A Perth chef acclaimed as one of Scotland’s rising culinary stars was killed at the weekend in an accident on the A9.
Ryan Young, of Main Street, Bankfoot, was riding his red and white Yamaha motorbike at around 7.20 on Saturday morning when he collided with a silver Isuzu 4×4 pick-up on the A9 at its junction with the unclassified road leading to the B9099 Luncarty road.
The 38-year-old died at the scene. The driver of the Isuzu was uninjured.
Mr Young, a married man, was head chef at the Opus One restaurant at the New County Hotel in Perth, which under his guidance had quickly established itself as one of Scotland’s leading restaurants.
The restaurant has won a number of accolades, as had Mr Young. Last year he received the silver award in the Scottish new restaurant of the year category at the Scottish Chef Awards.
Opus One also achieved two AA Rosettes in the short time it has been open, but all awards, whether for the restaurant or for Mr Young himself, the chef generously attributed to team effort.
Tribute was paid to Mr Young by well-known chef Jeremy Wares, formerly of 63 Tay Street in Perth, and now of The Anglers Inn and Restaurant at Guildtown.
“He was someone who had come to my attention as a rising star. It is a great loss to the catering community,” said Mr Wares.Terribly sad”It is terribly sad when someone has got talent and their life is cut short so young. He was a chef who had taken the County Hotel and put it on the map.”
Staff at the New County Hotel were too upset at the weekend to comment on the loss of their colleague but one customer of the restaurant paid tribute to the young chef.
“The reputation of Opus One and Ryan Young was well deserved the plaudits came from critics who are not easily impressed,” he said.
“It is very sad. We will never know what he could have achieved.”
Among the places Mr Young had previously worked was the Kinloch House Hotel in Perthshire.
Tayside Police carried out an investigation at the scene of the tragedy and the A9 was closed for several hours on Saturday with diversions in place.
Disruption was considerable, with motorists heading in both directions diverted through communities along the route. The road was reopened at about 3.15pm.
A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal at Perth.
Police are appealing for witnesses or anyone who was driving in the area at the time to come forward.