Gorilla Cheese founder Graeme Smith has died at 51. He was a pioneer in Hamilton’s food truck scene

Graeme Smith, who died of cancer this week at age 51, was a pioneer in Hamilton, not just on the food truck scene - which was virtually non-existent before he set up - but one who helped trailblaze a larger culinary/social culture here.

His energy and joy of cooking for people, and for the art of cooking itself, seemed to infuse the whole community. So, from the time that Gorilla Cheese, his famous food truck enterprise, started in 2011 right up to the present, Hamilton has experienced a cuisines-of-all-kinds bonanza.

It was risky back then, taking food on the road, from place to place, selling sandwiches from a truck, though not like the chuckwagons of yore. This was different. This was an innovative, streetwise, freestyle approach to sandwiches, to grilled cheese, to food service in general, which looped provider and customer together in a different way.

Food was his lifelong passion, to cook and to eat, and he was super creative about it," says his partner Andi Nisbet, who worked with him at Gorilla Cheese.

He was so personable, so likable and charismatic," says Nisbet. He made people feel special very quickly."

The Gorilla Cheese experiment was so successful as a food truck experience that Smith took it storefront, bricks-and-mortar, in 2015, with a restaurant on Ottawa Street that lasted until 2018. The business was featured on the shows Eat Street and Dragon's Den.

It was during that time - in 2017, to be exact - that Smith was first diagnosed with a tumour that turned out to be oropharyngeal cancer. He underwent numerous treatments and came back to work at Gorilla Cheese in 2018, but the cancer returned in December 2020.

Earlier in 2020, even when the doctors were telling him he was all right, he knew he wasn't," says his brother Peter Bridges. He could feel it in his body."

Bridges says Smith was the kind of tough guy older brother who was always there for you, no matter what."

He remembers entering a modelling competition as a joke." A joke, maybe, but Bridges, who has acted in movies, ended up winning the competition. He looked out into the audience.

Graeme was there."

Later, Bridges tried to be for his brother what his brother was for him, and when Gorilla Cheese was having challenges, he went to work for Smith. That's the kind of loyalty he inspired.

Smith was also a great lover of music - of all kinds, says Nisbet. In the '90s he was a force for rave culture as a DJ and with his group Eklipse.

People have been responding so heavily" to the news of his death, she says.

Her own post on the news of his death - it must have been difficult, having been left to her - has been quoted in many reports for its eloquence.

Graeme loved this business with his whole self; always working and striving to improve, and really just wanting people to enjoy themselves and what he had to offer. Graeme loved making food and he loved making people happy. His pride was deeply rooted in every single sandwich he made and his joy was in your joy."

She also wrote: This morning I had to let go and say goodbye to Graeme. My champion fought longer and harder than any normal person could've or would've. A true warrior and my best friend. Incredibly funny, he gave me permission to allow myself to be silly and he pushed me to test my own limits and become stronger.

It makes me mad how much I loved him but I am relieved he is no longer in pain."

Nisbet says there will be a memorial for Graeme Smith in the early summer at Sam Lawrence Park.

Jeff Mahoney is a Hamilton-based reporter and columnist covering culture and lifestyle stories, commentary and humour for The Spectator. Reach him via email: jmahoney@thespec.com