Top chef who trained under Rick Stein and cooked for U2, Drake and the Spice Girls until Covid lockdown put him out of work dies 'suddenly' aged 40
A top chef who toured the world cooking for music royalty including U2, Drake, and the Spice Girls until the Covid lockdown put him out of work - has died suddenly at the age of 40.
Lee Holland was described as 'an absolute powerhouse of talent' by colleagues at his Devon seafood restaurant The Catch, where he worked prior to his death.
Mr Holland, originally from London, was a personal cook for pop stars including P!nk and Roger Waters before moving to Plymouth and establishing one of the city's favourite fine dining spots.
But yesterday staff made the shock announcement that Mr Holland, who trained under TV chef Rick Stein, had sadly died.In a statement, The Catch said: 'It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of our brilliant head chef, manager and driving force behind The Catch, Lee Holland.
Chef Lee Holland, 40, who cooked for music royalty including U2, Drake, and the Spice Girls has died suddenly, his colleagues have announced
Mr Holland (right) made a success of The Catch after he resettled in Plymouth following a jet-setting career as a personal chef to the stars
Lee Holland, originally from London , was a personal cook for pop stars such as The Spice Girls (pictured)
'Lee was an absolute powerhouse of talent, his culinary skills, depth of knowledge of seafood and ability to create menus that balanced flavour with artistic flair was pure genius.
'Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time. The restaurant is closed for now and we kindly ask for privacy as our staff mourn the loss of a dear friend and colleague.'
Mr Holland made a success of the popular venue after he resettled in Devon following a jet-setting career as a personal chef to some of the world's top pop acts.
The successful cook trained under Rick Stein in Padstow and worked for the TV chef for five years.
He then went on to become a personal chef to music stars, a job that took him 'to a different country every day', even if he mostly only got to see the inside of hotels.
In 2022, The Catch on the Barbican's Southside Street was named the best seafood establishment in Plymouth and throughout all of Devon
Colleagues have been left stunned after a top chef, who cooked for music royalty including U2, Drake (pictured), and the Spice Girls, passed away suddenly
Speaking to PlymouthLive last year, he said: 'We were touring Europe and the world but that all collapsed during Covid.
'I started selling oysters on Hampstead Heath, but decided to get out of London. I stumbled across this [The Catch].'
In 2022, the bijou eatery on the Barbican's Southside Street was named the best seafood establishment in Plymouth and throughout all of Devon.
It also topped TripAdvisor's list of the city's eateries just six months after it opened.
