Rick Stein has been left devastated as a young chef at his restaurant The Cornish Arms was found dead last week.

Rick Stein reflected on his own mortality last year as he admitted he “isn’t going to last much longer”.

The celebrity chef, 78, confessed he is “enjoying life” in the wake of a heart operation that left him pondering death “big time”.

Rick told The Times last year: “To be honest, having had the operation and recovered, the improvement in my health has left me tremendously optimistic.

“Even though at my age and with the normal realities of life I’m not going to last that much longer, I think as long as you’ve got your health and you’re optimistic generally and enjoying your life, you don’t tend to ponder too much about how little life you’ve got left.”

He underwent a heart op in 2022 at the Royal Brompton Hospital after his cardiologist informed Stein his aorta was failing – and he would die without surgical intervention.

Rick Stein confessed he doesn’t have long left (Image: Getty)It comes as a young chef from Rick’s Cornwall restaurant was found dead in staff accommodations. 

Police were called out for a welfare check on the young chef, a man in his 30s who died last Thursday (February 13). He was declared dead at the scene when police attended a Grenville Road property in Padstow around 8pm.

They had been contacted over concerns for the man’s welfare and found him in the staff accommodations for Rick’s company. He worked at his restaurant The Cornish Arms.

Rick underwent a life-saving op in 2022 (Image: Getty)

The death is not being treated as suspicious, with Rick Stein Restaurants managing director Ian Fitzgerald confirming: “There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death, but out of respect for the family’s wishes for privacy during this difficult time, we will not be sharing further details.”

He added: “Our heartfelt condolences are with his family, friends and all who knew him. He was a valued and much-loved member of our team and will be greatly missed.”