Highly respected Melbourne chef Teage Ezrad has died at the age of 59 after a battle with a neurological disease.
Ezard burst onto the Australian culinary scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and ran well-known Melbourne restaurants Ezard and Gingerboy, with the former winning The Age's Best New Restaurant of the Year award when it first opened.
However, Ezard began to step away from the restaurant world during the COVID-19 pandemic as he began to suffer from health issues.
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In 2024, he was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), an incurable disease that affects movement, balance, speech and other emotional regulation.
Yesterday, his family announced his death.
"With the heaviest of hearts, we share that our beloved Teage Ezard has passed after a brave fight with MSA," the family said in a statement on social media.
"He met this cruel disease with courage, humour, wit, and unbreakable spirit, joking and uplifting others until the very end.
A legendary chef who shaped Australian dining, he was our devoted husband, father, son, brother and friend.
"Teage wanted his story to raise awareness of MSA and support research to spare other families this pain.
"We're grieving deeply and ask for privacy.
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"Honour him by spreading MSA awareness & supporting Combat MSA."
Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nick Reece called Ezrad a "visionary" who helped put Melbourne on the map in culinary terms, and "set new standards for Australian hospitality."
"[His] creativity reshaped the way Melbourne dined," Reece said.
"Teage was in the vanguard of chefs who revolutionised the Melbourne dining scene in the 1990s and early 2000's."
Reece also praised the work of Ezard in creating awareness for MSA, with Ezard and his family creating the Combat MSA organisation.
"He met this cruel disease with courage, humour, wit, and unbreakable spirit, joking and uplifting others until the very end," Combat MSA said in a post on social media announcing Ezard's death.
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"A legendary chef who shaped Australian dining, he was our devoted husband, father, son, brother and friend."
Last year, Ezard spoke to The Good Weekend about his diagnosis and its impact on his family, especially his wife Tina.
"I was scared of dying after the initial shock of the diagnosis, but I've accepted time isn't on my side," he said at the time.
"It's hard to have your independence taken away. Tina reassures me, helps me engage in social interactions, monitors my symptoms. Her strength and patience leave me in awe."
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