Well-known West Australian chef Ian Parmenter has died at the age of 79.
Friends of the cooking legend confirmed he died over the weekend, ABC reports.
A cause of death has not been given.
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Parmenter rose to prominence as the host of the national broadcaster’s Consuming Passions, helming the show between 1992 and 2001.
The show wasn’t just a hit in Australia — it was broadcast to 19 other countries around the world.
As a result, Parmenter became one of Australia’s best known celebrity chefs of the 1990s and beyond.
Born in the UK, Parmenter started out as a Fleet Street journalist before moving to Australia.
His Australian career began in advertising before he moved into TV production and direction.
A passion for food and cooking took him from working behind the scenes to in front of the camera, with Consuming Passions originally filmed at his home in Fremantle.
Parmenter later moved to Margaret River, becoming an avid ambassador for the area’s food and wine produce.
Parmenter wasn’t a trained chef — he learned his cooking skills by experimenting in the kitchen at home, firstly as a private passion, only later turning it into a successful career.
“I never got into areas of high speed food processing and complex things,” he once said.
“If it couldn’t be done in the cottage, it couldn’t be done at home, basically.”
Tributes began to pour in for the popular chef on Monday.
Former ABC presenter Verity James said Parmenter was a natural showman born for the camera.
“But he could also be incredibly introspective,” she told ABC Perth.
“(He was) so thoughtful and so compassionate.”
‘Larger than life’
On Facebook, the founder of an Australian-based French tourism company described Parmenter as “larger than life” and a great raconteur with a passion for French cuisine.
“Ian was a great raconteur and host who lived his life to the fullest … and SO entertaining to have on a tour,” Toujours France French Travel Specialists wrote on Facebook.
“He loved all things French and especially, of course, French wine and cuisine, and passed on that passion to our tour guests with such flair and eloquence.
“And he always had that very cheeky smile!
“I feel sad to think the world has lost such a personality.
“I don’t have a memory of him that isn’t filled with fun and laughter.”
Photographer Miles Tweedie, who took several portraits of Parmenter in his later years, wrote: “RIP dear Ian … we will miss you very much”.
“RIP a great friend to the environment, local celebrity and all round lovely human,” one fan wrote beneath the post.
Apart from his TV career, Parmenter also produced a number of cookbooks and became a regular presence on the food festival circuit.
He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2011 for his service to the food and tourism industries.
