On August 2, 2022, the acclaimed British chef Alastair Little died in Sydney at the age of 72. During the 1980s, he garnered fame for his iconic Soho restaurant and appearances on British television. Little’s cause of death has not yet been established, and no details about his funeral have been released.
All that is known about Alastair Little
Alastair Little’s father was a British naval officer, and his mother and grandmother were both well-known chefs. When he was 11, he joined a boarding school and went on to study social anthropology and archeology at Downing College, Cambridge. During his last year, Little lived in an old friary and cooked in the kitchen. He first wanted to be a film editor and worked as a messenger for a Soho film company. Small’s, a Knightsbridge café, hired him as a server and then promoted him to assistant manager.
In 1976, Little worked at the Old Compton Wine Bar, and when their chef left, he was hired as a replacement and kept the menu basic. He subsequently worked in a few more restaurants and began studying Italian cuisine using Marcella Hazan’s Classic Italian Cookbook as a guide. While working at 192, he met Kirsten Pedersen and Mercedes Andre-Vega, with whom he co-founded Alastair Little on Frith Street in Soho in 1985.
However, the collaboration terminated in 2002, and Alastair went on to start Tavola, a deli in Notting Hill, West London. In 2017, he moved to Sydney with his wife Sharon and opened Little Bistro, a pop-up restaurant. Little was also a co-owner of the Potts Point eatery Et Al. In 2019, Little started ByAlastairLittle, a home delivery service. Aside from being a renowned chef, he also wrote for The Guardian and Noble Rot magazine. Little has also been on television programs such as Masterchef, Hot Chefs, and Ready Steady Cook. In 1998, photographer Barry Madsen captured his portrait, which is now on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Twitter users pay tribute
Alastair Little has been well-known for his immaculate culinary talents over the years, and his work has been praised by a number of writers and chefs. When word of his death spread, Twitter was inundated with tributes. From many referring to him as a “trailblazing chef” to those recalling dining at his restaurant, it is apparent that the chef had an influence on many people’s lives.
RIP Alastair Little. I’ve just dug out a couple of your influential cookbooks. Back in the 80s there were few places I’d rather eat at than your eponymous restaurant in Frith Street, Soho. Lancs-born. I never knew. pic.twitter.com/fAbJLU7ekl
— Neil Sowerby 🇺🇦 (@AntonEgoManc) August 3, 2022
So sad to hear about Alastair Little, RIP to a towering figure in British food
— Thom Eagle (@thomeagle) August 3, 2022