Pioneering Australian TV chef Peter Russell-Clarke has died in Melbourne aged 89.
Russell-Clarke, who was the face of Coon cheese in television advertisements during the early 1990s, passed away on Friday after suffering complications following a stroke.
He was surrounded by his beloved wife Jan and two children Peter and Wendy.
His close friend Beverley Pinder paid tribute to the TV chef, telling the Herald Sun on Sunday: ‘Peter Russell-Clarke was a phenomenon – years ahead of his time.’
‘His wife Jan was his backbone. A loveable, larrikin artist and gentleman of the art of relaxed cooking.’
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Pioneering Australian TV chef Peter Russell-Clarke has died in Melbourne aged 89
Russell-Clarke was the face of Coon cheese in television advertisements during the early 1990s
The late chef, who enjoyed 65 years of marriage with Jan, 91, previously admitted that none of his accomplishments would have been possible without her support.
Derryn Hench, who starred alongside Peter in the 1983 comedy At Last… Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture, penned some words about the chef in the wake of his death, describing him as ‘talented and a bit of a rogue’.
‘He was our first TV cook, he was the egg man,’ said Derryn of his longtime pal.
‘He taught me to put ground pepper on fresh strawberries, he wasn’t adverse to trying new things. He once cooked steak for Prince Charles — he was very talented.’
Russell-Clarke was best known for his ABC series Come and Get It, which aired in the 1980s.
He became famous for his catchphrase ‘G’day’ on the five-minute cooking program, starring in over 900 episodes.
The chef has written and illustrated 25 cookbooks, including an encyclopaedia of food.
Russell-Clarke has cooked for Victoria’s State Premiers, the Prime Minister, the Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales’ Silver Jubilee dinner in Australia.
Russell-Clarke passed away on Friday after suffering complications following a stroke
He was surrounded by his beloved wife Jan and two children Peter and Wendy
A chef who always appealed to a family audience, Peter found himself at the centre of controversy in 2008 when an expletive-ridden ‘blooper reel’ surfaced on YouTube.
Speaking to nine.com.au in 2014, Russell-Clarke said that he believed the video had ‘cost him work’.
‘Swearing can be very descriptive,’ he told 9 Stories at the time, adding that it was not words themselves that were bad ‘but how they’re used’.
‘If you say: “F*** you mate” — that’s threatening. But if you say: “F*** me dead” — that’s not bad,’ the cook shared.
Peter was born in Ballarat in 1935, living between the homes of his excommunicated Anglican minister father and dressmaker mother, who he is thought to have gained his Bohemian style from.
The iconic Aussie chef spent time in various foster homes as a child and even lived with a Chinese family for a stint, where he discovered the rich flavours of Asian cuisine that he would revisit throughout his career.
The cookbook writer even experienced a period of homelessness, once revealing that his love of ‘fine food’ began when he scavenged the bins behind iconic Melbourne restaurant Florentino.
However, as with any underdog story, Russell-Clarke defied the odds to become one of Australia’s first celebrity chefs, going on to teach a generation how to cook in the TV scape.
Despite his pioneering role in televised cooking, the chef had in recent years slammed the proliferation of reality cooking shows such as MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules, saying they aren’t educational
Despite his pioneering role in televised cooking, the chef had in recent years slammed the proliferation of reality cooking shows such as MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules, saying they aren’t educational.
Speaking to Woman’s Day in 2017, Peter said that it was more a case of style over substance with televised cooking competitions.
‘You don’t end up learning anything from cooking shows now,’ he said.
‘I think TV should be entertaining but also educational.’
Peter, who was also a dab hand as an artist, also revealed that he had little time for time-saving cooking gadgets that are constantly popping up in Australian kitchens.
‘I don’t need all that flash stuff,’ he said. ‘I’m happy with the camping stove.’
