According to his children’s Instagram post, celebrity chef Jonnie Boer died at the age of 60.

According to a family representative, the renowned chef passed away in Bonaire as a result of a pulmonary embolism, De Telegraaf reports. Boer was the proprietor of the only three-star restaurant in the Netherlands, De Librije, located in Zwolle.

Boer began working as a chef in Amsterdam when he was just 17 years old. He has been cooking at De Librije since 1987. He and his wife, Thérèse, took over the restaurant in 1993. The restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in that year. A second star followed in 1999, and a third in 2004.

One of the Michelin inspectors said last year about a dish from Boer in De Librije: “I have been eating in the Netherlands for over thirty years now as a Michelin inspector, but I am still amazed by the apparent simplicity with which this chef brings emotional creations such as this preparation to the plate.”

Over the years the couple expanded. In addition to De Librije, they also became owners of three other restaurants in Zwolle, two restaurants on Bonaire and one on Curacao.

In recent years, chef Nelson Tanate and Boer’s kids Jimmie and Isabelle have been more and more involved at De Librije. Jonnie and Thérèse continued to be owners, but they became co-owners. Tanate was in charge of running the kitchen on a daily basis.

This year, Boer stated in an interview with De Stentour that he was unsure of when he wanted to retire and that he wanted to see with his wife “in five years’ time” whether that would be the time he would ultimately pass the torch.

It was demonstrated in Omroep MAX’s six-part documentary series De Opvolging how Boer and his wife prepare Tanate and the children for the succession.