Australia’s first ‘celebrity chef’ and the man synonymous with “G’day” and “Where’s the cheese?” has died.

Chef, artist, writer, illustrator and author Peter Russell-Clarke is being remembered as a pioneer of television cooking after his death at age 89.

Russell-Clarke died on Friday, July 4 — surrounded by his wife of 65 years, Jan, and his children Peter and Wendy and their families — from complications following a stroke.

He became a household name in the 1980s on the ABC’s popular cooking show Come and Get It.

The relaxed and informative five-minute cookery show — peppered with his trademark “G’day”, “Ripper” and “You beaut” — notched up 900 episodes between 1983 and 1992 and spawned his distinctive catch-cry “Come and get it”.

Russell-Clarke was also a familiar face on commercial television thanks to his “Where’s the cheese?” advertisements for the Australian Dairy Corporation.

The author of almost 40 recipe books, Russell-Clarke was also a food ambassador for the United Nations and cooked for dignitaries including the late Duke of Edinburgh and King Charles when he was still Prince of Wales.

Born in Ballarat in 1935, he was the son of an Anglican minister father and dressmaker mother, and was renowned for his Bohemian style of dress — complete with signature neckerchief and artist’s smock.

Russell-Clarke worked as a creative director in an advertising agency in the 1970s and was a political cartoonist for The Melbourne Herald.

He appeared alongside journalist Derryn Hinch in the 1983 film At Last ... Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture and ran an unnamed pop-up restaurant in Carlton decades before they became a thing.

Hinch posted this tribute: “G’Day. Me ol’ mate, Peter Russell-Clarke, the Egg Man, has died. He really was a talented likeable rogue.” (@HumanHeadline)

– with AAP.

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Wednesday, 27th September 2023

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