Melbourne chef Teage Ezard dies after battle with incurable mind illness
- Teage Ezard dies age 59
Acclaimed chef Teage Ezard, has died at the age of 59 after a two‑year battle with an incurable brain disease.
The visionary restaurateur and founder of the beloved Asian‑fusion hotspot Gingerboy passed away on Friday.
He had been diagnosed in 2024 with multiple system atrophy (MSA), cerebellar type, a degenerative neurological condition that progressively affects balance, movement, and eventually the senses of taste and smell.
Ezard is survived by his wife, Tina, and their two children.
In a heartfelt statement, his family said they were devastated by the loss of a man who faced his illness with extraordinary strength.
‘With the heaviest of hearts, we share that our beloved Teage Ezard has passed after a brave fight with Multiple System Atrophy,’ they said.
‘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 & friend.’
‘Teage wanted his story to raise awareness of MSA and support research to spare other families this pain.’
Melbourne Chef Teage Ezard (pictued) passed away on Friday due to a brain disease
Ezard was known for his restaurants including Gingerboy which closed in Melbourne in 2024
Mr Ezard’s family has asked for him to be honoured by spreading MSA awareness & supporting Combat MSA.
Ezard was one of the chefs who helped redefine Melbourne’s dining scene through the late 1990s and early 2000s.
His flagship restaurant Ezard enjoyed a remarkable two‑decade run before closing at the start of the Covid pandemic, while Gingerboy, known for its bold flavours and neon‑lit buzz, served its final meals in 2024.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece paid tribute to Ezard on Saturday.
‘Teage was a visionary whose creativity reshaped the way Melbourne dined. Through iconic venues such as Guernica, EZARD, and Gingerboy, he set new standards for Australian hospitality,’ he said.
Reece said Ezard was ‘in the vanguard of chefs who revolutionised the Melbourne dining scene in the 1990s and early 2000’s’.
‘It was an era which saw Melbourne rise from an interesting outpost in the Antipodes to a global culinary capital. He was a leading figure in the birth of Cool Melbourne, transforming our city into a cutting-edge cultural destination that endures to this day.’
