Two close family friends confirmed on Saturday that Jasper White, a chef from New Jersey who published multiple cookbooks and learned the culinary traditions of his adopted New England, had passed away.
Jasper White Cause of Death:
Two close family friends confirmed on Saturday that Jasper White, a chef from New Jersey who published multiple cookbooks and learned the culinary traditions of his adopted New England, had passed away. White’s death was verified to the Globe by Lydia Shire, his former coworker in some of Boston’s best kitchens before opening his Summer Shack eateries.
Gordon Hamersley, a close associate of White’s, also verified White’s passing after chatting with relatives. There were no more details at this time. The Globe was unable to locate White’s family’s contact details.
White, a well-known expert in New England cooking, made his Boston dining debut in 1983 when he opened Jasper’s Restaurant on the harbor.
He launched Jasper White’s Summer Shack in Cambridge in 2000 and built outlets in Back Bay and at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. One of his specialty dishes was roasted lobster, which he created by reinterpreting the traditional New England meal. In addition, White wrote four cookbooks.
As per the online biography provided by the Culinary Institute of America, from which White graduated in 1976, White and Shire oversaw the kitchens at some of the most prestigious hotels in Boston before opening their first restaurant in 1979. These hotels included the Copley Plaza, the Parker House, and the Bostonian.
Who was Jasper White?
According to the institute, White, born in New Jersey in 1954, had employment opportunities in New York, Florida, California, Washington State, and Montana before relocating to Boston.
Fearing that the ten-year Big Dig project would negatively impact the business, White shuttered Jasper’s Restaurant on the Boston harbor in 1995 after a successful twelve-year run. After penning two cookbooks, he launched the first Summer Shack in Cambridge, next to the Alewife MBTA station, five years later.
With his new eatery, White adopted a different strategy, doing away with the formal atmosphere of Jasper’s in favor of a more relaxed and family-friendly eating setting. White wanted to provide customers in the city with an authentic New England clam shack experience with Summer Shack. After his departure in 2017, the Lyons Group took over the restaurant’s operations.
According to the institution, White received several honors during his career, including entry into the MenuMasters Hall of Fame and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. The James Beard Foundation claims he received the esteemed Beard Award for Best Chef in the Northeast in 1991.
The foundation claims he was a candidate for the 2001 James Beard Foundation for Favorite New Restaurant for Summer Shack.
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