Vale, Jock Zonfrillo 1976-2023

Like so many, we were shocked and saddened to learn of the death of chef and restaurateur Jock Zonfrillo in May. As a chef, he was instrumental in shaping Australia's food identity over the past decade, championing the use of native ingredients and educating diners, one brilliant dish at a time. His creativity, passion and precision saw his Adelaide restaurant Orana named Gourmet Traveller's Restaurant of the Year in 2017.

At the time, our judges wrote: “It's Australian food as we've never eaten before – confident, assured and original.... Seeking inspiration and knowledge through interacting with Aboriginal communities is central to Zonfrillo's mission.” That mission saw Zonfrillo establish the not-for-profit research project The Orana Foundation in 2016, which went on to create the country's first Indigenous food database, cataloguing more than 1400 Indigenous foods over its three-year lifespan. In 2019, Zonfrillo won the Sustainability & Innovation Award at the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards, shortly before he was named as a judge on MasterChef Australia, alongside Melissa Leong and Andy Allen, becoming a household name and sharing his culinary passion with millions. Whether in the kitchen or on television, Zonfrillo's exacting standards and commitment to excellence were always tempered by his rogue Scottish charm. Here, we share memories from those who worked alongside the beloved chef and recall some of the many reasons he will be missed. 

SPENCER PATRICK, chef-owner Harrisons