Jock Zonfrillo Death: Career, & Business Ventures and Cause of Death

Jock Zonfrillo  Death: In addition to Melissa Leong and Andy Allen, Jock Zonfrillo  was well-known for his role as a judge on the hit Australian food competition show MasterChef Australia. Zonfrillo founded The Orana Foundation, an organization that recognizes and celebrates the indigenous people of Australia via their cuisine, in addition to his work on the show. Zonfrillo, who was 46 years old, died on April 30, 2023.

When Zonfrillo’s trainee chef, Martin Krammer, was moving too slowly at work in 2002, Zonfrillo set fire to him on purpose. Because of this, he was ordered to pay more than $75,000 in damages. Following a successful creditors’ petition in the Federal Magistrates Court, Krammer declared Zonfrillo bankrupt in May 2007. Krammer stated that he was never compensated monetarily by Zonfrillo.

Quick Info

Name	Jock Zonfrillo
Gender	Male
Date of Birth	August 19, 1976
Age in 2023	47
Birth Place	Glasgow, Scotland
Country	Australia
Nationality	Australian
Height	6’2″ (1.88m)
Profession	Chef, Restaurateur, TV Personality
Net Worth	$14 million
Restaurants	Bistro Blackwood, Orana
Business Ventures	Sprout condiments, partnerships
TV Appearances	MasterChef Australia, Chef’s Table
Awards and Achievements	Chef of the Year, Restaurant of the Year

Early Life and Career

Although Jock Zonfrillo and his family originally hail from Scotland, they emigrated to Australia when he was a young child. He was born in Glasgow in 1976. It was just in time for him to enroll in high school in Scotland. After finishing high school, he began working as a kitchen porter and eventually attended Scotland’s National Seafood Training Centre to hone his cooking skills. After moving to London in the early 2000s, Jock Zonfrillo worked in restaurants including the two-Michelin-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and the one-Michelin-star Quo Vadis by Marco Pierre White. In 2003, he competed on the BBC cooking competition MasterChef and finished in third place.

In 2005, Jock Zonfrillo moved to Australia, where he worked as the executive chef at Restaurant 41 in Sydney. It was at this time that he began experimenting with and becoming intrigued by the flavor characteristics of indigenous Australian foods. His first restaurant, Orana, opened to rave reviews and a steady stream of customers in Adelaide in 2011.

Orana’s celebrated chef, Jock Zonfrillo, earned his reputation by promoting Australian-grown ingredients and working closely with local indigenous communities to promote and preserve traditional foodways. With his “Australian cuisine, but not as you know it,” he hopes to change people’s minds about what Australian food can be. In 2012, Zonfrillo was named Australia’s Hottest Chef by The Australian newspaper, and in 2018, he was honored with the Basque Culinary World Prize for his advocacy of authentic Australian cuisine. He has been a judge on MasterChef Australia ever since the show premiered in 2018.

There’s more to life than simply cooking for Jock Zonfrillo. He is also a vocal advocate for better mental health care and addiction services. After being open about his own struggles with addiction, he has used his prominence to raise awareness and support for improving mental health care in the hospitality industry.

Net worth

It is believed that Jock Zonfrillo has a net worth of about $14 million.

Restaurants and Business Ventures

Jock’s first restaurant, Bistro Blackwood, was established in Adelaide in 2002. The restaurant acquired popularity rapidly due to its reputation for serving creative, modern takes on traditional Australian fare using local produce. Jock gained a devoted client base and the praise of culinary reviewers because to his commitment to using only sustainable, ethical, and locally sourced ingredients.

Orana, Jock’s second restaurant, debuted in Adelaide in 2011. Orana serves up one-of-a-kind tasting meals that feature authentic Australian food. The 2019 Restaurant of the Year award from the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards is only one of several accolades bestowed upon the eatery.

Over the years, Jock has also dabbled in a number of other business endeavors. In 2016, he introduced a line of condiments and spices called Sprout, all of which are produced from local Australian produce. He has also collaborated with brands like Audi and Breville to develop innovative tools and events for the kitchen.

Television Appearances

It’s possible that Jock’s cooking skills and charming demeanor contributed to his rise to fame on television. He has been on many seasons of MasterChef Australia, a prominent cooking competition show in Australia, both as a judge and a coach. He has served as a judge on both the British and Italian versions of MasterChef.

Jock was featured in the 2018 season of Chef’s Table, a Netflix show that introduces viewers to the world’s finest chefs. The show showed his enthusiasm for and experimentation with classic Australian ingredients. He was able to reach an international audience thanks to the show.

Jock Zonfrillo Cause of Death

On April 30, 2023, at the age of 46, ock Zonfrillo passed away in Melbourne, Australia. Authorities have ruled out foul play but are still investigating the circumstances of his death; police are compiling a report for the coroner.

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