Chefs have just declared June 25th “Bourdain Day” in honour of the late presenter

To celebrate the life of world renowned food personality and legendary “Parts Unknown” host Anthony Bourdain, celebrity chefs Jose Andrés and Eric Ripert have teamed up to officially declare June 25th “Bourdain Day”. The announcement was made by the pair in a video posted to social media, with the caption “IMPORTANT! JUNE 25th #BOURDAINDAY Celebrating the Life, Legacy & Birthday of our Dear Friend Anthony! Wherever U are & whoever UR with, join @chefjoseandres I & share your tributes & memories using #BourdainDay & wish Anthony Peace & Happy Birthday! RT/Spread the word! CHEERS!” Following this, the hashtag #BourdainDay quickly began trending across the internet.

In the video, Ripert, who is the head chef and patron of elite French seafood restaurant “Le Bernardin” in New York, stated “June is a very important month. On June 25, we are all going to celebrate the birthday of our dear friend and beloved Anthony Bourdain.” This was followed by Andrés inviting everyone watching to “celebrate Tony’s health” by raising a glass wherever they may be on June 25th and having Bourdain in their thoughts. The pair then began quaffing from a couple of Spanish wine pitchers, a move of which Bourdain himself would undoubtedly have been very appreciative.

Ripert and Andrés’ informal idea for international celebration is not the only event occurring to honour the late chef. Food & Wine report that the Culinary Institute of America have announced plans to introduce a new Bourdain scholarship to coincide with the date, writing that the programme will support “…students interested in following in the chef’s footsteps with an ‘international culinary experience’ or semester abroad.”

When news of Bourdain’s death first broke in June last year, the response was immediate and heartfelt. In addition to posthumous honours for his work on the show “Parts Unknown”, Bourdain was also the subject of memorialising autobiography, “Anthony Bourdain Remembered”, which featured anecdotes from the likes of Barack Obama, Andrés and Ripert. Given the scale of his impact on the modern food industry and food media in particular, it seems only fair that he should be remembered so fondly.