World's best chef dies aged 44

Portia Arthur

February 1, 2016 3:53 PM

Chef Benoit Violier, whose Swiss restaurant was named the best in the world in December, has been found dead at his home.

World's best chef, Benoit Violier

The giants of French gastronomy have paid tribute to the French-Swiss chef, Benoît Violier, who was found dead at his home on Sunday.

He died of shotgun injuries in what was believed to be a suicide.

Violier, 44, ran the Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville in Crissier, near Lausanne, which was named the best in the world in December by La Liste.

In 2013 he was named chef of the year by the influential Gault et Millau guide, second only to the Michelin guide among gourmets. He was due to attend the unveiling of the new Michelin guide in Paris on Monday.

Marc Veyrat, a three-star chef, said he was “destroyed” by news of Violier’s death. “The planet has been orphaned by this exceptional chef,” Veyrat wrote on Twitter.

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Portia Arthur