Star chef Erik Lallerstedt dies at 79

Daughter Anna Lallerstedt writes on social media that her father Erik Lallerstedt "fell asleep calmly and peacefully after a period of illness."

"He was loved by so many and is greatly missed," she wrote in the post.

Erik Lallerstedt's career began at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, where he worked as a porter, among other roles. In 1994, he took over the restaurant Gondolen in Stockholm, which he ran until 2009.

Friend and star chef Leif Mannerström, 86, has commented on Lallerstedt's passing in Expressen.

I cried half the night. He was a very big restaurateur. Many listened to and followed Erik, Mannerström tells the newspaper.

Star chef and actor Per Morberg tells TV4 Nyheterna that he particularly remembers Lallerstedt's generosity.

We were often up in the Katarina lift (Gondolen). Once I was there with Leif Mannerström and, of course, he offered us food even though we wanted to pay, Per Morberg tells the TV channel.

Lallerstedt is also known for the concept of "Erik's sauces" - fresh sauces sold in jars in grocery stores across Sweden.

Erik Lallerstedt was a beloved Swedish chef. He was awarded the King's Gold Medal with a blue ribbon and the Gold Medal of the Gastronomic Academy.