Award-winning chef dies suddenly
A Christchurch restaurant will remain closed until further notice after the death of its owner and chef.
Martin Walter Weiss, 47, died suddenly at home on October 28, reportedly because of a brain lesion.
Swiss-born Weiss and his Kiwi wife, Cindy, had run the upmarket restaurant Rotherhams of Riccarton since 2000.
The couple have two daughters, Madelaine and Claudia.
A recorded message on the family’s answerphone said Rotherhams would remain closed until further notice.
Martin Weiss’s funeral will be held in Burnside on Thursday.
Hospitality New Zealand passed on its ‘‘sincere sympathies’’ to Weiss’s family, with Canterbury president Peter Morrison saying the unexpected death was ‘‘very sad’’.
Friends and industry colleagues also expressed their grief on food website DineOut.
Weiss was ‘‘truly one of the good guys of the industry’’, one said. ‘‘His dedication to quality and consistency at his business over many, many years ensured Rotherhams’ survival through some extremely tough years and their place consistently at the top of the industry in Christchurch when others came and went.’’
Another, who worked with Weiss at Rotherhams, described him as a ‘‘remarkable, wonderful, considerate boss’’.
‘‘[Weiss had] a huge heart and more patience than most successful chefs,’’ she wrote.
‘‘He was completely irreplaceable.
‘‘The shock of losing him is still intense but seeing how much he meant to so many is a great comfort to the staff and must be incredibly meaningful to Cindy and his family.’’
Last year, Weiss won the top honours in a diner-judged competition to determine Canterbury’s best beef and lamb dishes.
He won the Canterbury
Top chef Martin Weiss has been described as ‘‘truly one of the good guys of the industry’’. People’s Choice Award for his signature dish – beef fillet wrapped in bacon – and his take on lamb cutlets.
In 2009, Weiss was named Outstanding Canterbury Chef at the annual Canterbury Hospitality Awards and his restaurant was also named the year’s best.
Before opening Rotherhams, Weiss was the head chef at Tiffany’s Restaurant for five years.
He won several awards and honourable mentions for himself and the central-city restaurant.