A chef who spent almost five years working at the Gleneagles Hotel has died.
James Rehill (25) died last Wednesday after suffering what is believed to have been an epileptic fit.
The talented cook had worked under Michelin-starred chef Andrew Fairlie before becoming sous chef at the five-star Cliff House Hotel in his native Ireland in January.
James had begun suffering seizures after a car accident two years ago.
Mr Fairlie paid tribute to ”an absolute diamond”.
He said: “He was an immensely talented chef and hugely popular with everyone. When he had his accident he was in intensive care for a while and that was bad enough but to hear he had passed away was devastating.
”He came to work with us for a couple of days from Ireland and we immediately offered him a job. It was a pleasure watching him grow and mature.
”He was an absolute diamond of a guy. Nobody had a bad word to say about him he was a gentleman.”
In 2011, James was a regional finalist in the Restaurant Association’s Young Chef/Young Waiter awards.
Adriaan Bartels, general manager at Cliff House in Ardmore, County Waterford, said: ”The team were all very shocked and stunned by it (James’s death). He was a very nice guy. He was a fantastic chef and he had a great future in front of him.”
He added the hotel was considering establishing a scholarship in James’s name aimed at helping up-and-coming chefs.