Michael Chiarello, Chef and Former Food Network Star, Dead at 61: ‘His Legacy Will Forever Live on’

Michael Chiarello, celebrity chef and former Food Network star, has passed away, PEOPLE can confirm. He was 61 years old.

Chiarello died at Queen of Valley Medical Center in Napa, Calif., where he had been treated for the past week for an acute allergic reaction that led to anaphylactic shock, his company, Gruppo Chiarello, said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

“We deeply regret the loss of our beloved Patriarch Michael. His culinary brilliance, boundless creativity and unwavering devotion to family were at the core of his being,” Chiarello’s family — who were by his side at the time of his death — said in a statement. “He brought people together through the joy of sharing meals, fostering lasting memories around the table. ”

“As we go through this profound loss, we cherish the moments we cherished with him, both in his kitchens and in our hearts,” the family added. “His legacy will live on forever in the love he poured into every dish and the passion he instilled in all of us to enjoy the flavors of life.”

Chiarello’s funeral will be private, and in lieu of flowers, his family is asking for donations to Meals on Wheels.

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Michael Chiarello.

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Born in Red Bluff, California, in 1962, Chiarello would later become a celebrity chef, who opened his first restaurant, Tra Vigne, in Napa Valley in 1987, Business Wire writes.

Later restaurants he opened included Bottega and Ottimo, both located in Napa Valley, and Coqueta, a Spanish restaurant with locations in Napa Valley and San Francisco’s Pier 5, according to San Francisco Chronicle.

Chiarello also began making wine in 1999, according to his website, creating Chiarello Family Vineyards. Then, a year later, he founded NapaStyle, a retail line of artisan foods, cookware and home products.

The celebrity chef has also hosted shows over the years on PBS, the Food Network, Fine Living and the Cooking Channel, and has appeared as a guest chef on series such as Today show i View, according to his website. In 2013, he received the chef of the year award from Esquire magazine.

Michael Chiarello.

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Chiarello’s life was not without controversy, however, because in 2016 the star was accused of sexual harassment by two former employees of Coqueta.

He denied the claims against him, according to KTVU, and lawsuits filed by two former employees were settled the following year, SFGATE reported.

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