Top chef who trained under Rick Stein and cooked for U2, Drake and the Spice Girls until Covid lockdown put him out of work dies ‘suddenly’ aged 40
A top chef who cooked for music royalty including U2, Drake and the Spice Girls – until the Covid lockdown left him unemployed – has died suddenly.
Chef Lee Holland, 40, was described as ‘an absolute powerhouse of talent’ by colleagues at his seafood restaurant The Catch.
Originally from London, Mr Holland was a personal chef to pop stars such as P!nk and Roger Waters before moving to Plymouth and founding one of the city’s favorite gastronomic spots.
But yesterday staff made the shock announcement that Mr Holland, who trained under TV chef Rick Stein, had sadly passed away.
In a statement, The Catch said: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of our brilliant chef, manager and driving force behind The Catch, Lee Holland.
Chef Lee Holland, 40, who cooked for music stars including U2, Drake and the Spice Girls, has died suddenly, his colleagues have announced
Mr Holland (right) hit the big time with The Catch after settling in Plymouth following a jet-setting career as a personal chef to the stars
Lee Holland, originally from London, was a personal chef for pop stars such as The Spice Girls (pictured)
‘Lee was an absolute powerhouse of talent, his culinary skills, deep knowledge of seafood and his ability to create menus that balanced flavor with artistic flair were pure genius.
‘Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. The restaurant is closed for the time being and we kindly ask for privacy as our staff mourns the loss of a dear friend and colleague.”
Mr Holland made the popular venue a success after settling in Devon following a jet-setting career as a personal chef for some of the world’s top pop acts.
The successful chef trained with Rick Stein in Padstow and worked for the TV chef for five years.
He then became a personal chef to music stars, a job that took him “to a different country every day,” even though he usually only got to see the inside of hotels.
In 2022, The Catch on the Barbican’s Southside Street was voted the best seafood restaurant in Plymouth and across Devon
Colleagues are stunned after a top chef, who cooked for music kings such as U2, Drake (photo) and the Spice Girls, suddenly died
Last year he told PlymouthLive: ‘We were touring Europe and the world but that all collapsed during Covid.
‘I started selling oysters on Hampstead Heath but decided to leave London. I came across this (The Catch).”
In 2022, the bijou eatery on the Barbican’s Southside Street was voted the best seafood restaurant in Plymouth and across Devon.
It also topped TripAdvisor’s list of places to eat in the city just six months after opening.