World’s best chef Benoit Violier, 44, has been found dead with a rifle next to him at his home just months after his restaurant was named the best in the world.

Violier ran the Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville in Crissier, located near Lausanne, which was named the best in the world in December by La Liste.

In 2013 he was named chef of the year by the Gault et Millau guide, second only to the Michelin guide among gourmets. He was due to attend the unveiling of the new Michelin guide in Paris on Monday, as the Guardian mentions.

Fredy Girardet, a friend of Violier and his wife Brigitte, and another three-star chef, said he was “completely stunned”. He told the Tribune de Genève: “I can see no motive for such an act. He was a brilliant young man, with enormous talent and an impressive work potential. He gave the impression of being perfect. This news is so sad.”