James Martin paid tribute to the late chef (Image: ITV)
James Martin has paid tribute to a cooking legend. Celebrated Chinese chef and restaurateur Bill Poon has d!ed aged 81.
Posting to Instagram, the Saturday Kitchen star shared an emotional message as he reflected on his friendship with the legendary cook. James wrote: “RIP a legend on the UK food scene, Bill Poon. I met him when I was a young commis working in London and he said ‘love food, work hard and things will happen’. Thank you Bill for your advice, I will never forget it.” Some of his 766,000 social media followers commented with their own tributes. One said: “What great advice! My parents were huge fans and we ate his food regularly. Just rather annoying that I thought all Chinese food would taste that way. Set a very high bar which very few have come close to.”
Another added: “What an insightful person RIP,” as a third penned: “I am sorry for your loss.”
Family friend and restaurateur Jon Spiteri said: “When Poon’s opened in the early seventies Bill and Cecilia forever changed the way Chinese cuisine was perceived in England.
“Bill created dishes that were light, fresh and stunningly cooked. It was an absolute treat to go to Poon’s and savour his cuisine. Bill Poon was and is a giant in the British culinary world and has left a void.
“He has thankfully left us Amy, who is carrying on the family tradition at her own restaurant, Poon’s at Somerset House on Waterloo Bridge. I loved Bill and he will be hugely missed.”
Poon is best known for Poon’s of Covent Garden, which opened in 1976 and was among the earliest Chinese restaurants in London to receive a Michelin star.
Together with his wife Cecilia, Poon and his extended family ran a collection of Poon’s restaurants throughout London for three decades. At the height of the group’s success in the 1980s, there were no fewer than seven Poon’s branded establishments.
Serving impeccably crafted Cantonese cuisine, Poon’s helped pave the way for a new wave of chefs looking to present a more sophisticated and forward-thinking approach to Chinese food. The couple stepped away from the restaurant trade in the early 2000s.
He was a highly regarded and active figure within London’s Chinese community and restaurant scene, feeding those without homes beneath Waterloo Bridge and tirelessly raising funds for causes dear to him.
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