Marco Barreca was a consultant surgeon in the upper gastrointestinal surgery department at Luton and Dunstable Hospital. He qualified in Rome from la Sapienza University in 1995 and passed the fellowship of the college in 2011. Having joined the staff at Luton in 2002, he was especially interested in bariatric and metabolic surgery, gastrointestinal disorders and minimally invasive surgery. A popular and vibrant member of the team, on his sudden and untimely demise his colleagues organised a bread making competition in his memory. A passionate bread maker, he would make sourdough bread every weekend with a starter that had been in his family for over 50 years and he apparently delighted in discussing the recipe given the slightest opportunity. He died on 19 October 2016 aged 46.