Tributes paid to ‘giant of hospitality' Richard Shepherd

The hospitality industry has been paying tribute to industry "giant" Richard Shepherd, following his death at the age of 77.

Shepherd was one of the first British chefs to achieve a Michelin star and was a former partner in the famous Langan's Brasserie in London.

Chef Brian Turner recalled meeting him when they were both working at Simpsons-in-the-Strand in the capital in the 1960s.

He told The Caterer: "It was my first day in my first job in London and he made me feel so welcome. He was my hero and mentor always being one step ahead of me. I followed him to the Savoy Grill when it was one of the greatest restaurants in the country lead by head chef Louis Virot. Then we both moved separately abroad and then back together again at the Capital hotel, where we gained a then very rare Michelin star.

"Richard was classically trained and loved the ethos of French cuisine, but basically, he was a good honest cook and loved the use of British produce wherever possible.

"Along with Peter Langan he created what was an iconic restaurant in Langan's Brasserie with people queuing at the door and hordes of paparazzi all hoping to see the stars of the day as they entered and left. Shepherd had become a leading restaurateur where others were keen to follow.

"One of my memories is of Paul Bocuse, the legendary three-star chef… gobsmacked seeing the queues of people waiting to get in after midnight to an already full restaurant. I personally think that inspired chef Bocuse to create his four brasseries in Lyon."

Rick Stein said Shepherd was an "enormously important" figure in the hospitality industry and a "great friend".

He added: "I always remember in the early days we took all our staff to Langan's Brasserie on the train from Cornwall and he devoted all the afternoon after lunch to talking about his career and working with Peter Langan and Michael Caine, interspersed with hilarity, as anyone who knew him can imagine…a generous, big-hearted man, I'll miss him."

Shepherd was also a member of the Club 9 group of trailblazing chefs in the 1970s and later co-founded the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA).

The organisation paid tribute to the chef, who was its honorary president, as a "giant of hospitality", adding: "He shaped the world of modern hospitality with his focus on apprenticeships and skills. Richard Shepherd drove the evolution of restaurants and how we eat today as a restaurateur through his iconic restaurant Langan's. A huge loss for hospitality."

Chef and restaurateur Anton Mosimann described Shepherd as an industry "legend".

"He was a wonderful storyteller with a marvellous sense of humour, and I always enjoyed his company enormously," said Mosimann.

"The hospitality industry has lost a true professional, a great ambassador and a gentleman. I personally, have lost a loyal supporter and friend."

David Levin, former owner of the Capital hotel, remembered hiring Shepherd after placing an advert in the Caterer and Hotelkeeper (now The Caterer).

He said: "We had a dream of producing great food in a hotel. In the late 1960s nobody thought much of UK food. It was a crusade and I wanted to do it with a young English good looking chap, and Richard fitted the bill.

"His menu had six starters and six main courses in an era where everyone had huge a la carte menus.

"He was terrific to work with, though he was a heavy smoker, so I insisted he had a filter and holder, which made him look slightly aristocratic. If we had a job to do, he'd get all the cooks around the table and get it done, rather than divide jobs and have chefs doing one repetitive task.

"Everything we did was a gamble. We had an open kitchen where [in other restaurants] you'd never see the chefs. We cut up sheets of stainless steel to use as tiles and Richard developed a steam cleaner to clean with, as people could see in. He was such a great guy, who oversaw a revolution in food."

Pamela Carvell, president of the Hotel Marketing Association, wrote on Twitter that she had "amazing" memories of seeing actress Elizabeth Taylor dining at Langan's in the 1980s.

"[The restaurant] was ground-breaking in its day and people like Richard deserve huge credit for their contribution to making London the food destination that it now is," she wrote.

Turner added: "Personally, I will remember the many dinners at Langan's and the drinks sessions that focused on the future of the restaurant world…we will never forget Richard Shepherd CBE."