Tragic death of Holkham chef
TRIBUTES have been paid to a gifted and popular West Norfolk chef who tragically died in a road accident days after becoming a dad again.
Andy Bruce (34), of Snettisham, was the head chef at the Victoria Hotel in Holkham and previously worked at the Rose and Crown in Snettisham and the Gin Trap in Ringstead.
He leaves his wife, Sarah, and three children – Daniel, Lily and Jimmy.
Mr Bruce had worked at the Victoria Hotel for about six months. Owner Viscount Coke, of Holkham Hall, said it was a cruel and tragic loss for Mr Bruce's family. "We will do all we can to help and support them," he said.
Mr Bruce had earned great respect from staff who worked alongside him and in his short time at Holkham had already made his mark.
"With his colleagues, he was kind, fair and a great teacher. By taking time with staff, he inspired them and gave them confidence in their own ability," said Viscount Coke.
He added: "We have lost a highly-valued member of the Holkham family and we will all miss him greatly."
The owner of the Rose and Crown, Anthony Goodrich, said Mr Bruce worked there for two years before moving to the Victoria Hotel in May. He and Sarah had held their wedding reception at the Snettisham pub in February.
"We are absolutely devastated because he was such a good guy. We are in a state of shock but that is nothing compared to what Sarah and his family are feeling. It's just tragic for them," said Mr Goodrich.
He also praised Mr Bruce's cooking skills. "He was a really great chef, very talented," said Mr Goodrich.
In 2005, London-trained Mr Bruce beat chefs from across the country to win the Food from Britain section of the annual PubChef awards. In 2006, he was a finalist in the Chef of the Year category.
While working at the pub, Mr Bruce made his home in the village and became well-known in the community.
"He was very friendly and outgoing. People knew him and liked him," said Mr Goodrich.
As reported in the Lynn News on Tuesday, Mr Bruce died after his green Fiat Punto car was involved in a collision with a silver Vauxhall Vectra at Stanhoe at 11.15pm last Friday.
The funeral service will be held at Mintlyn Crematorium in Lynn at 3.15pm on Wednesday.
Anyone wanting to pay tribute to Mr Bruce can do so below.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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