River Caf� founder Rose Gray dies after losing cancer battle

Published: 10:54PM GMT twenty-eight February 2010

Rose Gray in the Cheese Room of the Riverside Cafe in Hammersmith, West London Photo: ANDREW CROWLEY

The cook and cookery bard set up the London grill with Ruth Rogers in 1987. The span were credited with conversion the likes of Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who both worked there.

Oliver paid tribute, describing Gray as a ""pioneer"" and a ""really good boss"".

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The 34-year-old radio cook said: ""I"m so saddened by the genocide of Rose.

""She unequivocally was one of life"s very, unequivocally special, natural, might chefs; a loyal colonize of tasty elementary cooking.

""It was my honour to have worked with her a unequivocally good boss, a smashing chairman who gave me a little of my fondest in progress memories and good droll times.

""The peculiarity of food and chefs that have left the River Caf over the last twenty years speaks for itself and is all credit to the partnership, love and values of Rose Gray and Ruthie Rogers.

""Without subject the universe has lost one of the majority critical chefs of the times, she will be sorely missed.""

The River Caf non-stop in Hammersmith in 1987, bringing the dual women"s version of Italian in progress to British diners with a concentration on mutation and anniversary ingredients.

Gray and Rogers were awarded MBEs in this year"s New Year"s Honours list for services to the liberality industry.