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THE RESPECTED ITALIAN chef and restaurateur, Antonio Carluccio has died today, his official website has announced, at the age of 80.

Raised in the rural north-west of Italy, Antonio grew a passion for food early in life at the age of seven when he would collect mushrooms with his father.

In 1981 he opened the Neal Street Restaurant in Covent Garden, London and was runner-up that year in the Sunday Times Cook of the Year.

In 1999 he co-founded Carluccio’s, a now-famous restaurant group and successful UK brand, which has also opened in Dublin.

He appeared on numerous television programs like Antonio Carluccio’s Italian Feast and had published 22 books on cooking.

In his lifetime he was appointed Commendatore, similar to a knighthood, by the Italian government for services to food and received an OBE in 2007 for services to the catering industry.

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