Carluccio was one of the best loved Italian chefs in the UK, with a strong presence on TV, in bookshops and on the high street. In 1999 he founded Italian restaurant chain Carluccio’s, which still bears his name today.
He was also a prolific writer having penned around 18 cookbooks, including one with friend Gennaro Conaldo.
Carluccio was known for his strong personality and wicked sense of humour as well as his brilliance behind the stove and a passion for bringing Italian food to the masses. Chef Brian Turner tweeted of his old friend: ‘Sad to hear of the great loss of a wonderful friend today. I will miss you, thanks for your wonderful sense of humour.’
Sad to hear of the great loss of a wonderful friend today. I will miss you, thanks for your wonderful sense of humour @CookCarluccio xxx
As well as a love of cooking, Carluccio was a keen forager from an early age and long before it became a trend in the UK. His passion for mushrooms developed at the age of five when he would accompany his father roaming the Italian countryside looking for different fruits and fungi. He was also a keen whittler in his spare time, carving his initials into the sticks he would take with him on the foraging trips.
Carluccio was due to help present the Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards next week alongside Waitrose Kitchen editor William Sitwell. In an Instagram post, Sitwell remembered Carluccio for his ‘filthy jokes, his amazing array of expresso machines, his collection of chilled and jarred mushrooms, his wonderful conversation, the strong Italian accent that never left him’.
