Simon Dougan: Tributes paid to 'a chef like no other' following death of Yellow Door proprietor
Heartfelt tributes have been expressed following the death of well-known chef and hospitality business owner Simon Dougan MBE, proprietor of top catering firm Yellow Door.
News of Mr Dougan’s passing was announced on his business social media account on Friday evening.
"It’s incredibly hard to say goodbye to someone who filled the air with so much laughter, passion (and small amounts of swearing). Though he’s no longer here in the way we wish, Simon remains with us in the stories we share, the things he taught us and the warmth he has left behind,” the statement said.
"Simon Dougan was a chef like no other: warm, generous, wickedly funny and along with this his determination to feed people the type of food he himself would enjoy: flavoursome, honest, proper plates of food.
"At Yellow Door he built a team reflecting this ethos, championed the very best of Northern Ireland’s food heritage which would later earn him an honorary MBE in 2017.
"Simon never attracted any fuss and he’d probably be annoyed at reading this … but here’s to Simon, the chef, family member, mentor and friend whose legacy lives on in everything he instilled and entrusted to everyone here at Yellow Door.
"Thank you for your support at this difficult time from everyone in the Yellow Door family.”
At the end of September, a special charity event hosted by Mr Dougan and his wife Jilly at the Yellow Door Kitchen Garden at Plantation Road in Bleary raised more than £25,000 for NIPANC, a Northern Ireland charity working to improve the outcomes of pancreatic cancer.
Prior to the event, Mr Dougan had spoken of being diagnosed with the disease.
Yellow Door began life as a fine dining restaurant in Gilford in 1992 and due to demand for more informal dining, Yellow Door Deli opened in Portadown in 1997.
Over the years the deli and bakery business grew, giving rise to one of Ireland’s top wedding, event and corporate catering enterprises.
In October 2024, the popular Yellow Door Deli Market closed in Portadown, a decision which Mr Dougan described at the time as being made “with extreme sadness and regret”.
"After 27 years of serving our loyal customers, many of whom have become very close friends, we must say a final goodbye,” he said.