Jock Zonfrillo was a Scottish chef, television presenter and restaurateur:
He was born on August 4, 1976, in Glasgow, Scotland, and died on April 30, 2023, in Melbourne, Australia.
Zonfrillo was the founder of the Orana Foundation, which focuses on preserving the unique cultural heritage of traditional Indigenous food culture in Australia.
He was also a judge on MasterChef Australia, joining the show in 2019.
Zonfrillo was married three times and had four children; his third wife, Lauren Fried, and their two children survived him.
Jock Zonfrillo death cause
Zonfrillo died unexpectedly on April 30, 2023, at the age of 46.
According to Daily Mail Australia, police believe that Zonfrillo died of natural causes and nothing unusual or suspicious was discovered in the hotel room where he was found.
He had returned to Australia for his MasterChef commitments, and when he failed to return their usual scheduled calls, his wife grew concerned and contacted the police for a welfare check of her husband in his hotel room.
No drug paraphernalia was reportedly located, and no one else was in the room.
Zonfrillo was laid to rest at a private funeral two weeks after his death, attended by his wife and his four children, as well as a select group of family and friends.
Did Zonfrillo have cancer?
Zonfrillo’s cancer was detected in a colonoscopy in 2021, and around June of that year, he began treatment amid filming the second season of MasterChef Celebrityz
It is alleged that no one in his circle was aware of what he was going through, and he did not want anyone to know as he dealt with this tough journey.
Zonfrillo reportedly had been receiving treatment for bowel cancer since at least June 2021, and the treatment took place as recently as September 2022 in Italy.
However, it is not suggested that the TV judge died of cancer.
Zonfrillo’s eldest daughter, Ava, spoke out for the first time since his death, thanking everyone for their support and love.
Many in the food industry paid tribute to Zonfrillo, including Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White.
Pierre White praised his former apprentice chef and said;
“Very few chefs have an inquisitive mind, an intellectual mind, and a creative mind. That’s what makes him special, that’s what makes him rare.”
Jock Zonfrillo career
Zonfrillo started his career in the kitchen at the age of 12, working as a dishwasher, and at 15, he began an apprenticeship in the kitchens of the Turnberry Hotel, where he was awarded Young Scottish Chef of the Year in 1993.
After completing his apprenticeship, he got a job at the one-Michelin-starred Arkle Restaurant in Chester.
He then moved to London, where he worked under Marco Pierre White, who he frequently credited as a life-changing influence.
Zonfrillo’s early career was marred by substance abuse and periods of homelessness.
However, he managed to pull himself out of his lowest lows and build himself and his business back up again.
In 2021, he published his memoir Last Shot, which chronicled his time in kitchens as he battled addiction and mental health issues.
Zonfrillo won national and international awards and went on to become a television star with a coveted role as a judge on MasterChef Australia.
He was known for his wealth of knowledge and experience in the kitchen, and he pushed the cooks to their limits.
Zonfrillo was also a Porsche enthusiast and helped shape Australia’s food future by looking deep into its past.
