Remembering Skye Gyngell, a Revolution in Sustainable Dining
The sheer number of tributes paid to Chef Skye Gyngell demonstrates the impact she had across Britain’s dining scene and beyond. As well as a chef and a mother, Gyngell was a committed supporter of food systems that nurture the planet, championing the principles of the slow food movement long before they were adopted in the UK.
Gyngell in her restaurant Spring, in Somerset House
Gyngell first made a name for herself after gaining a Michelin star at Petersham Nurseries Café in Richmond, where she began cooking out of a small hut in the garden. Never drawn to the trappings of celebrity chef culture and finding that the star brought expectations that didn’t align with the spirit of the place – she left to start her own restaurant. That restaurant, Spring, has since become a leader in the sustainable fine dining scene.
Spring’s acclaimed Scratch Menu makes creative use of surplus ingredients that might otherwise be thrown away, transforming them into thoughtful, elegant dishes and proving that waste is often just a failure of imagination. Gyngell championed truly seasonal food long before the term became a culinary cliché, and Spring works closely with its partner biodynamic farms to cook in harmony with the shifting rhythms of the year.
Spring’s strikingly calming interiors
For Gyngell, sustainability was never limited to sourcing, but a key element is fostering a kitchen culture that inspires, trains and cares for its team. Under the direction of Gyngell, Eleanor Henson worked her way up Spring’s kitchen and now takes the role of Culinary Director in her restaurant and the restaurant’s partner biodynamic farm Heckfield Place.
Gyngell showed London and beyond what sustainable dining could be. She leaves behind a legacy that will continue to influence chefs, growers and diners across the country, and one where our connection to what’s on our plate is restored.
Gyngell died of a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Merkel cell carcinoma, on Saturday 22nd November - which heartbreakingly left her with a loss of taste and smell.