Former Boulestin chef-patron Kevin Kennedy dies aged 81

Kevin Kennedy, former chef-patron of the original Boulestin in London's Covent Garden, has died aged 81.

Kennedy was chef-patron of Boulestin for 16 years until the restaurant closed in 1994. He and his wife Siew-Eng, known to many as Maggie and who also worked at Boulestin with her husband, left the UK some years ago to run a bed and breakfast and holiday homes business in the South of France.

He passed away on 30 June peacefully in hospital in Perpignan, France following a short illness.

In an interview with Reader's Digest last year, chef Ainsley Harriott remembered working under Kennedy at Verrey's in London. He said Kennedy "had a cheekiness and a way of teaching you that made you feel passionate about what you were doing, instead of just rigid".

"A raconteur and lover of life, Kevin will be missed by the many hundreds of people who have had the privilege of knowing him," said his sister Margaret.

The original Boulestin, which was founded by Xavier Marcel Boulestin, the world's first TV chef, opened in Covent Garden in 1924. It remained there until 1994, when it was replaced by a Pizza Hut.

In 2013 Joel Kissin revived the Boulestin name in Mayfair, which was sold out of administration in 2018. The Caterer has been unable to confirm when the restaurant may reopen as lockdown restrictions are relaxed for restaurants this weekend.