RUSSELL Norman was an award-winning chef, restaurant owner and BBC star.
Following a brief health battle, the celebrity chef has sadly passed away — here we look at the restaurants he opened and cookbooks he wrote.
1
When did Russell Norman open Polpo?
Russell opened Polpo in 2009, introducing many Londoners to ideas like sharing plates — which would soon become widely available.
Business partner Richard Beatty who co-founded restaurants Spuntino and Polpo with Russell, has since paid tribute to his “best friend”.
He said: “It is with the greatest sadness I announce the loss of my best friend Russell Norman.
“After a short battle in hospital, he died surrounded by family and friends.
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“Russell is survived by his wife and three children, I ask that you respect the privacy of his family, friends and colleagues at this time.”
A close friend said Russell’s wife Jules and three children were at his bedside at the time.
The tragedy comes just weeks after his fourth cookbook was published.
When did Russell Norman open Brutto?
In 2021 Russell founded restaurant Trattoria BRUTTO.
He soon had a long waiting list of customers wanting to dine there.
It’s understood his wife Jules and son Ollie will now run it following his tragic passing.
Speaking with the Guardian about the pressures of opening a new restaurant, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, Norman said: “The pressure in business terms running a restaurant is always the first month.
“There’s a massive, massive capital outlay and you don’t get any money coming back into the business until a good week and a half after you’ve started to operate – partly because most restaurants open with a preview period where everything’s discounted 50%, which means you’re not making any money at all, just about covering your costs.
“So that first month is critical. A lot of restaurants fail because they literally run out of money, it’s as simple as that.
“If things aren’t great, if it’s not a hit from the beginning, I’m going to have to look to borrow money in order to keep it afloat.
And that’s where it gets scary.”
How many cookbooks did Russell Norman write?
Russell first made headlines when he won an award for his first cookbook in 2012 — POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) — which bagged Waterstones Book of The Year.
In 2016 his second cookbook, SPUNTINO: Comfort Food (New York Style) won the Guild Food Writers Award for best food and travel book.
Russell previously described the process of completing his third cookbook — VENICE: Four Seasons of Home Cooking — like being in exile.
He said: “I exiled myself in the world’s most beautiful city for over a year in order to learn to cook like a 90-year-old Venetian granny.”
The latest of his books, which hit the shelves before he sadly passed, was BRUTTO: A (Simple) Florentine Cookbook.
