Legendary chef who helped Marco Pierre-White dies at 89, paying tribute to a ‘true gastronomic leader’
Tributes have been paid to legendary chef Nico Ladenis, mentor to Marco-Pierre White, following his death at the age of 89.
The chef, who famously taught himself to cook, became a doyen of the kitchen when he won three Michelin stars at 90 Park Lane in the 1990s.
He opened his first London restaurant Chez Nico in Dulwich in 1973, followed by Simply Nico in Pimlico in 1989.
But it was his third location, Chez Nico at 90 Park Lane, that made him famous.
Ladenis, who was compared during his lifetime to fellow chef legends Raymond Blanc and the Roux brothers, has been called a “field marshal of classic cuisine.”
Nico Ladenis pictured during the production of the TV show ‘Take Six Cooks’ in the mid-1980s. It was in the following decade that his career reached new heights with three Michelin stars
Ladenis and his wife pictured at the launch of his book Nicowere in 1996
Ladenis, who famously taught himself to cook, became a doyen of the kitchen when he won three Michelin stars at 90 Park Lane in the 1990s
Chef James Martin was among those to pay tribute to Mr Ladenis, calling him: ‘One of the few true greats of the British food scene’
Chef Paul Flynn described working under Ladenis for nine years and praised his mentor’s legacy
Ladenis started cooking relatively late at the age of 37, after an earlier career in the oil and gas industry.
He made history as the first self-taught chef to win three Michelin stars in Britain and was the first British Cypriot chef to receive this honor – considered the pinnacle of British gastronomy.
His two books My Gastronomy from 1987 and Nico from 1996 were described as part memoir and part ‘kitchen psychology’.
Celebrity chef Sat Bains described Ladenis as “a true gastronomic leader of chefs who inspired an entire generation,” while Tom Kerridge called him a “true culinary hero.”
Ladenis was not afraid to challenge guests if they exhibited bad behavior and later “handed over” his Michelin stars, a cover-up that former protégé White also did, while asking the French guide not to return to his restaurants.
He later explained that the ongoing battle with prostate cancer was one of the reasons he turned his back on Michelin, as well as the pressure and expectations it placed on guests.
He closed Simply Nico in Pimlico in the late 1990s and opened casual French brasserie Icognico, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in 2000, followed by Deca in 2003.