Russell Norman has died aged 57, his restaurant business partner Richard Beatty has announced.
In a statement, 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.
“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.”
Russell co-founded Polpo and Spuntino with Richard and was also the brains behind Brutto in Farringdon, London, which opened in 2021.
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The Italian eatery has been ranked amongst the best in the capital and will continue to trade under the leadership of his wife Jules and son Ollie.
While known for his restaurant success, Russell also presented a BBC six-part documentary titled The Restaurant Man in 2014 and had appeared on Saturday Kitchen.
Following the news, tributes have flooded in for the late restaurateur on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Jay Rayner wrote: “So sorry to hear of the death, far too young, of Russell Norman. He was one of the most gifted of restaurateurs, a terrific writer and an awful lot of fun to be around. He very much lived life his own way.
“My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
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A fan of Russell wrote: “RIP Russell Norman. A true genius admired by everybody in restaurants who had any clue what they were doing.”
“Utterly shocked and devastated to hear the news about Russell Norman. Thinking of his family,” a third added.
Podcast host Gilly Smith also tweeted she was “shocked” by the news just two weeks after he was a guest on her show.
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