Tim Bacon dies following cancer battle: Tim Bacon, the chairman and co-founder of Living Ventures, has died aged 52. Bacon had been fighting a battle with cancer after being diagnosed with advanced melanoma in 2014. Living Ventures chief executive Jeremy Roberts said in a statement: “It is with incredible sadness that I have to announce the sad passing of Living Ventures chairman Tim Bacon, who died suddenly but peacefully in his sleep, on Friday night following a long illness. Tim has had many enduring friendships with people in his private and professional life because of his vibrant, honourable and generous spirit. He gave his all to everything he did, especially to his family and his friends who were incredibly important to him. I will greatly miss him as we all will and I’ve lost a true friend.” David McHattie, who was chief executive of the National Skills Academy for Hospitality when Bacon was on the board, told Propel: “Many people have stood on his shoulders and will for years to come – a genuine industry icon and all round good guy. He developed bars and restaurants but more importantly, and his greatest legacy, is all the fantastic people he has developed along the way. He saw talent where others didn’t and gave them the opportunity to be amazing, sharing his visions with the north west and beyond. I had the great privilege to work with him, proud to call him my friend, and will remember him and his amazing achievements with immense fondness. He gave me his time, his friendship, and my wife.” Speaking about his diagnosis in 2014, Bacon said: “I had three major operations in four weeks. They’ve got some new stuff coming through, so there is a path. It’s like a high-wire trapeze act without a safety net. I refuse to get fazed by it. It’s one of those things in life. You do what you do. I’ve changed my diet. I’ve changed my fitness regime.” Bacon and Roberts had overseen the growth of Living Ventures since its inception in 1999. The company topped £100m turnover last year. Last week it was revealed Bacon would again partner Chester-based entrepreneur Dave Hinds and former Living Ventures bar expert Lee Lynch to open Red Door to Deansgate in Manchester, located underneath The Botanist. It would be the third site for the concept following outlets in Chester and Liverpool. Bacon and Hinds’ business relationship stretches back to the early 1990s when they set up JW Johnsons, followed by Via Vita and Life Café across the UK, at which time they were joined by Roberts. Together, the trio spearheaded a revival of the dining scene in Manchester city centre. Those venues were sold to Whitbread in 1999 after which Hinds decided to concentrate on his property interests, leaving Bacon and Roberts to establish Living Ventures. The company has 34 sites across the UK with its various brands, including The Alchemist, Gusto, Australasia, The Oast House, and Artisan.