Sunday Brunch’s Simon Rimmer pays heartfelt tribute to friend

Sunday Brunch: Simon Rimmer pays tribute to Paul Kitching

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During the most recent instalment of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Simon Rimmer took a moment to pay tribute to Paul Kitching. The trailblazing chef was behind the acclaimed Edinburgh restaurant 21212 which held a Michelin star for a decade.

On the latest episode of Sunday Brunch, Simon welcomed chef Paul Ainsworth onto the show to make a meal for the four celebrity guests on the panel.

Before the guest started to prepare his White Onion Soup with Cornish Rarebit On Toast, Simon took a brief moment to mention the recent news of Paul Kitchings’s death.

The announcement was made by his partner Katie O’Brien on Thursday last week who had emailed customers on their 21212 restaurant mailing list.

Touching on Paul’s death on Sunday Brunch, Simon said: “Before we start, we just want to, you know, a little acknowledgement.

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On the latest episode of Sunday Brunch, Simon welcomed chef Paul Ainsworth onto the show to make a meal for the four celebrity guests on the panel.

Before the guest started to prepare his White Onion Soup with Cornish Rarebit On Toast, Simon took a brief moment to mention the recent news of Paul Kitchings’s death.

The announcement was made by his partner Katie O’Brien on Thursday last week who had emailed customers on their 21212 restaurant mailing list.

Touching on Paul’s death on Sunday Brunch, Simon said: “Before we start, we just want to, you know, a little acknowledgement.

“Very sad news this week that a good friend of ours, one of the greatest chefs the UK has seen for a very very long time.

“Paul Kitching, unfortunately, passed away this week,” Simon said as he became visibly moved by the news.

“Paul (Ainsworth) and I just wanted to say he’ll be greatly missed and love to his family and friends. Big loss in the industry.”

One of the show’s cooking chefs, Paul Ainsworth agreed with Simon that his death was a loss for the culinary world.

He added: “Huge, absolutely huge and yeah, like a genius.”

Simon replied: “Really really nice guy, once wrote me a handwritten letter to say how much he liked what I was doing which I thought was really lovely.

“Anyway, love to all the family and friends,” Simon concluded 

Paul’s partner Kate told diners in the email that his death had come as a total shock to the team at 21212.

She wrote: “We are trying to come to terms with the passing of a legend within our industry.

“Paul was an inspirational figure to everyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting him or working with him and we are all devastated.”

Also sharing the news on all of 21212’s social media platforms, floods of tributes have started to pour in from fans, friends and other chefs.

The official Michelin Guide Twitter, which awards Michelin stars, also shared its condolences as it called the 61-year-old kind, clever, hugely talented and infectiously enthusiastic.

Paul first started in the hospitality sector back in 1981 when he was a pot washer before studying for three years at Newcastle Polytechnic.

He then went on to work at Michelin-starred establishments including Gidleigh Park Restaurant 74, but it wasn’t until 1991 that he became head chef for the first time in Cheshire.

Paul was awarded a Michelin star at his first restaurant in Greater Manchester called Juniper which he opened in 1997.

Sunday Brunch airs Sunday on Channel 4 from 9:30am.

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