EXCLUSIVE: Head Chef, 38, Died Suddenly in UK’s ‘Only Bar on the Beach’ on Popular Cornwall Seafront After Collapsing in the Walk-in Chiller
By Ben Endley
Matt Halford, 38, was found collapsed in the walk-in chiller of the Watering Hole.
He had worked there – the UK’s only bar on a beach – since he was a teenager.
The family of a head chef who died suddenly in the walk-in chiller at one of Cornwall’s most popular beachside bars have paid tribute to him.
Matt Halford, 38, was found collapsed at the Watering Hole on Perranporth Beach on Saturday.
Medics and RNLI lifeguards tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious and the family stressed nobody was at fault.
Matt had worked at the Watering Hole – which is the UK’s only bar on a beach – since he was a teenager with brothers Jason, 41, and Lee, 42 and dad Mick. Between them they had clocked up more than 100 years of service.
His mother Joanne Ballinger, 61, said: ‘This place is a family, they all hold on to each other. It’s very comforting at the moment because this isn’t what we expected.
‘Matthew was caring, he was a loving father, son and brother. He would put anybody first and help anybody he possibly could. He was a hard worker but he liked to play hard too.
‘He played basketball for Cornwall. He was vivacious, full of life and you would always know when he was around because you would hear him.
‘We are still trying to process his loss. It doesn’t feel real and we haven’t heard anything about why so we are waiting for that.
‘He was on duty with his chef friend Max just putting a delivery away, Matt had gone out to the chiller. Then Max just thought he’s been gone a while and went to look for him and found him on his back in the chiller. Bob, the owner, tried to do CPR and everybody pulled together to bring defibrillators but it was just too late.
‘He was a fit and healthy man. He last went to the doctor in 2016. He didn’t smoke and had stopped drinking, he never took drugs, he was really fit and healthy.’
The bar was initially closed over the weekend but Joanne said the family insisted it was opened for Mother’s Day because Matt had been working hard to prepare meals.
Matt was a ‘fit and healthy’ man, his mother Joanne Ballinger said in a tribute to her son
Tributes have been laid at popular Cornish beach bar for head chef Matt following his death
She said: ‘It was very emotional for everybody, it was amazing and beautiful. The things the Watering Hole has done. My kids have been coming here since they were babies.
‘It is comforting that if it was going to happen anywhere it happened somewhere he loved and was happy.’
Matt leaves behind a partner Becky, 29, and three sons Jaden, 18, Harlyn, 16, and Mekhi, 14.
Jason said: ‘We all grew up here. Dad was working here before I was born and we grew up with mum working on the beach.
‘His children and partner are all in Perranporth. Jaden and Harlyn both help out in the kitchen. It is that much of a family here.’
His brother Lee – who has taken over as head chef – added: ‘I want to do the best I can to make sure the effort he put into this place doesn’t go down the drain. We are all there for each other, not just our family but the Watering Hole family. It reaches so many people.
‘We’ve had people in Australia, Spain and the USA who knew him. He has touched people around the world. Everybody has said how sorry they are. He just touched a lot of people.’
Matt with his partner Becky. Friends and family have paid tribute to the head chef who was a ‘loving father, son and brother’
A tribute posted by The Watering Hole said: ‘With iconic legendary places that are larger than life like the watering hole, these places are made by iconic legendary characters and unfortunately we lost our MVP on Saturday.
‘We always thought the most feared day would be washing away for us, but how wrong were we. We lost the best dad, friend, brother & worker this place will ever see and it’s not easy saying this, but we will never find anyone like this again.
‘Matt had worked at the watering hole all of his life, with his brothers Lee and Jason and three sons who have been there all of their life. Along with their dad Mick aka Mad dog who was a character to say the least.
‘He was not just a huge part of the watering hole, he was the watering hole, the life & soul of everything that happened and would do anything for anyone.
