Famed Scottish chef John Quigley passed away on Sunday (November 23).
His family released the following statement: “On Sunday we sadly lost our beloved husband and father, John Quigley, far too young aged only 62, after an extremely courageous battle with lung cancer.
“John will be sorely missed by his wife, Gillian, and daughters Rosie and Amy who wish to extend their thanks for all of the kind wishes and compassion at this time.
“His family are committed to continuing his proud legacy at his successful family-run restaurant, Red Onion, with his dedicated and loyal team there.”
Born in Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Quigley had set out to have a career in music industry management, with some early success, but when that faltered he took what was described as a ‘lowly position’ in the kitchen of Peter Stringfellow’s restaurant in London’s Covent Garden, then worked his way up to eventually run the place.
By the age of 22, Quigley was the youngest head chef to appear in the Good Food Guide, which leveraged his return to the music world with a firm that specialised in catering for touring bands.
He subsequently toured with a diverse range of artistes, including Tina Turner, Paul McCartney, The BeeGees and Guns’n’Roses, and revelled in his stories of ‘rock and roll catering’.
When John finally stepped off the tour bus, he opened a number of restaurants, including Glasgow’s Mojo, where he met his wife Gill.
The couple subsequently opened Red Onion in the city, which has been a popular dining spot ever since.
With showbiz forever in his soul, John was also a regular on the STV’s cookery game show Boiling Point and the Riverside Show. His last major TV appearance was in 2022 when he appeared on Channel Four’s Come Dine With Me: The Professionals.
John was also a contributing food editor for Esquire Magazine, The Sunday Mail and The Herald.
He and Gill celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last year.
Industry tributes were led by MasterChef: The Professionals winner Gary Maclean, who said: “John was a brilliant chef, a generous mentor, and will have a lasting influence on Scottish hospitality. His talent, kindness, and legacy will be deeply missed across Scotland.”
Donald Macleod, owner of Glasgow’s The Garage and Cathouse nightclubs, said: “Gutted and shocked to hear of the passing of ‘rock n’ roll’ chef John Quigley, a crackin’ cook whose grit and determination put his Red Onion restaurant on the world stage.
“He was also one of the nicest and friendliest people you could ever wish to meet. He will be sorely missed not least by his grieving wife and family, who have my deepest sympathies and condolences.”
Celebrity chef Nick Nairn said: “John was a great guy and a top class chef. He was firmly part of the Glasgow dining scene for over 25 years. He has been taken far too soon and will be sorely missed.”
Radio host Tam Cowan said: “Absolutely gutted to hear the devastating news early this morning that we’ve lost my old pal and chef to the stars the one and only John Quigley.”
