Bill Granger, a chef who combined an easy Australian manner with a talent for making simple food sing, selling the world on the infinite potential of breakfast, died on Christmas Day in London. He was 54.
His death, in a hospital, was announced on his Instagram page. The cause was not specified.
To many Australians, and particularly Sydneysiders, Mr. Granger was just Bill: the frontman, originator and head chef of a Sydney corner cafe called Bills that eventually expanded to nine outlets across three countries, as well as an offshoot, Granger & Co., with five locations in London.
His facility for food that was straightforward yet stunning propelled him onto television screens — his “Bill’s Food” and “Bill’s Holiday” were both on the air for multiple seasons — and bookshelves, making him a national treasure.
Though he wrote about a dozen books that included more than 500 recipes, he became best known for two dishes in particular: a zesty avocado on toast, which his cafe is often credited with being the first to serve, and scrambled eggs with luxuriously creamy curds.
The avocado toast, sold at Bills for 18 Australian dollars a plate, or around $12, would take on a life of its own, becoming an international food trend and held up as an example of millennial frivolity and excess that was preventing a generation from becoming homeowners. (Mr. Granger, speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald in 2020, responded: “It’s always been impossible to buy a house. Always!”)
In many respects, said Jane Morrow, his publisher at Murdoch Books, Mr. Granger exemplified the very best of his country’s national attitude: warm, open and generous, with an understated commitment to excellence.
