Lesley Russell was more than just a chef, she was an inspiration to food lovers all across Orange.
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For 15 years she helped turn the city into a world-renowned cuisine hub.
Be it through her love farmers markets, or time she spent teaching the next generation through the Orange Regional Cooking School and Tafe, Ms Russell's legacy will no doubt live on for years to come.
The 61-year-old died on June 1 after a year-long battle with cancer.
Since then, tributes have poured in for the Victorian native, including from Orange Farmers Market manager Holly Manning.
"She would always have a smile on her face and was really enthusiastic," she said.
"I think the simplicity of what she cooked and the flavours she brought out of the produce we have here in Orange really helped people understand how they could cook with our food."
Mrs Manning recalled seeing her friend at almost each and every farmers market for the past decade. Ms Russell's involvement ramped up in recent years and culminated in 2023 as she took on the role of Chef's Table host.
"Her support has been immeasurable," she added.
Ms Russell was renowned not just for the flavours she created, but the simplicity with how a meal came together.
"She would bring in just one box with a couple of knives, bowls, a saucepan and frypan and that would be it," Mrs Manning said.
"The thing I took away from her more than anything was that clean as you go approach. There was no fuss, no chaos. It was all calm and measured and that was Lesley."
Ms Russell's impact was also felt during Orange's FOOD Week, including in 2021 and 2022 where she was one of the chefs that contributed to Sampson Street's Long Lunch.
A statement from FOOD Week organisers described her as "one of the kindest, most generous and warm people" you would ever meet.
"Quite often armed with a jar of jam or preserved fruit from her pantry or a tray of something freshly baked, Lesley was a great cook who heroed the produce from her own backyard," it read.
Ms Russell contributed to regional print media including on many occasions, including an April 2023 piece in the Central Western Daily, presented a cooking segment on ABC Radio Central West NSW and brought all her experiences and knowledge together in a new cookbook, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, due to be released on June 15.
Mrs Manning said the book paid homage to the Orange producers and acts as a love letter to city.
"It's like having Lesley Russell's Chef's Table in a book."
With particular affection for the Northcourt, a public memorial event has been planned for Saturday, October 14 when the Orange Farmers Market makes its return to those grounds.
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