A Byron Bay restaurateur has tragically died after a battle with mental health.
Kim Stephen, the creative director and co-founder of the restaurant Light Years, died unexpectedly in November just after turning 40 years old.
'Today we pay tribute to the man whose spirit and creativity defined so much of who we are,' Light Years restaurant posted on social media.
'Kim was the magic, the imagination, the intuition and the spark behind everything we built. His ideas shaped our venues, our people and the experiences we share with our guests.
'Kim's family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to our local community for the love, kindness and support shown during this time.
'We are heartbroken to lose him, but forever grateful for the legacy he leaves and the unmistakable magic he brought to this world. '
Mr Stephen is survived by his fiancée Peta Van De Velde and their 18-month-old son Sebastian.
'Our son will grow up knowing the depth of his father's vision and the remarkable man behind it. And, to any man fighting battles the world can't see, I implore you to find the courage to ask for help,' Ms Van De Velde said in a tribute shared alongside a photograph of their young family.
Byron Bay restaurateur Kim Stephen (pictured), whose venues across Australia have won design and hospitality awards, died unexpectedly just after turning 40 years old
His fiancée Peta Van De Velde (pictured) urged any man 'fighting battles the world can't see... to find the courage to ask for help' in a tribute to Mr Stephen
'Kim was my partner in life and in business. We will carry on building the empire Kim started, honouring his legacy and his creative genius that shaped it,' she said.
'Kim poured heart and brilliance into everything he touched. I was and always will be in awe of his beautiful mind and the way he saw the world.'
The restaurateur's trajectory into the hospitality industry is understood to have been inspired by his brother, Ry, who is the talented pastry chef behind Supermoon Bakehouse in New York and Mr Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco.
'Kim carried an insatiable curiosity for global cuisines, matched only by his obsession with showcasing each dish in a space worthy of its story and his vision,' Ry said.
Dozens of tributes have been paid to Mr Stephen, including from the Hemsworth family.
Leonie Hemsworth, mother of actors Chris, Liam and Luke, remembered him as a restaurateur but also a man whose 'life's passion' was music.
'Kim, known by most of us simply as China, was a beloved member of our Byron Bay community; kind, compassionate, generous, modest, all coupled with the sharpest and quickest wit,' she said.
'He was also a fantastic cook, a skilled cocktail maker and an incredibly innovative and successful restaurateur. Despite all of this, music remained his life's passion.'
Mr Stephen was best known for his restaurant Light Years, a staple in beachside towns along the east coast
Mr Stephen's brother and a pastry chef, Ry (both pictured), has paid tribute to Kim's insatiable curiosity for global cuisines
'He was a brilliant DJ and many of our family's celebrations and those of our Byron friends are memorable thanks to the music he provided,' she said.
'It was a joy to see him in his element; doing what he did best. Our dear friend China will always be remembered with love ... and thanks to him; the perfect soundtrack.'
Mr Stephen was best known for his Asian bar and diner called Light Years, a staple in beachside towns along the east coast, which has been honoured in design awards.
The restaurant was shortlisted for the 2023 Australian Interior Design Awards in the Hospitality Design category.
The modern Asian diner first opened in Byron Bay in 2017, which won the Artedomus x The Local Project Emerging Designer Award, in collaboration with Studio Plenty.
Mr Stephen, with co-owners James Sutherland and Robbie Oijvall, expanded to Noosa, Newcastle and the Gold Coast before opening their fifth venue in Perth earlier this year.
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