Brian Turner Obituary | Brian James Turner, CBE, is a British chef, author, and television personality who was born on May 7, 1946, and currently resides in London. For the past two decades, he has appeared on and hosted numerous cooking shows, including Ready Steady Cook, Saturday Kitchen, and many others.
Halifax, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, is where Turner was born. Michael Smith, a culinary writer and broadcaster who mentored him early in his career, was a significant influence.
Richard Shepherd trained Turner at Simpson’s in the Strand and the Savoy Grill, two of London’s most exclusive hotels and restaurants.
Afterwards, Turner went to “Beau Rivage Palace” in Lausanne, before relocating to London to work at Claridge’s and the Capital Hotel, where he and Richard Shepherd gained a Michelin star in 1971.
He worked as a Chef Lecturer for a short time in early 1973. After Shepherd’s departure in 1975, Turner took over as Chef de Cuisine and opened the Greenhouse Restaurant and the Metro Wine Bar. Gary Rhodes and Shaun Hill were among the chefs who worked with Turner at the Capital.
When Turner started his own restaurant in London in 1986, it was called Turner’s. When he sold it in 2001, he was still in charge. As of April 2003, Brian Turner Mayfair and Brian Turner Mayfair at the Millennium Hotel, London, have been open for business.
Turner’s Grill opened at the Copthorne Hotel Slough-Windsor in January 2005, making it the hotel’s newest dining option. Mayfair, Brian Turner’s Mayfair location, closed at the end of July 2008, and was replaced with an unrelated Italian restaurant.
Snack food dubbed the “Brian Turner – S & C” was his brainchild in 2003.Vivat Bacchus, a South African wine bar and restaurant, has hired Brian as a consultant chef.
After a successful career in the catering sector, Turner was recognised with several awards, including Craft Guild of Chefs Special Award, Catey Award for “Chef of the Year,” and Wedgwood Award for outstanding contributions to the hospitality industry in 1997.
The UK Hospitality Skills Board is chaired by Turner, who has served as chairman of the Academy of Culinary Arts for nine years.
In recognition of his contributions to the London School of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure and to the field of catering education in general, he was named an Honorary Professor at Thames Valley University.
As a result of his contributions to tourism and training in the culinary sector, he was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours on June 15, 2002.
As a result of his contributions to hospitality and catering, Brian Turner was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2006. As a student at Leeds College of Food Technology, a precursor college of Leeds Metropolitan University, Brian was a member of the alumni network.
In recognition of his contributions to the catering industry, Sheffield Hallam University conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Brian Turner in 2008.
A private funeral service was held for Brian David Turner, 50, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, on Sunday, April 3, 2022 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Isaiah Turner and Constella ‘Connie’ Turner gave birth to Brian on June 23, 1971, at Victory Memorial Hospital in Waukegan, Illinois.
In 1981, he became a member of Waukegan’s Shiloh Baptist Church. Brian grew up in North Chicago, Illinois, and attended North Chicago Community High School, where he received his high school diploma in 1989.
Carbondale, Illinois’s Southern Illinois University was his alma mater. As a high school student, Brian worked at Motorola in Libertyville and TSA in Chicago; he also worked for the CXS Transportation company and Legacy Mail Management in Mt. Pleasant, IA, after college.
Aaliyah Stean-Turner of Chicago and Andrella Turner of Mt. Pleasant, IA, his parents Isaiah and Connie Turner of Waukegan, Illinois, his brother Alan Turner of Round Rock, Texas, and his sister Lynn Turner of Chicago, Illinois, as well as his aunts, Emma Mae Ricks of Roxbury, Massachusetts, have survived Brian.
In addition to Eula Rodgers, Jacquelyn McClellan, and Barbara Jean Fuqua, there are three other women in this group: His nephews Brendan Turner of Bolingbrook, IL, and Miles Keith of Chicago, IL, as well as his uncle Samuel Turner of Orlando, FL, and Edward Fuqua of Town Creek, AL,
Brian was a member of Rev. Tony Campbell’s church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.Brian has a wide circle of friends. Whenever he wanted a recipe, he would phone his mother and father. He was also a history buff and an avid reader.
His friends and family would often find him laughing around a card table while playing spades and dominoes. In his final act of kindness, he decided to give his organs to help others live longer lives.
The people who knew and loved Brian will miss him terribly. We shall always remember him for his contagious laughter and gorgeous grin.
There will be a memorial service for him on April 16, 2022, at 11:00 A.M at the Shiloh Baptist Church of Waukegan, located at 800 S. Genesee Street in Waukegan. Celebrant: Pastor Charles J. Ivy. This is a Private Service. There will be a wake and visitation beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday.
When Brian met Alycia, he knew he had found the woman of his dreams with whom he would share the rest of his life. Reading and learning new things were two of Brian’s favourite pastimes, which he shared with others.
He had a rare ability to bring people together and struck a connection with everyone he met. Those who knew him well and cared about him will be deeply saddened by his untimely death.
In addition to Alycia Maier-Turner, he leaves behind his wife of 28 years, Alexander Maier; his two grandchildren, Ava and Vivian Maier; his son Maximilian Turner; his mother Evelyn Turner; his sister, Teri Utter; his sister, Trena Turner; and his nephews and nieces.
He is also survived by a host of other family members. Ted Turner, his father, and his brother, John Turner, died before him in a car accident.
On Sunday, June 5, at 1 p.m., close relatives and friends will gather at the Brunswick Shrine Club to commemorate his life.
As an alternative to sending flowers, the Turners have decided to create a foundation in Brian’s memory that would promote literacy and weapons safety among children and youth. “In honour of Brian Turner” in the memo line of checks should be made payable to Alycia Maier-Turner at this time.”
As the show’s chef for many years, Granada Television’s This Morning, Turner was an integral part of the team.
Chef Jamie Oliver was a regular guest cook on BBC2’s Ready Steady Cook and also hosted his own BBC show, “Anything You Can Cook.” In the past few months, Turner has appeared on Perfect, Saturday Kitchen.
A Taste of Britain with Janet Street-Porter (2014), Life on a Plate (2015), and James Martin’s Saturday Morning (2021). As part of the Daily Cooks Challenge, two chefs compete to prepare a dish for a famous visitor in front of a live audience. He featured on Countdown’s Dictionary Corner in May of this year.