Jock Zonfrillo, the MasterChef Australia Judge and award-winning Scottish chef, has died unexpectedly at the age of 46.
His family confirmed his passing in a statement yesterday: “With hearts completely shattered and not knowing how we might possibly go through life without him, we are devastated to announce that Jock passed away yesterday.
“So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at the moment we are too overwhelmed for words. For those who crossed his path, became his mate or were lucky enough to be in his family, keep that proud Scotsman in your heart the next time you sip a whiskey.”
A new season of MasterChef Australia was supposed to air this week but was postponed.
In a statement, Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia said: “Network 10 and Endemol Shine Australia are deeply shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of Jock Zonfrillo, a beloved member of the MasterChef Australia family. Jock died yesterday in Melbourne. MasterChef Australia will not air this week.”
Zonfrillo agreed master chef Team as judges alongside former winner and chef Andy Allen and food critic Melissa Long in 2019 after the eliminations of Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston. While some feared the changes would affect ratings, the show continues to be one of Australia’s top-performing reality competitions and is selling internationally.
The restaurant owner was born Barry Zonfrillo in Glasgow, Scotland. At 15 he trained in the kitchen at the Tunberry Hotel before working under Marco-Pierre White. At the age of 22 he was appointed Executive Chef at The Tresanston in the UK before heading up the kitchen at Restaurant 41 in Sydney, Australia where he had previously worked for a year. He opened two of his own restaurants in 2013, one of which, Orana, was named Australia’s Restaurant of the Year by two publications in 2018 and 2019. Zonfrillo was named Australia’s Hottest Chef in 2018 by The Australian newspaper.
Despite his success, Zonfrillo was forced to put his two restaurants, Orana and Bistro Blackwood, under administration due to unpaid debts. In 2002, he deliberately set fire to an apprentice cook, Martin Krammer, who worked too slowly. He claimed it was a hoax gone wrong, but a judge awarded A$75,000 ($50,000) in damages. Zonfrillo filed for bankruptcy in 2007 after Krammer filed a creditor petition.
He published a memoir, Last Shot, in 2021. Former mentor White claimed “almost everything” Zonfrillo wrote about him was “untrue,” but Zonfrillo defended the chapters, saying, “This is the story of my life.”
Zonfrillo is survived by wife Lauren Fried and four children.