On April 30, 2023, devastating news hit the culinary world when Jock Zonfrillo was announced dead. This came as a shock to the fans of Masterchef Australia Host as a life was lost too soon, just at the age of 46.
Jock Zonfrillo is a household name as a TV presenter, restauranter, and founder of the Orana Foundation.
Celebrities pay tribute to the beloved chef as he serves his countless memories on a silver platter.
Jock Zonfrillo Early Life
Jock was somewhat of a culinary prodigy. He was recruited at the age of 12 and started working in the kitchen. This early exposure was fundamental in his leanings toward cooking.
Three years later, he joined the luxury Scottish resort Turnberry Hotel— then youngest apprentice at just 15 years old. His dedication was unparalleled as he learned not only cooking but also the ins-&-outs of a restaurant business.
After this, he was associated with top restaurants like Arkle Restaurant in Chester, worked under Marco Pierre White, worked at Restaurant 41 in Sydney, and finally secured his first head chef position at Tresanton Hotel in Cornwall when he was just 22 years old.
With this remarkable career trajectory, he kept on reaching new milestones as a chef. It was all going well when he developed a severe heroin addiction. His struggle was documented in his autobiography Last Shot. Through the pains of it, he was ready for the next phase of his life.
Venturing into His Own Restaurants
Since 2013, Zonfrillo has been determined to open his chain of restaurants in Adelaide, starting with Restaurant Orana and Street ADL. His success catapulted him into several recognitions and awards–
- Australia’s 2018 Restaurant of the Year by Gourmet Traveller magazine
- Australia’s 2018 Hottest Chef in The Australian
- Australia’s 2019 Restaurant of the Year by The Good Food Guide
- 2020 Chef Hat Awards and many more.
Zonfrillo’s Other Initiatives
Zonfrillo founded the Orana Foundation as a means to preserve cooking methods by indigenous Australians and bring them into the mainstream limelight.
He also started selling ‘worry beads’ made with semi-precious gemstones and natural materials, which helped him reduce his anxious thoughts.
So, what happened to the beloved chef?
As per the newest update, Zonfrillo was battling Bowel Cancer. His colonoscopy in 2021 revealed cancer, and he immediately started the treatment at the Kinghorn Cancer Centre in Sydney. Also consulting at Epworth Oncology in Melbourne. The reports suggested he was still filming for the MasterChef series in 2021 while undergoing treatment.
He managed to keep his battle a secret for two years, with only his close friend circle aware of his condition.
We, at AverageBeing, respect his and his family’s privacy; and are only reporting news as per the recent updates. However, some distasteful speculations about the cause of death being attributed to covid vaccines are massively debunked by the fans.
Celebrities, chefs, and fans pay condolences to Mr. Jock Zonfrillo, remembering the kind-hearted and high-spirited chef.
The year 2023 has already experienced great losses so far. Read here to know more.
What do you think about Jock’s sudden demise? Did you watch MasterChef Australia?
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