Tributes: Hundreds of people attend the funeral of well-loved Doncaster restaurant owner Deniz Moullali

Taking to Facebook, family friend Michael Price wrote this tribute, which was shared by staff at Deniz’s restaurants Relish and Le Bistro, along with a piece written by staff member Catherine Murtagh.

“I don’t think I’ve ever, in my 48 years, experienced anything quite like the funeral of Deniz Moullali today. Naturally, he packed the Minster to the rafters—such was the breadth of his reach and the depth of his network.

"It would be no exaggeration to say that his influence on Doncaster—his adopted home—was profound. I doubt there’s a soul in the city who hasn’t, at some point, stepped into one of his legendary hospitality venues.

“As for me, I can only speak to his kindness, his warmth, and my deep admiration for how effortlessly he managed to take the p*ss out of everyone (myself included) while somehow making you feel privileged just to be in on the joke.

“I’ve always admired the Moullali family—not just for building brilliant businesses, but for creating spaces that felt so customer-led, so people-first. That’s the thing 99.99% of hospitality businesses get wrong: the very best don’t just serve you—they see you. Deniz understood this better than anyone I’ve ever met. In fact, I’m convinced he could have taught Danny Meyer a thing or two.

“I’m glad to say that Paul, Beck, and the rest of the team have absorbed that ethos into their DNA.

“I’ll never forget the dark days of COVID, when hospitality felt like it was hanging by a thread. Deniz would call me a couple of times a week—pep talks, really. He’d ride his bike around the city, checking in on all the takeaways (the only ones still open), asking how business was going, and reporting back to me—almost certainly with 100% accuracy—what kind of gross profit they were pulling and what their monthly net looked like. It was bizarre, brilliant, and somehow deeply comforting.

“Whenever I saw him, he made me feel special. When he dined with us, he made me feel even more special—and Paul did too.

“The Moullalis are remarkable people—generous, grounded, and always rooting for others to succeed. I’ll miss Deniz deeply. He was truly one of a kind. But his legacy is alive and well in his family and the brilliant team he built.

“All my love to them—today and always.”

Staff member Ca herine Murtagh said: “It was an amazing day, and the volume of people that attended shows just how well respected he was.

“I had the privilege of working for Deniz for many years and can honestly say it was an absolute honour to be part of.

"To watch his beloved wife Carol hold herself with such dignity and decorum, the saying “behind every good man is a good woman” the success and happiness of Deniz was clearly down to the support, encouragement, and positivity that Carol gave to her husband, and I believe this saying couldn’t be truer.”