Jonnie Boer is up to

ZWOLLE. The Dutch three-star chef Jonnie Boer is dead. As his wife Thérèse told De Telegraaf, he died of a pulmonary embolism on Wednesday morning. He died on the Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire, where he also ran restaurants. Jonnie Boer was 60 years old. De Librije is currently the only restaurant in the Netherlands to be awarded three stars and is also on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list.

The family shared the news on social media: "Unfortunately, our worst nightmare has come true. Jonnie passed away this morning on Bonaire as a result of a pulmonary embolism. We are incredibly sad and devastated and still can't believe it. We hope that you will give us peace and time to give this pain some space. And we would like to thank you for all the support we have received. Kind regards, Thérèse, Jimmie & Isabelle."

Jonnie Boer was considered the most famous chef in the Netherlands and had a significant influence on the culinary scene in the country. He was born in Giethoorn in 1965 and began his gastronomic career at the age of 17 at restaurant De Boerderij in Amsterdam. From 1986, he worked at De Librije in Zwolle, initially under Ed Meijers, until he became head chef in 1989. In 1993, he took over the restaurant together with his wife Thérèse. That year he was awarded his first star in the Michelin Guide. The second star followed in 1999 and the third in 2004. They later took over a former women's prison and converted it into a hotel. De Librije is still located there today. In addition to restaurants in Zwolle, Jonnuie Boer also ran other establishments on Bonaire and Curaçao. His children Jimmie and Isabelle also worked there and are co-owners of De Librije, as is 33-year-old chef Nelson Tanate. This was also part of the Dutch TV series De Opvolging, which showed the gradual transition of the business to the next generation.

The death of Jonnie Boer has caused deep sadness in the Netherlands and in the culinary scene. Flowers were laid in front of De Librije. Zwolle's mayor Peter Snijders told the television station NOS: "He was more than a top chef - an innovator, a source of inspiration and a proud ambassador for our city."