Award-winning chef Jock Zonfrillo, who served as a judge on MasterChef Australia, passed away at the age of 46. The family of Mr. Zonfrillo announced his passing on Monday, describing him as “our irreplaceable husband, father, brother, son, and friend” in a statement, according to The Guardian. The Victoria Police stated that the death was not being investigated as suspiciously despite the absence of a cause of death. The coroner’s office will write a report on Mr. Zonfrillo’s passing, according to the police.
The upcoming season of MasterChef Australia was cancelled following the passing of Mr. Zonfrillo, Network 10 informed The Guardian.
“With completely shattered hearts and without knowing how we can possibly move through life without him, we are devastated to share that Jock passed away yesterday,” the chef’s family stated in a long post officially on his Instagram.
“So many words can describe him, so many stories can be told, but at this time we’re too overwhelmed to put them into words. For those who crossed his path, became his mate, or were lucky enough to be his family, keep this proud Scot in your hearts when you have your next whisky,” the statement further said.
There are four children and his wife left behind by Mr. Zonfrillo.
According to the BBC, he was raised in Glasgow in 1976 and began working in kitchens when he was 12 years old. Mr. Zonfrillo joined the upscale Scottish resort The Turnberry Hotel at the age of 15.
Two years later, he began working for British chef Marco Pierre White, who holds a Michelin star.
In his memoir The Last Shot from 2021, Mr. Zonfrillo revealed how he developed a heroin addiction. His life altered after he relocated to Australia in the 1990s. Mr. Zonfrillo founded a number of eateries there, including his most popular one, Orana, in 2013.
