Chef Russell Norman, 57, hanged himself after argument with girlfriend

Celebrity chef Russell Norman hanged himself after a drunken argument along with his girlfriend, an inquest has heard.

The award-winning chef and restaurant proprietor was discovered on November 18 final yr within the backyard of his Kent dwelling and was rushed to hospital.

The 57-year-old, who usually appeared on BBC‘s Saturday Kitchen and offered The Restaurant Man, suffered extreme mind harm.

Despite medical makes an attempt to avoid wasting him, he died 5 days later in hospital surrounded by his household and pals.

Mr Norman was lauded because the ‘new king of Soho eating’ when he established himself on the London restaurant scene in 2012 after he invented the idea of small Italian plates and revived the Negroni cocktail. 

An inquest heard he had twice the quantity of alcohol in his system than the authorized drink-drive restrict, and a conclusion of suicide by hanging was recorded.

The inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone on Friday heard he had gone into the backyard of his dwelling in Pluckley after arguing with girlfriend Dr Genevieve Verdigel.

In an announcement learn by Coroner Katrina Hepburn, Dr Verdigel, an artwork historian, instructed how she had later found Mr Norman mendacity unconscious within the backyard.

She mentioned: ‘I ran again inside to name 999. I used to be making an attempt to do CPR. I used to be screaming and the folks subsequent door got here spherical.’

Celebrity chef Russell Norman hanged himself in backyard after drunken argument along with his girlfriend, an inquest has heard 

Russell Norman starred within the BBC2 present The Restaurant Man

A pulse was detected throughout resuscitation makes an attempt and paramedics rushed Mr Norman to the William Harvey Hospital in close by Ashford.

However, medical doctors revealed he had suffered mind harm and positioned him on end-of-life care. He died 5 days later on the hospital, on November 23.

His inquest heard he had been displaying ‘suicidal tendencies’ earlier than his loss of life.

The reason behind Norman’s loss of life was given as a mind harm brought on by hanging, with Ms Hepburn recording a verdict of suicide.

Mr Norman’s surprising loss of life summoned floods of tributes, with former Saturday Kitchen host James Martin hailing him as a ‘big’ of the restaurant world.

He was famend for spearheading the ‘small plates’ and no reservations actions at his eating places, most notably the favored Italian eateries Polpo and Brutto in London.

His first e book, Polpo: a Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts), received the Waterstones Book of the Year in 2012 and, 4 years later, his second e book, SPUNTINO – Comfort Food (New York Style), received the 2016 Guild of Food Writers Award for greatest meals and journey e book.

He was later rewarded along with his personal BBC2 documentary collection The Restaurant Man, through which he suggested would-be restauranteurs who packed of their day jobs to observe their goals of opening a restaurant.

Following his loss of life, former Saturday Kitchen host James Martin, 51, paid tribute to him Norman in a publish on X (previously Twitter), writing: ‘Just heard the information that in the present day we misplaced an enormous and a legend within the restaurant world, Russell Norman, who was and can all the time be an inspiration for therefore many.’

Stefan Chomka, editor of Restaurant journal, added: ‘He beloved eating places that have been like him – that had numerous appeal and nice character.

‘He had an actual sense of hospitality, in addition to pleasure, intelligence, generosity and a mind for element.

‘He had a magpie tendency: he would take inspiration from eating places in Italy, New York and London and produce all of them collectively.’