Chef world mourns loss of two talents

The chef world was mourning the deaths of two colleagues last week following two unrelated accidents.

David Dempsey, the 31-year-old head chef of Gordon Ramsay's Chelsea restaurant, fell to his death outside a block of flats close to London's King's Road 11 days ago. Dempsey was best known for his previous role as head chef of Ramsay's Amaryllis restaurant in Glasgow, where he won a Michelin star last year. He had relocated from Glasgow to London in February.

And Kaljinder Singh Sandhu, known to his friends as Kal, a chef de partie at two-Michelin-starred Winteringham Fields in Lincolnshire, died in a car accident on bank holiday Monday. He was returning to work after the break. Singh Sandhu was 23 years old.

Winteringham Fields owners Annie and Germain Schwab described Singh Sandhu, who had worked at their restaurant with rooms for just under two years, as a young man with a bright future. "He was a fantastic member of the brigade, a pleasure to have around. We will all remember him with great affection. He is an enormous loss to us all, especially to his family."

The circumstances surrounding the death of Dempsey are unclear, although he was believed to be high on a cocktail of drugs when he broke into flats in Elm Park Gardens. He then plunged 60ft to his death when he tried to escape from police.

Ramsay, who had employed Dempsey for eight years, was said to be devastated by the loss of his protégé and friend. "He was one of the most gifted Scottish chefs ever to work in my kitchen. He had remarkable grounding and great skills, but also real vision, all of which combined to make him a natural leader and a great chef."

Dempsey leaves three children.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 15 - 21 May 2003