TV chef Chris Wheeler found dead in graveyard, inquest hears

Warning: This article includes sensitive content which some readers may find distressing

Television chef Chris Wheeler has been remembered as a devoted father and an exceptionally talented cook after an inquest heard how he was found dead in a London cemetery.

Wheeler, 52, who appeared on BBC's Great British Menu as well as Saturday Kitchen and Hell's Kitchen, was found at Brompton Cemetery in West London on 27 February.

His wife had reported him missing two days earlier.

Cemetery workers discovered his body in a secluded area among the graves while looking for a damaged headstone.

The circumstances surrounding his death were examined at Inner West London Coroner's Court on Wednesday (30 September).

The court heard that Wheeler had died from asphyxiation, with the effects of a ‘cocktail of drugs’ also contributing to his passing, reports the Standard.

Toxicology tests detected methamphetamine, amphetamine and ketamine in his system, with the pathologist reporting that the drugs were not present at fatal levels but considered them contributory.

Police initially treated the circumstances as potentially suspicious because of where his body was found. However, CCTV showed Wheeler entering the cemetery alone and a forensic examination found no evidence of a struggle.

A Metropolitan Police detective told the inquest that specialist forensic officers concluded there had been no third-party involvement.

The court heard that the TV star has a 'history of mental health problems' but that it wasn't clear whether he had intended to take his own life or not.

An open conclusion was recorded, meaning there's insufficient evidence for the coroner to decide how a person's death came about.

Away from the details of the inquest, the hearing offered a picture of a chef who had devoted much of his life to his profession while remaining deeply attached to his family.

A statement from his family described Wheeler as ‘an exceptionally talented chef’ and said he had known from a young age that he wanted to work in kitchens.

“He was a perfectionist and took immense pride in his work,” the statement said.

Although the demands of his career left him with little free time, his family said he always made time for them and that they had ‘wonderful memories’.

His two daughters described their father as a ‘truly sunny soul’, while the family said he ‘adored his daughters’ and regarded them as his greatest achievement.

Wheeler had built an impressive career long before he became a familiar face on television.

He began his career in France and later worked with chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, becoming the youngest sous chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant.

He went on to hold senior positions at several prestigious kitchens, including Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire, where he spent more than two decades as executive chef.

More recently, he worked as executive chef at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham.