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Escoffier. Georges Auguste - With two of Escoffier's original menus.
RITZ'S Carlton Restaurant.
ON BOARD THE S.S. "KAISERIN AUGUSTE VICTORIA" (HAMBURG AMERICAN LINE) Under the Management of THE CARLTON HOTEL, LONDON.
Large 4to. 3feps (with 2 menus tipped in to last fep) Title Page. 160 pages. All pages blank on the reverse of the text. Many photographs of the Ship's different facilities, (including the Restaurant). 3 feps. Many pages strengthened on the the blank side due to brittleness. Internally very clean. The two menus tipped in before the title page are both dated 1908. The 'Kaiserin' one is a breakfast menu and the 'Amerika" one appears to be a Table d'Hote Lunch menu. Both are from Escoffier's time of tenure and responsibility for both of those ship's restaurants. Bound in modern half dark calf and bottle green cloth boards. The spine has blind tooling. The original cover from the Al'a Carte Restaurant pasted on the front cover. All pages very slightly age browned. Overall a very handsome and rare item.
- This book is a very sumptuous production and a joint venture between the 'Hamburg American Line' and 'The Carlton Hotel' advertising the 'S.S. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria's' conception, preparation and maiden voyage from Hamburg to New York on May 10th, 1906. The 705 foot, 24581 ton giantess, S.S. Kaiserin, was launched on August 20th 1905, and for the next year was outfitted with many new features. One that highlighted the new ship and caused a lot of excitement was the opening of an a'la Carte Restaurant, staffed and run by the famous Ceasar Ritz. The Restaurant also boasted its own dedicated Kitchen, staffed and run by the equally famous Auguste Escoffier. This was an important new facility built to a very fine specification and quality. Grill Rooms had featured on previous voyages and had been very popular. The opening of the new a la Carte Restaurant proved to be equally popular and became, against initial expectations, fully booked. This was undoubtably due to Escoffier's involvement and the unusual shipboard experience of being able to sample French cuisine of the highest standard . We are informed in the book that the Kitchens on the maiden voyage were not large enough to meet demand, and that they had to completely alter one of the decks to double the kitchen capacity. Escoffier and Ritz were also responsible for Restaurants on board other Hamburg America Line ships, one other being the "S.S. Amerika". Both of these ships were built side by side at the Harland Wolff shipyards in Belfast. 'Amerika' was launched on April 20th 1905, and the 'Kaiserin' one month later. This well produced book records an aspect of Escoffier's career that is the least documented. It is also very rare, especially with the two Escoffier's menus enclosed that would have been printed and offered to guests just after the expanded kitchen refit.

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Modern category

ref number: 11049

LOVEL. HENRY - A medieval chirograph manuscript - 1259.
An esteemed 13th century Royal cook.
In the household of Eleanor of Provence, Queen of England, consort of King Henry III, c.1223-91.
The manuscript is very fine vellum. 242 x 253mm. 24 lines, in a handsome book-hand medieval script in Latin. Indented chirograph deed cut in two proven parts, with one part given to each party. Without a seal. 2 small wormholes, folds, slightly creased, small stain, slightly browned but in remarkable condition bearing in mind the date; 1259. Housed in a strong cardboard folder with marbled paper and large label.
- A charter agreement between Hugh Gernegan and Henry Lovel, the greatly favoured cook of her ladyship the Queen. Hugh has demised to Henry his manor of 'Harpefeld' (actual now: Harpsfield, Hatfield, Hertfordshire) with all its tenants' homages, lands and services; also referring to a rent in St. Albans. as received from Hugh and Ela his wife to farm [lease] for four years from the feast of All Saints to Henry III on 1st. Nov. 1259, for ten marks [£6 13s. 4d.] a year, payable in the King's hall at Westminster. Witnesses: Sir William de Hecham, Robert de Ehelniaresford and others. Quite how Henry Loval came to receive the contents of this charter is not known. Another great gift from the King to Henry Lovel is also mentioned in the Fine Rolls of Henry III. - "5 November 1256, For Master Henry Lovel. The king has granted by his charter to Master Henry Lovel, the queen's cook, a certain place at Crochefeld' in the parish of Bray which contains ten acres and the fourth part of one acre by the king's perch of 20 feet to have to him and his heirs forever, rendering therefor 41d. per annum to the bailiff of Bray who shall be at that time for the king's use for all service etc." We see here that Lovel was already relatively very well-off even before the receiving the contents of the velum manuscript above. - The fine rolls in the reign of King Henry III 1216–1272, was an agreement to pay the king a sum of money for a specified concession. The rolls on which the fines were recorded, provide the earliest systematic evidence of what people and institutions across society wanted from the king and he was prepared to give. The earliest surviving rolls compiled by the English royal chancery exist in almost continuous sequence from 1199. They are preserved in The National Archives at Kew. For Henry III’s reign there are fifty-six rolls, as this one also, are written in Latin on parchment. Since Henry’s regnal year began on 28 October, each roll runs from 28 October in one calendar year to 27 October in the next. Over the course of the King's reign the rolls expanded greatly in length, many having a dozen or more membranes and containing over 30,000 words. They open a large window onto the politics, government, economy and society of England in the hinge period between the establishment of Magna Carta at the start of Henry’s reign and the parliamentary state which was emerging at its end. Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was a French noblewoman who became Queen consort of England as the wife of King Henry III from 1236 until his death in 1272. She was married at 14 years old. She served as regent of England during the absence of her spouse in 1253 who was away fighting in France. (It was also rumoured that at this time Eleanor granted Henry Lovel a small forested estate). Although she was completely devoted to her husband, and staunchly defended him against the rebel Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, she was very much hated by the Londoners. This was because she had brought many relatives with her to England in her retinue; these were known as "the Savoyards", and they were given influential positions in the government and realm. On one occasion, Eleanor's barge was attacked by angry Londoners who pelted her with stones, mud, pieces of paving, rotten eggs and vegetables. Eleanor had five children, including the future King Edward I of England. She also was renowned for her cleverness, skill at writing poetry, and as a leader of fashion. In 1272 Henry died, and their son Edward became king. She remained in England as queen dowager, and raised several of her grandchildren. She retired in 1286 to Amesbury Priory in Wiltshire, eight miles north of Salisbury. Eleanor died on 24/25 June 1291 at the priory and was buried there. The site of her grave is unknown, making her the only English queen without a marked grave. Her heart was taken to London where it was buried at the Franciscan priory of Greyfriars. It is not recorded when Henry Lovel's period of service started or finished in the Royal kitchens. What is clear, is that he must have been very highly regarded as a servant and cook. He brings to mind Patrick Lamb, another famous royal cook, whose fine cookery book of 1710 (ref:# 11025 on this web-site) mirrors the same royal patronage that elevated Henry Lovel's position in life. Check online; Item # 56 in the Fine Roll C 60/54, 41 Henry 111 -- https://frh3.org.uk/content/calendar/roll_054.html.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11050

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - In its original bottle with rare Escoffier ephemera.
The Escoffier. Sauce Diable a'la Provencale
Four original items from Escoffier's company; Escoffier Ltd - 1903 and 1907.
ITEM 1. An original bottle of "The Escoffier Sauce Diable a'la Provencale". The sauce is still liquid with trapped air bubbles. It has the original blind-stamped metal cap and labels, all in excellent condition. This is an original bottle with the Escoffier Ltd. Ridgemont address. Later bottles have 'Escoffier' embossed in the glass back and front, as well as other later London addresses on the front label. ITEM 2. A recipe booklet with the original blue covers slightly loose and a small strip missing from the front cover without loss to text.. It has Escoffier's name and the Carlton Hotel' coat of arms' embossed on the front cover. It is titled 'A Few Recipes' and has a title page. p 1 Introduction. p 4-38 Recipes. p 39-42 Cookery and Health tips. p 43 Advertisement for Escoffier Ltd. [1] p 45-46 Advertisement for 'A Guide to Modern Cookery'. [1] p 48-51 Index. [1] Slightly age-browned throughout with a small stain affecting first 2 pages but not the text. ITEM 3. A lovely beautifully produced four page 'Escoffier Ltd' promotional pamphlet and price list for all Escoffier Sauces, and we are also informed the Preparations can be obtained from all high-class Grocers and Stores. ITEM 4. This is a second four page promotional pamphlet and price list titled 'Escoffier (1907) Ltd', in nice clean condition, . As the first pamphlet is elaborately decorated with a coloured image of one of the products and the text in red and black, the second is obviously a cheaper and later price list aimed at cutting costs. Interestingly this later pamphlet informs that the Preparations are stocked by the majority of high-class grocers and stores throughout the United States. All housed in a specially made clam-shell box with half mid-tan calf and brown cloth boards. The spine with raised bands, gilt lines and one red and one green label with gilt lettering. The four items form a unique and rare look at the marketing for Escoffier's famous sauces.
- Georges Auguste Escoffier, who began his career as a chef at age 13 in 1859 and is credited as one of the creators of what is now considered classical French cooking and was far ahead of his time in surprising ways. In 1903, while Chef de Cuisine at the Carlton Hotel in London, he started a company, Escoffier Ltd., to sell his sauces. He was concerned about nutrition and the effects of the pace of modern life on dining; despite his devotion to the good life, he was not fat. He started experimenting with tinned vegetables, notably tomatoes. While still at the Savoy Hotel, London in 1898, he is credited, in their excellent biography of Escoffier by Eugene Herbodeau and Paul Thalamas, of first producing 2000 x 2 kilo tins of tomatoes in Saxon-les-Bains for the Savoy. The fame of the product grew so fast that the following year, the food manufacturer, La Maison Caressa of Nice produced 60.000 kilos under his direction. This was the precursor to his famous sauces being bottled and sold through Escoffier Ltd. In 1915 Escoffier Ltd was sold. (Sadly after 80 years of business deals and corporate takeovers, only a remnant of it lingers on in America in two products, Nabisco Sauces - Diable and Robert). Escoffier supported any effort that made cooking simpler, cleaner, better organized, more widely appreciated or easier for chefs and home cooks alike. Despite the foie gras and truffles, the elaborate garnishes and rich sauces listed in various editions of his cookery book 'Le Guide Culinaire', (1st ed. 1903) Escoffier's work was still a sharp departure from the culinary practices that existed before. Not only did he greatly simplify the recipes and methods of food presentation that had existed previously, but he also re-invented the very manner in which professional kitchens were organized. To speed up service, which was something diners even in his day demanded, he created the brigade system of key specialised departments with teams headed by Chefs de Parties, responsible for all the individual parts of the different dishes presented in all the menus; A'la Carte, Du Jour, Banqueting, Room service, Parties privees etc. He also invented the prix fixe menu. Another poorly recorded, but constant character trait of Escoffier, was the effort he expended to help improve the conditions under which chefs worked. "When I started, chefs had no status in society," he wrote in his memoirs. "That should not be the case because cooking is a science and an art, and the man who works with all his heart to satisfy people deserves to be recognized." The preface to his great classic, 'A Guide to Modern Cookery' - 1907, (the 1st English edition of 'Le Guide Culinaire' of 1903), is a revelation. From a chef’s point of view, the observations that Escoffier espoused then in 1903, and in subsequent editions, ring just as loud today. It is no wonder that modern chefs are re-finding Escoffier. It is also another indicator of his lasting genius and true impact over time. Pierre Escoffier, who was 26 when his grandfather died in 1935, helped create and head the Auguste Escoffier Foundation. The Escoffier Museum is now based near Nice in the village of Villeneuve-Loubet, in the house where Escoffier was born. This item belongs in such a museum. The original sauce in the bottle, the well produced 4 page 'Escoffier Ltd' promotional pamphlet, the other plainer but rarer price list, and the little recipe booklet by Escoffier, give a true insight into Escoffier’s marketing astuteness.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11051

Blumenthal Heston - A signed copy.
The Big Fat Duck Cookbook
Heston Blumenthal BLOOMSBURY
FIRST EDITION. 2008. Large thick folio. 340x295mm. Paste-down and end-paper marbled. [1] 1p with Egg device and with his quite unique signature and 2 signed copies of 'Table d' Hote' menus -- See jpegs # 5 below. Frontis & Title page all one image. 4p Artwork. 8-11 Forward by Harold McGee. 2p Artwork. 2p History. [1] 17-516. 517-526 Index. 527-528 Acknowledgements. 529 Credits. [3] Rear end-paper, both sides and paste-down marbled. Fully bound in dark grey cloth with silver gilt devices on both covers and writing on the spine. All paper edges deep silver gilt. Slip case covered exactly the same as the book. With four brightly coloured page saving ribbons. Many full page colour photographs, artwork and illustrations throughout. Also comes with the original brown cardboard shipping box, which is covered in Fat Duck logo artwork. All in mint condition, as new.
- Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck Restaurant in Bray, Berkshire has been described as a culinary alchemist for his innovative style of cuisine. Besides being a highly accomplished chef a large part of his work entails researching the structures and molecular compounds of foods and dishes so to enable a greater understanding of taste and flavour. This original and scientific approach has teamed him with fellow chefs, scientists and psychologists throughout the world. His restaurant, The Fat Duck, opened in 1995 and was awarded its third Michelin star in January 2004. Other significant awards, among many, are; Gault Millau, 19/20 rating, January 2005; Chef of the Year Catering & Hotelkeeper Magazine, Catey Awards 2004; Good Food Guide accreditation 10/10, and best Restaurant in the UK, 2008; Second Best Restaurant In The World awarded by the Restaurant Magazines International Academy 50 Best Restaurants in the World Awards 2008; In July 2006 Blumenthal was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science by The University of Reading for his dedicated research and commitment to the exploration of culinary science. Jay Rayner of The Observer. writes in 2008 about the The Big Fat Duck Cookbook --- "What Blumenthal has produced is, in truth, three books in one. At the front is the autobiography, beautifully and wittily illustrated by Dave McKean, who has reinvented the man as the fictional hero of his own narrative, all domed forehead, questing chin and razor-sharp glasses. That said, this is not some grimly narcissistic sleb memoir. If there is an anecdote here, it is because of the part it played in Blumenthal's development as a chef. Next comes the complete Fat Duck recipes, with the glossiest and filthiest of gastro-porn photography. (Who knew the whipping of a pink spiced pickling foam could look so, well, gynaecological?) These recipes are staggeringly long, involve fiendishly expensive pieces of equipment, are extraordinarily detailed and are probably, for the home cook, completely unmanageable, but that's to miss the point. As Blumenthal himself says: 'To change any part of these recipes so that they are more easily achievable would be to compromise - something this book does not do.' Even so, they are worth reading, partly because there are sub-recipes that are within reach (try the gratin of truffled macaroni), partly to appreciate the remarkable effort required to achieve the effect, and partly because it's fun to spot unlikely ingredients. Sure, there are references to substances from the industrial food world like the emulsifier lecithin and the protein 'glue' transglutaminase (oh, the things you can do to mackerel fillets with that). But there are also walk-on parts for frozen peas, mass-produced white bread and Marmite. Blumenthal is big on the flavours of our childhood, the easiest way to open the door to our memories, and he is not afraid to investigate the emotional punch of that nostalgia through his tasting menu. Finally there is the science stuff, a set of explanations so complete and detailed they've had to drop the type size to get it all in. And that, finally, is the point of this book: nothing has been left out; it is all here. It is true that a lot of enthusiastic home cooks will receive this as a gift this Christmas, pore over the pictures, read the text and never once cook from it. But a lot of professional chefs will also buy it, study and examine the text and recipes and let that shape their own cooking. Those wrong-headed, appetite-challenged killjoys who are suspicious of what Blumenthal does will regard this as an unfortunate development. As for me, I can only see it as a very good thing indeed". --- After all Jay Rayner has written this is a thoughfully constructed, original and very unusual but beautiful book, that won for Blumenthal, the Food Book of the Year Award at The Guild of Food Writers Awards, 2009. One assumes it will be a classic in future cookery book collections, if not already.

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Modern category

ref number: 11052

Anon. - A rare dinner invitation to the Crown & Anchor Tavern, and the Duke's signature.
77th Anniversary Dinner for the Cumberland Society
ITEM 1. FRIDAY 1ST, MAY, 1812, His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland in the Chair. Stewards. H.R.H. Prince Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. The Rt, Mounsey Esqr. Tho. Monkhouse Esqr. Josh. Lowden Esqr. Heny. Oliphant Esqr. Isaac Armstrong Esqr. Stephen Morton Esqr. Wm. Sanderson Esqr. Tho. Mounsey Esq. John Carruthers Esqr. Dinner on Table at 5 o' Clock precisely. Tickets 15/s Each. No. (With an engraving of ULLSWATER from GABBAROW PARK) ITEM 2. The signature of 'Ernest' H.R.H The Duke of Cumberland, cut from the end of an autographed letter. ITEM 3. An original envelope addressed by the King (the Duke of Cumberland became the King of Hanover in 1837) to 'His Grace The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos', signed 'Ernest' on the lower left. Also annotated: King of Hanover, July 28th 1843. The envelope also has the King's black wax seal.
205x156mm. One light cardboard sheet beautifully inscribed with a lovely engraving of Ullswater by Silvester sc. Very lightly age browned but overall in very nice condition. With a manuscript ink inscription price for £10.10.0 at the top right hand corner. Blank on the verso except for an ink inscription; W. Warrington.
- The Crown and Anchor Tavern in the Strand was a well-known London landmark, as well as being a dining room of repute. The Tavern after it was rebuilt in 1790 had a large meeting/function room that could seat up to two thousand or more. The famous cooks, F. Collingwood and J. Woolams (images 3&4 below), authors of the cookery book 'The Universal Cook' were serving their tenure there at the time of this Cumberland Society dinner. The Tavern had two entrances, one on the Strand and the other on Arundel St. It is referred to in Stow's 'Survey of London and Westminster' of 1720 as boasting associations with Johnson, Boswell and Reynolds. The meeting hall at the Tavern was long associated with radical politics. Sympathisers of the French Revolution gathered there in the 1790s to commemorate the storming of the Bastille. Used as well as headquarters for Francis Burdett and other ardent reformers. It is also recorded that in the year 1799 the Tavern was the No.1 Grand Master’s Lodge, in the correct list of all the Lodges in London of the most ancient and honourable fraternity of free and accepted Masons of England. His Royal Highness Ernest Augustus, The Duke of Cumberland, who presided over this grand 77th Anniversary Dinner of the Cumberland Society was born on 5th June, 1771 and was by birth the 5th, but in survivor-ship the 2nd son of King George 111 and Queen Charlotte. He became King of Hanover on the death of his elder brother, King William the 1V, in 1837. He died in 1851. The Cumberland Society was formed by his Grandfather the Duke of Cumberland. (1721-65) In 1775 his son also the Duke of Cumberland & Strathearn founded the Cumberland Society Fleet for racing on the Thames. This was the precursor to the Royal Thames Yacht Club, formed in 1830 under the patronage King William IV. It is the oldest continually operating yacht club in the UK today. The present Duke whose dinner invitation is on view here, was carrying on the business of a venerable tradition that was the Cumberland Society. Three pertinent rare ephemeral items that have lasted well.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11053

Adria. Ferran - A signed copy.
A Day at elBulli - An insight into the ideas, methods and creativity of Ferran Adria
Ferran Adria - Juli Soler - Albert Adria. A Printer's icon. (The printer "Phaidon").
300 x 220mm x 60mm thick. Large heavy 4to. Bright yellow paste-down and fep. Adria's signature and dedication: "22.11.11 Pour le table de chefs et Bobby Hendry - Ferran Adria". 1 fep. Title page. 4-528. Bright yellow on fep and on paste-down. Same bright yellow covers and spine with white dw. As new and very collectable especially with signed inscription.
- Ferran Adria, whom many of the top European chefs have agreed at various times, is the best chef in the world. His book is a sumptuous production with numerous photographs detailing every aspect of planning, production and service at 'elBulli', his famous restaurant, now closed, situated about one hour by car north of Barcelona. The book also provides many in-depth glimpses of Aria's philosophy, with the inside cover declaring there had been 2,000,000 booking requests annually, with only 8,000 places available. (this is hard to reconcile; if it takes one minute to process each booking request, this would take 33,333 hours. If we assume each employee at elBulli is working a ten hour day, then that alone takes 3,333.3 days. If we assume that the requests are being dealt with 365 days a year that would need 9-10 people constantly processing the requests all those hours and days). One smells grand hyperbole! Boldly proclaiming itself to be the best restaurant in the world, a trawl thro' the internet to read some of the critics opinions shows that not all agree. It is a very heavy book. Not to be taken for holiday reading, as the cost of the excess baggage alone, would require a bank loan. When all is said, it is still an absorbing read and eye opener, and gives a large glimpse of the creative spirit of a master Chef.

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Modern category

ref number: 11054

Ude. Louis Eustache - A nice copy in the original state.
The French Cook.
A SYSTEM OF FASHIONABLE AND ECONOMICAL COOKERY, FOR THE USE OF ENGLISH FAMILIES. "True taste is an excellent economist." - Rogers. BY LOUIS EUSTACHE UDE. CO-DEVANT COOK TO LOUIS XVI. AND THE EARL OF SEFTON, AND LATE STEWARD TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF YORK. NINTH EDITION, ENLARGED. LONDON W.H. AINSWORTH, 23, OLD BOND-STREET; SOLD ALSO BY HURST AND CO., ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD; SHERWOOD AND CO., PA-TERNOSTER-ROW; SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL, STATIONERS-HALL-COURT; J. ANDREWS, NEW BOND-STREET; AND W. SAMS, ST JAMES'S-STREET; WILSON AND SONS, YORK; H. MOZELY, DERBY; W. AND W. CLARKE, MANCHESTER; G. AND J. ROBINSON, LIVERPOOL; OLIVER AND BOYD, EDINBURGH; AND WESTLEY AND TYRRELL, DUBLIN. 1827.
210x130 mm. 12p Advertisments. 1fep. (1)Frontispiece portrait of Ude. (drawn from life by Albert Hoffay). Title page. [1] (1)4 Reviews of Ude's book. (1)vi-xxiv Preface. xxv-xxxviii Advice to Cooks. Eight plates numbered 1-8. (1)2-480. (1)482-496 INDEX. 4p Advertisements (2 pages are an Advertisement of Jarrin's 'Italian Confectioner'). 1fep. Original slightly soiled blue cardboard boards and browned paper spine with printed label. Original untrimmed wide margined pages. Feps and frontis very lightly browned, but internally quite clean and bright. The spine is split but still holding. The back board is almost loose but holding. Housed in a beautiful clam-shell case with modern dark brown half calf and marbled boards. Raised bands to spine with gilt dentelles in the compartments. With a red label with gilt lettering. Overall a very nice copy in its original state. Hence the clam-shell box.
- The vain and extravagant Louis Eustache Ude – born in France circa 1769 died 10th April, 1846. He first published in 1813 his important cookbook ‘The French Cook’. Eustache's career in the Kitchen started with his father who had worked in the kitchens of Louis XVI, where he also got Eustache work as an apprentice.". Ude also worked for Napoleon's mother for 2 years. After arriving in England, he was firstly employed by William Philip Molyneux, the 2nd Earl of Sefton at Croxteth Hall. He stayed in service to the Earl, a well-known gourmet, for almost 20 years. Next, for the Duke of York, George III's second son. After the Duke's passing, Ude was taken on as Maitre d’ Hotel at Crockford's famous gaming club for a starting salary of 1200 pounds a year. The owner and founder, William Crockford, had a very interesting and colourful past. Online information has him as a fishmonger in Fleet Street with a sideline in bookmaking and such small-scale swindles as the three-card trick. He mastered whist, piquet, and cribbage, which consequentially made him rich. He also backed horses, and by 1809 he was a familiar figure at the races, which also brought into contact with the rich and famous. In 1816 he bought a quarter-share in a gambling tavern in St. Jame's, but Crockford realized that this tavern could only have a limited success. He knew that the most popular clubs were so because they were selective, and that if he wanted to compete with them he would have to plan on a much grander scale, and go all out to get the top people as members. So after winning a large sum of money (£100,000, according to one story) either at cards or just by running the gambling establishment, he built in 1827 a luxuriously decorated gambling house at 50 St. James's Street in London, also buying four adjoining houses around the corner. To ensure its social exclusiveness, he organized the place as a club with a regular membership. Crockford's Club, as it was called, quickly became the rage; almost every English celebrity from the Duke of Wellington on down hastened to become a member, as did many ambassadors and other distinguished foreigners. Into this refined atmosphere Ude was brought as maitre'd of the club's exquisite restaurant, where he stayed until 1839. His reputation was made. He offered the best food and the best wines, all provided gratis to the clients. Ude was eventually earning a huge salary of £4000 annually for his services – (the equivalent of £371,000 using the GDP deflator up to 2016). On quitting Crockfords, ironically in a dispute over his pay, he was succeeded by the equally famous chef Charles Elme Francatelli. Gambling houses were illegal at this time. Crockford was regularly charged with operating an illegal club but due to his protection in high circles he was never convicted. As a result of these and other investigations in 1844 by a Parliamentary Select Committee, the Gaming Act 1845 came into being, the principle provision of which was to deem a wager unenforceable as a legal contract. This remained in force until 1 September 2007. Crockford made a series of very poor investments and died on 24 May 1844 leaving little of his considerable fortune to his wife Sarah. The fortunes of Crockfords Club also went downhill immediately after his death; the building went through several hands before emerging with a cleansed reputation as the Devonshire Club. Ude’s vanity was so well known he may have been tickled to know that Mrs Beeton (who in her famous book, tried to offer cost effective recipes put together by over 2000 recipe researcher’s) offered only one recipe herself – Ude’s wildly expensive Turtle Soup recipe. It is assumed that the first recipe for soufflé appeared in Vincent La Chapelle’s book ‘Le Cuisinier Moderne, 1742. Actually the word soufflé first appeared in English in Ude’s ‘The French Cook’ 1813. The PRB&M Co. informs us - "Byron swiped the names of many of Ude's dishes for use in canto 15, stanzas 62–74 of “Don Juan,” and indeed two of Ude's suggested course progressions for stanza 63 (see p. 426)" - Fascinating ! He was buried at General Cemetery of All Souls, Kensal Green amongst princes and paupers, the great and the good, the famous and the infamous with over 1500 notable personalities -- including over 550 with entries in the Dictionary of National Biography as well as his great compatriot Alexis Soyer. No doubt he would feel at home.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11055

Warner. Richard - With a signed hand written letter from Warner.
Antiquitates Culinariae;
or Curious Tracts relating to the Culinary affairs of the Old English, With a preliminary discourse, Notes, and Illustrations, By The Reverend Richard Warner, of Sway, near Lymington, Hants. Printed for R. Blamire Strand, London, 1791.
FIRST & SOLE EDITION. Large 4to. 1feps with a tipped in hand written letter from Richard Warner. [1] Frontispiece - an aquatint plate of 'A Saxon Entertainment' Engraved title-page. [2] 1 double-paged aquatint plate of the famous 'Peacock Feast'. (1)ii-lvii Preliminary Discourse. [1] (1)-l The Contents. [1]2-137. [1]1fep. Occasional very minor spotting, else a very well-preserved wide-margined large paper copy. Rare original cloth boards and leather spine with gilt lettering. Both ends of the spine slightly rubbed and a crack on one side but still solid. The tipped in 1p hand written letter from the Rev.Richard Warner to 'Mr Dear Sir' asking for a facsimile "of the words per me Ric. Abbem at the foot of the acknowledgement of supremecy of Hen: VIII." 110x160mm with very minor blemishes just above the signature. Dated 14th August 1825 - Weston super Mare, Somerset.
- Richard Warner (1763–1857), divine and antiquary, born in Marylebone, London, on 18 Oct. 1763, was the son of Richard Warner, ‘a respectable London tradesman.’ Early in his sixth year he was sent to a boarding-school near London, and remained there until his father removed, with his family, to Lymington in Hampshire, described by him in his ‘Literary Recollections’. On 19 Oct. 1787 he matriculated from St. Mary Hall, Oxford, and kept eight terms at the university, but left without taking a degree. About 1790 Warner was ordained by William Markham, archbishop of York, his title being the curacy of Wales, near Rotherham, where he stayed for three months, the curacy of his vicarage of Boldre, near Lymington for nearly four years. The influence of Gilpin's tastes was afterwards perceptible in the topographical writings of Warner. Then the more lucrative curacy of Fawle for over two years; but the situation did not agree with his family. The chapel of All Saints, Bath, in the parish of Walcot, was opened for divine service on 26 Oct. 1794, and Warner was placed in charge of it as curate to John Sibley, rector of the mother parish. In April 1795 he accepted the curacy of the populous parish of St. James's, Bath, and he continued in that position for about twenty-two years, preaching his farewell sermon on 23 March 1817. For many years after his settlement at Bath, Warner was the best-known man of letters in that city, and he knew all the literary men who frequented it. Warner was appointed on 13 May 1809 to the rectory of Great Chalfield in Wiltshire, which he enjoyed until his death. In the 1826 list of fellows of the Society of Antiquaries his name appears as elected, but he was never admitted. He died on 27 July 1857, when nearly ninety-four years of age, and was buried on 11 Aug. 1857 in the chancel of Chelwood church, a monument being erected to his memory. The widow, Anne [‘Pearson’], died at Widcombe Cottage, Bath, on 23 March 1865, aged 85, and was buried at Chelwood. One daughter, Ellen Rebecca Warner, was also buried there on 18 Sept. 1833. Warner's voluminous writings comprised over 44 various volumes. Given this huge output, one wonders if the people of his many parishes knew what he looked like. This, his infamous book, ‘Antiquitates Culinariæ: Tracts on Culinary Affairs of the Old English,’ 1791 attracted the attention and ire of John Carter (1748–1817) who prosecuted him for pirating in this work his print of the ‘Peacock Feast,’ and got a verdict for 20l guineas. The print was therefore torn from all the copies then unsold. This action cost Warner 70l guineas in all. Interestingly, Warner had been told that Carter had given permission for the reproduction. This fine original copy has survived with the ‘Peacock Feast’ plate intact.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11056

Careme. Marie Antonin
Le Cuisinier Parisien
OU L'ART DE LA CUISINE FRANCAISE AU DIX-NEUVIEME SIECLE, TRAITE ELEMENTAIRE ET PRATIQUE DES ENTREES FROIDES, DES SOCLES, ET DE L'ENTREMENTS DE SUCRE; SUIVI D'OBSERVATIONS UTILES AUX PROGRESDE CES PARTIES DE LA CUISINE MODERNE; Par Antonin CAREME, Auteur du Patissier royal parisien, - Patissier pittoresque, - du Maitre-d Hotel fraincaise, et de l'Art de la Cuisine francaise au xixe siecle. NOUVELLE EDITION. REVUE ET AUGMENTEE. OUVERAGE ORNE DE 25 PLANCHES DESSINEES PAR L'AUTEUR ET GRAVES AU TRAIT. PARIS. AU DEPOT DE LIBRAIRE, RUE DES MOULINS, 8, PRES DE LA RUE THERESE, 44. 1854.
154x235mm.1 fep + 1fep with the original outer paper cover tipped in. Half Title with Careme's facsimile signature. [1] Title Page. [1] 2p Eulogy de M. Laguipiere. (1)viii-xvi Notice per M. Jules Janin. (1)2-3 Avant Propos. [1] (1)6-25 Discours Preliminaire. [1] (1)28-396. (1)398-408. 2feps. 24 engraved folding plates numbered 2-25. (the title page is number 1). Internally lightly browned and water-stained throughout. Pages with wide un-trimmed margins. Edges are brittle. Modern half calf with marbled boards and calf corners.Spine with raised bands and gilt lines. two black morocco labels with gilt lettering.
- Bitting p25 informs, M. Laguipiere of whom Careme writes a brief eulogy, was one of the cooks attached to the army during the campaign of 1812. The first edition was published - 1828, 2nd 1828, 3rd 1842. Cagle p95-96 cites the 2nd and 3rd editions. Neither Bitting, Vicaire nor Cagle have this new edition of 1854. One of the scarcer editions of Careme's books.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11057

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - 1st edition of Escoffier's classic in the original state.
Le Guide Culinaire
BIBLIOTHEQUE PROFESSIONNELLE Le Guide Culinaire AIDE-MEMOIRE DE CUISINE PRATIQUE Par A. ESCOFFIER AVEC LA COLLABOATION De MM. Phileas GILBERT - E. FETU A. Suzanne, B. Reboul, Ch, Dietrich, A. Caillat, ETC. Dessins de Victor Morin - Je place ce livre sous le ptronage psthume de Urbain Dubois et Emile Bernard, en teimoignage de mon admiration pour ceux qui, depuis Careme ont porte le plus haut la gloire de l'Art Culiniare. A.E. - (printers device of two branches) PARIS 1903 - Tous droits de traduction et de reproduction reserves pour tous les pays, y compris le Suede, la Norvege et le Danemark.
FIRST EDITION. 220x135mm. Front paste-down and end-paper with patterned paper. [1] Half title. Verso with advertisement. Title page. Escoffier's facsimile signature on the verso. 3p Avant Propos. Verso with Abbreviations. 2p Remarks. 1p Advertisement. Verso with Tables de Chapitres. 1-766. 1p Methode de Repartition. 768-769 Menus. 1p plus 1 Folding plate showing service times and tasks. 771-786 Menus. (1)788-790 Table. (1)+p792 Errata. 4p Advertisements. 1fep. Back end-paper and paste-down with patterned paper. All paper age browned and brittle which is typical of this and other books of this time, due to poor quality paper being used. Two pages are loose and the folding plate has been expertly repaired with one of the folds a little darker than the rest. The original dark brown cloth with the Art Nouveau design and gilt lettering on the front still nice and bright. The spine has compartments with blind tooling and gilt lettering. The top compartment cloth is missing with the under material still brown and blending well. Overall a nice copy in its original state albeit somewhat brittle. A very scarce book.
- This is Escoffier's great classic from which so much has come about. Used as the basis for his'L'Aide Memoire Culinaire' 1910. Also Louis Saulnier's 'Le Repertoire de la Cuisine' 1914. The folding plate was used in Escoffier's volume of menus, 'Le Livre des Menus' 1912, which was written to compliment 'Le Guide Culinaire'. Later in 1934 we see in his final publication: 'Ma Cuisine", the classical recipes modified for the housewife. Le Guide Culinaire and the organisation of the Kitchen Brigade brought about by Escoffier during his life, became the basis of all theory and practical training taught in Catering Colleges. Andre Simon in his forward to the first English edition of 'Ma Cuisine' 1965, writes a very endearing description of Escoffier the person, and proclaims his rightful place at the head of the table, due to his towering achievements and the unchallenged position he occupies in the realm of Gastronomy.

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Modern category

ref number: 11059