Billy Gallagher, (17 August 1948 – 19 May 2016) was a
chef
A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...
and
businessman
A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for th ...
in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
After having worked at
The Dorchester
The Dorchester is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street in London, to the east of Hyde Park. It is one of the world's most prestigious and expensive hotels. The Dorchester opened on 18 April 1931, and it still retains its ...
in London, Gallagher arrived in South Africa in 1973 to take up an executive sous-chef position with local hotel chain Southern Sun.
In 1982, Gallagher was elected president of the South African Chefs Association (SACA), and held that position for 21 years before becoming its honorary life president in 2003.
In 1996, he became president of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS), and in 2000 its honorary life president.
In 2000 he survived an attempted hijacking, which left him paralyzed as a
quadriplegic
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or t ...
.
From 2004 he was Director of Communication and PR for the Southern Sun Hotel Group in Johannesburg; from 2005, Executive Director for the Centre for Culinary Excellence in Johannesburg, and from 2006, Chairman of the School for Tourism and Hospitality Studies in Johannesburg.
Gallagher earned a Doctorate of Culinary Arts from the
Johnson & Wales University
Johnson & Wales University (JWU) is a private university with its main campus in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded as a business school in 1914 by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, JWU enrolled 7,357 students across its campuses in the fa ...
, Miami.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallagher, Billy
1948 births
2016 deaths
People with tetraplegia
South African chefs