phone and everything seemed fine.

There was no explanation or farewell message for those left behind.

"It took me completely by surprise. Even though he had [bipolar], I don't think it was something even those close to him thought he may do," Mr Dowzer-Strode said.

"I was never angry and I never looked at it like as if it was something that he rationally chose to do."

If you or anyone you know needs help: beyondblue on 1300 22 4636

beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 Lifeline on 13 11 14

Lifeline on 13 11 14 Headspace on 1800 650 890

Headspace on 1800 650 890 Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467

The suicides of high-profile chefs, both locally and internationally, has shifted the spotlight on the hospitality industry and how it handles the mental welfare of its staff.

High pressure, gruelling hours and intense competition comes with the territory, and Mr Dowzer-Strode remembers how his father was barely home on weekdays.

"I think he was drawn to that kind of work because it's high pressure, it's exciting. But at the same time it definitely wouldn't have helped," he said.

Loading...

A special way of honouring The Truth

Strode was open about his battles with bipolar and was an ambassador for the RU OK? suicide prevention charity, and his son wants to continue that legacy.

With friend Tim Bates, the pair are running a fundraising luncheon in Collingwood this weekend, where over eight courses they want guests to have a serious discussion about mental health issues.

They have already hosted a couple of similar events around Victoria, and hope to do more.

"Having this connection with food, we realised it's this amazing vehicle to have conversations around the table and bring people together in an informal, easy manner," Mr Bates said.

For Mr Dowzer-Strode, it is also about honouring a special connection to his father.

"With food being such a big part of our relationship, it's pretty easy for me to go out to dinner and know that dad would have loved that meal," he said.

"Mental health doesn't discriminate," he said.

"Something we try to talk about is how to have those conversations with men."

'People seem to be a statistic'

Sydney chef Liam Crawley set up the Hospo for Life network earlier this year, spurred on by the deaths of four colleagues to suicide.

The group puts people in the industry in touch with support workers, and runs training sessions for restaurants.

While there has been plenty of talk in the industry about cultural reform, Mr Crawley said a lot more action was still needed.

He said constant staff turnover and expectations of long shifts were putting workers under stress.

"The industry tried to deal with it themselves and it doesn't seem to be happening," he said.

"With large organisations, such as hotels [and] clubs, people seem to be a statistic."

Tim Bates (left) and Max Dowzer-Strode have combined their passion for good food and raising awareness for mental health issues. ( ABC Melbourne: Kristian Silva )

Mr Crawley believes there should be a public, independently-run rating system to allow prospective staff to know more about working conditions in specific restaurants.

"We have stars or hats for restaurants … but it's not necessarily a good environment," he said.