Relocating from Melbourne to Sydney in the late 1980s to study art, Granger found inspiration in the city's lifestyle, light and its harbour aspect. Whilst supplementing his studies by working part time as a waiter, his creative direction slowly changed from an art student with a passion for food to a chef.
Breakfast, and more specifically scrambled eggs, first made Granger famous when in 1993 he opened a restaurant called "Bills" in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst. In the small café he created a relaxed informal atmosphere. A second restaurant, "Bills Surry Hills", opened in 1996 serving breakfast through to dinner. Both are popular with locals and tourist alike and have become an integral part of the city.
In 2005, Granger opened a third Sydney restaurant, "Bills Woollahra", located in a courtyard setting in the leafy Sydney suburb.
Books
Granger established himself as one of Australia's leading food writers with the publication of Bill's Sydney Food (Murdoch Books, 2000) in which he successfully translated the simplicity and flavour at the heart of his food, and the relaxed informal atmosphere of his restaurants, onto the printed page. Bill's Sydney Food has become an international bestseller, as have the three sequels Bill's Food (2002), Bill's Open Kitchen (2003) and Simply Bill (2005). His fifth book, Bill Granger Every Day, was published in 2006.
Television
In 2004 the six part series Bill's Food followed Granger cooking his way through a busy working week and a casual weekend with family and friends. It was well received in Australia and was subsequently screened on BBC2 in the United Kingdom, in 2005, drawing audiences of 2 million. The series was repeated on BBC1 and has been shown in 22 other countries worldwide. In June 2006, Granger appeared on GMTV to present a week-long barbecue special filmed in the South of France.
A second series of Bill's Food was aired on various networks.
Radio
Granger is featured on a fortnightly segment on ABC Radio 702 with Richard Glover discussing his favourite recipe of the week.
Granger was born to a vegetarian mother and a father who worked as a butcher. He lives with his wife Natalie Elliott and their three daughters — Edie, Ines and Bunny.