‘Chef of the century’ dies aged 73

French celebrity chef Joël Robuchon, who is credited with winning the most Michelin stars in the world, has died aged 73, French media reports.

Robuchon died from cancer on Monday in Switzerland, Le Figaro says, more than a year after being treated for a pancreatic tumour.

Named the "Chef of the Century" in 1989, Robuchon operated a dozen restaurants across three continents.

Throughout his career he was awarded 32 stars - more than any other chef, reports BBC.

He was renowned for his mashed potato dishes and owned restaurants in cities across the globe, including Tokyo, Bangkok, Shanghai Monaco and Las Vegas.

He first made a name for himself at his Paris restaurant, called Jamin, in the early 1980s, and went on to mentor the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Éric Ripert.

He was renowned for his perfectionism and for using few ingredients, keeping preparation simple and moving away from the excesses of French nouvelle cuisine.

"The older I get, the more I realise the truth is: the simpler the food, the more exceptional it can be," he told Business Insider in 2014.

Robuchon hosted several culinary shows on French TV and was the official chef of Euro 2016 in France, cooking for football stars including Neymar and Giroud.

He was awarded a rare "Chef of the Century" title by prestigious restaurant guide Gault Millau in 1989.

French government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux described Robuchon on Twitter as a "visionary leader" who would "continue to inspire a young generation of chefs".

The culinary world has lost some of its biggest names over the past year following the deaths of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and American food critic Jonathan Gold.