Commendatore Antonio Carluccio OBE
19th April 1937 to 8th November 2017
It is with great sadness that Commendatore Antonio Carluccio OBE sadly passed away on the 8th November 2017.
Commendatore Antonio Carluccio was an OBE, OMRI and a much loved and respected Italian cookery writer, cook, restaurateur, food expert and loved TV personality, he was regarded as the Godfather of Italian cooking. Raised in the rural North West of Italy, Antonio had a rare and privileged breadth of culinary knowledge.
Antonio was appointed Commendatore by the Italian Government in 1998 for services rendered to Italy, the equivalent of a British knighthood. He also received an OBE from The Queen in 2007 for services to the catering industry.
In 1981 Antonio opened the Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden, London, which traded for 26 years. In the same year he also was runner up in the Sunday Times Cook of the Year.
In 1999 Antonio co-founded Carluccio’s and it is his dedication and legacy which has made the restaurant group one of the UK’s most successful and well-known brands.
Antonio was awarded the AA Hospitality Lifetime Achievement award in 2012. Winners of this award are congratulated for making significant contributions to their industry, which have had a notable impact, and have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to progress in their field.
Neil Wickers, CEO, Carluccio’s : “We received the incredibly sad news that Antonio Carluccio passed away earlier this morning. Antonio built this business from one restaurant to the fantastic brand it is today. It isn’t just Antonio’s name above our doors, but his heart and soul lives and breathes throughout our business. He has been a huge inspiration to many of us and his energy, zest for life and sense of humour will be greatly missed.
The loss of Antonio will be felt by all our team, especially to those who have been with him from the beginning and our thoughts are with them, his family and friends.”
