Food critic Egon Ronay dies at age of 94, family confirms
Food critic Egon Ronay, famous for restaurant guidebooks, dies at age of 94
Saturday, 12, Jun 2010 03:14
By Matthew Champion.
Food critic Egon Ronay, whose restaurant guidebooks were credited for a revolution in British eating habits, has died at the age of 94 after short illness.
Hungarian-born Ronay died at his home in Berkshire with his wife and two daughters by his bedside, friend and broadcaster Nick Ross said.
Ronay, born in Budapest in 1915, fled Hungary after the second world war, seeking refuge in the UK.
In 1957 he wrote his first guidebook after managing several restaurants and writing a column for the Daily Telegraph.
His guidebooks were championed for transforming British eating habits after the war, making not just restaurateurs but everyone else to take care and pride in their food.
"He was, in the most literal sense, incredible, right up until the last few weeks of his life - he was sharp as a button," Ross said.
"We went for a tasting with him four months ago and he had this remarkable ability to taste flavours in anything.
"Right up until his death, even young chefs regarded him as the monarch."