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Roux. Albert & Michel - With both brother's signatures.
At home with the Roux Brothers.
ALBERT AND MICHEL ROUX. BBC Books.
FIRST EDITION 1988. 230 x 150mm. Half Title. On the verso - a tipped in 'good-wishes' card from Albert and Michel Roux, signed by each. Title page. Printer's info. on verso. p5 Contents. p6 Acknowledgements. p7-13 Introduction. 14-219. 220-223 Index. [1]. Soft cardboard covers. In very good condition. As new.
- The Roux brothers themselves come from a family of humble charcutiers in Charolles, France. The brothers trained as pâtissiers, and came to London to seek their fortunes in the 1950s. Albert worked as a private chef for Nancy Astor; Michel worked for the Rothschilds. In his memoir-cum-recipe book, A Life in the Kitchen (2009), Michel Jr describes an idyllic childhood – a world of everyday feasts and family gatherings, living on a big estate in Shipbourne, Kent. The only arguments Michel Jr can remember were about food. "My father and my uncle would have furious arguments over how to make an omelette ... As far back as I can remember, family and food were the most important things in our lives." In the school holidays, Albert would wake Michel Jr at one or two in the morning to go to Billingsgate fish market, then Smithfield for meat, and Covent Garden for fruit and veg. Albert's wife, Monique, would drive to Paris for ingredients unobtainable in England. Eventually, of course, the pressures took their toll: Albert and Monique divorced in 2001. They both remarried. Albert and Michel opened the present Le Gavroche at 43 Upper Brook St, in Mayfair, London. In 1974, the Roux brothers were awarded their first Michelin star for their cooking at Le Gavroche. In 1977, they were awarded a second, and in 1982 they were awarded their third. Le Gavroche was the first British restaurant to be so honoured. Michelin stars for the brothers' other restaurant, the Waterside Inn at Bray, in Berkshire, soon followed. The Roux family tradition continues. Michel Jr trained as a patissier, and now runs Le Gavroche, having taken over the restaurant from his father in 1993. Michel Sr's son, Alain, now runs the Waterside Inn, which has been awarded three Michelin stars for 25 years consecutively. In an article online from the Radio Times a small synopsis tells us that the Roux Brothers are going to do a series of 13 programmes starting on BBC 2 on the 23rd October 1988. It further states; Albert and Michel Roux , famous chef-restaurateurs, dip into the stock pot; pull apart some bouquets garnis; argue about the way to make watercress soup, and clarify consommes. But whatever the arguments, both brothers agree that the important thing is to enjoy cooking. As Albert says, good food is a pleasure that transcends national boundaries. You don't have to be French to be good at it. This is the book from that cookery show.

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Modern category

ref number: 11312

ANON. A label for an expensive Paris sweet shop. circa 1820.
A LA SOURCE DES DOUCEURS.
POMEREL. G.dre de M. CHEVET. CONFISEUR DISTILLATEUR. de S.A.R. Madame la Duchesse de Berry, Fabrique Dragees et Fruits pour Baptemes, Bonbons, assiettes mentees Corbeilles et Cartonnage pour Fetes et Etrennes; Chocolat de Sante et a la Vanille, Confitures de toutes especes; Pate d' Auvergne; Gelee de Pommes de Rouen; Sirops; Fruits a la Eau-de-vie; Liqueu et Nins de Liqueurs;Envoie en Province et a l'Etranger. a' Paris. RUE MONTESQUIEU, No 5.
160 mm in Dia. Top half is an illustration of children finding many sweets at the bottom of a waterfall. With a picnic table set up a maid for a lady of means. A very beautiful black and white, ornately designed label for a company/shop selling many different sweets. Housed in a marbled card folder.
- By the quality of the illustration on this label it must have been a high-end establishment. A long search online did not enlighten. A unique item. (If anyone can shed any more light on this item, it would be much appreciated).

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11313

PRUNIER. MAISON. Circa 1920's.
PARIS AND LONDON .
Three pieces of Prunier's colourful, marketing cards.
ITEM 1. A nicely designed small menu card for a private party at Maison Prunier 9, RUE DUPHOT, PARIS. - Les Huitres. Filets de Turbot Duglere. Poulet Douwarow. Desserts. Anjou 1908. Fruits. It also has eight signatures in pencil. ITEM 2. A folded six-page Carte-Postale with design for a stamp and address on the back cover. In the four pages inside there is a full take-away menu featuring a [SERVICE DE VILLE] Detailing a list of headings, offering, COQUILLAGES ET HUITRES; CAVIAR; CRUSTACES; SALAISONS, FUMAISONS; VINES; GARNUTURES; PLATS FROIDS; PLATS CHAUDS. all with prices two telephone numbers. dated October 1923. ITEM 3. A very nice promotional card detailing Maison Prunier, France; at 9, RUE DUPHOT, PARIS. and 16, AV. VICTOR-HUGO. And Meme Maison, Londres; 72 ST. JAMES STREET.
- ITEM 1. 136 x 89mm. The humorous colourful design on the front has a fish supplier carrying on his head a basket of oysters, a large surprised fish on one arm, and on the other hand, holding up a very big scallop shell already cooking on a bunsen-burner. ITEM 2. 132 x 85mm. This also has a nice colourful design on the front, of a smiling happy fish-supplier in apron and scarf with a basket of oysters on his head. ITEM 3. 133 x 89mm. Very slightly shaved at the bottom with no loss. This also has a nice colourful design on the front, of a fish, lobster and a sea-snail above table with a nicely starched table cloth. All items in very good condition housed in a green marbled cardboard folder.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11314

ROYAL MENU.
ON BOARD THE ROYAL YACHT 'BRITANNIA'.
Menu: Filet of Red Snapper Fecampoise. (a single small line) Supreme of Chicken with Wild Mushrooms. Salad. (a single small line) Chocolate and Ginger Mousse. Friday 30th May 1997. Tokyo.
173 x 110mm. A white card with on the top left-hand corner, E11R embossed in gilt with gilt embossed crown on top. On the right side is a very nice copy of a painting of 'Britannia' with three sail boats around her. Underneath is a gilt embossed ribbon with 'H.M.Y Britannia' printed inside. then the menu below that and finally the date and location on the bottom. The menu has rounded corners and the edges in gilt. In very good condition. Housed in an orange marbled cardboard folder.
- The Royal Yacht 'Britannia' was launched 16th April 1953, commissioned 11th January 1954. It was in service from 1954 to 11th December 1997, when it was decommissioned. She was the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded to the throne in 1660. This menu printed on the final year of the yacht's service is quite rare.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11315

ROYAL WEDDING CAKE.
BRIDE CAKE
made by HUNTLEY & PALMERS, LIMITED. for THE LADY ELIZABETH BOWES-LYON on the occasion of her Marriage with H.R.H. THE DUKE OF YORK, K.G. at WESTMINSTER ABBEY APRIL 26TH, 1923. With a finely illustrated border of two intertwining ribbons. The back cover is a little stained and the front cover has a couple of small smudges. Internally very clean.
210 x 172mm. Front cover with fine delicate drawing with the couple's portraits. Above them is the family crests. Underneath the wedding date of 1923. Beautifully delineated with silver and blue. Title page. [1] 2p of The Lady Elizabeth's noble background and her ancestral home of Glamis Castle. A full-page b/w photograph of the huge cake. [1] 9p of description of the tiers of the cake and the symbolism of the decoration. The back page with 2 illustrations of a standing Lion and Lioness. symbolising the couple's Royal connections. Housed in a sympathetic blue and silver marbled cardboard folder.
- Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions from 1936 to 1952 as the wife of King George VI. As George's wife, she was the last empress of India. After her husband died, she was known as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, the present Queen, Elizabeth II. Born into a family of British nobility, she only came to prominence in 1923 when she married the Duke of York, the second son of King George V and Queen Mary. The couple and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, embodied traditional ideas of family and public service. The Duchess undertook a variety of public engagements and became known for her consistently cheerful countenance. In 1936, Elizabeth's husband unexpectedly became king when his older brother, Edward VIII, abdicated in order to marry the American divorcée Wallis Simpson. Elizabeth then became queen. She accompanied her husband on diplomatic tours to France and North America before the start of the Second World War. During the war, her seemingly indomitable spirit provided moral support to the British public. After the war, her husband's health deteriorated, and she was widowed at the age of 51. Her elder daughter, aged 25, became the new queen. After the death of Queen Mary in 1953, Elizabeth was viewed as the matriarch of the British royal family. In her later years, she was a consistently popular member of the family, even when other members were suffering from low levels of public approval. She continued an active public life until just a few months before her death at the age of 101 years, 238 days, which was seven weeks after the death of her younger daughter, Princess Margaret. This brochure of the Queen Mother's wedding cake was following a long Royal tradition of making public the details and pageantry of a Royal marriage, all carefully presented and choreographed. The cake had four tiers. The base Tier 7.5 feet in circumference. The decoration of all the tiers was very carefully inclusive and thought out, to include all the aspects of the couple's nobility and the various strands of ancestry and contemporary obligations. Described here in amazing detail. Very rarely found appearing on the market.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11316

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - With 2 very scare recipe booklets.
6 ITEMS OF ESCOFFIER RELATED EPHEMERA.
ITEM1. Wholesale Department:- RIDGEMONT STREET. (Off Shore Street) TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD, LONDON, WC. Inside it tells us: ESCOFFIER PREPARATIONS. Manufactured under the Supervision of MONS. ESCOFFIER. of the Carlton Hotel. London. With lists of all Escoffier items and prices. ITEM 2. A canned autobiography of Escoffier from the Foundation Auguste Escoffier. UN DES GRANDS MAITRES DE LA CUISINE FRANCAISE. 1846 - 1935. ITEM 3. A booklet of Escoffier recipes for a GUIDE de la CUISINIERE. Contenant de NOMBREUSES RECETTES NOUVELLES. Edite par le ~Bouillon "KUB". ITEM 4. A booklet of of Escoffier recipes for a A Chaque mois de l'Annee... ses viandes, poissins, volailles•gibiers, legumes. `Conseils et Recettes. La bonne cuisine par tous. ITEM 5. An original b/w photograph of the Carlton Hotel, Pall Mall, London. ITEM 6. A b/w photograph of Escoffier with top-hat viewing exhibits at a Salon Culinaire in London.
ITEM 1. A four-page promotional pamphlet: 237 x 143mm. Ornate front cover with a red jar of Escoffier Pickles. All items priced. Good condition. ITEM 2. 240 x 160mm. (1) With illustration of an older Escoffier. 4-9 The main dated milestones of key times in Escoffier's life. 10-49 with many unseen photographs of Escoffier and his kitchen brigades. Packed with many unknown facts from the Master's life. The covers and internally in fine condition. ITEM 3. 180 x 135mm. p1 Advertisement. Frontis on the Verso of a table laden with foods. A letter written by Escoffier dated Paris, Octobre 1922. p6. Termes Culinaires. 7-71. [1] Age dusted carboard covers and the front cover with text in red and ornate border. Internally clean. ITEM 4. 180 x 138mm. A rectangular booklet. Inside cover advertising 'Kub' Buillon. A title page of a letter date July 1st 1925. [1] p3. Du choix des plats de season. 1926. 4-31. Inside cover advertising 'Kub' et Poule au Pot'. `Dark blue cardboard covers with a little boy chef on the front. Fine condition. ITEM 5. A b/w photograph of Escoffier of the Carlton Hotel when Escoffier was the Chef de Cuisine. ITEM 6. A fine b/w photographs of Escoffier at a Salon Culinaire pasted to the insider page of the marbled cardboard folder housing all the items.
- Escoffier, (1846-1935) was not only a great and famous chef, but a little known fact was that he was also a relentless innovator, as can be seen by the large range of sauces, soups, pickles, consomme, vinegars etc (even the famous Sauce Melba) featured in the 4 page pamphlet of Escoffier Sauces. This came about because of his laudable belief that making life and kitchen tasks easier for the professional and the home cooks was an inevitable need and necessity, which he understood and very clearly stated in his great cookery classic 'Le Guide Culinaire'. Reading the preface of this great book we can see the practical, as well as his heartfelt understanding of people's constant desire for change was an ongoing negative human condition thro' the ages. Escoffier tried to explain that the secret to alleviating this restless innovation, will come about by cooking the timeless classics as well as possible, instead of the constant search for novelty. Probably the most lasting but least known food item that he developed and started producing on a large commercial scale, was tinned tomatoes. The other two rare booklets also pre-date a very modern trend of promoting processed food items aimed at the home cook. The autobiographical booklet is fascinating as a condensed look at Escoffier's life put together by the Escoffier foundation at 3, rue Auguste Escoffier. 06270 Villeneuve-Loubet Village and it's Chairman, Michel Escoffier, the great man's grandson. An unusual collection.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11317

PRUNIER. LA MAISON Struggling to cope after the great War.
LETTERS FROM EMILE PRUNIER.
Four letters hand-written by Emile Prunier. Also two articles about Pruniers. One four-page article from the Departement du Finistere, dated 9th March 1929. The other four-page article from the 'Cultures Marines' about L'Historie d'une Grande Maison.
Maison Prunier Customer Card 1. 140 x 90mm. A signed card by E. Prunier, ex-sergeant of Mounted Arms in the Train Equipment: detailing the predicted time of re-opening of Tuesday March 3rd. (no year) Also on the flip side is a letter to a friend about meeting a new client. Letter 2. 215 x 160mm. Paris July 17th. (no year) Writing to friend apologising for not being able to visit on Sunday. Detailing one of his oldest employees and also a great friend who was killed on July 4th on the Somme. Letter 3. 270 x 122mm. On Maison Prunier headed notepaper: Paris July 2nd circa 1919. Detailing the bad luck because of the leaving of his Maitre-de. Also apologising for not being available but clarifying his complete availability from August 20th. Letter 4. 270 x 122mm. On Maison Prunier headed notepaper: Paris Mrch 3rd 1920. Expressing to a Mrs Robin about her husband and sympathising that everyone who was involved in the great war were completely altered. Mostly the letters are about the difficulties Emile is facing after returning from the war and organising his business once again.
- The tribulations of not only running a very famous and demanding business, but also coping with his personal demons after 5 years in war service, and finding new staff, (many former valued employees lost their lives in the fighting.) finance, building all the many areas of administration again, finding and meeting new suppliers who also are having some of the same types of problems, finding produce, etc etc.. A monumental undertaking. But we know now just how successful Emile and Maison Prunier in Paris and London eventually became. All the letters have English translation.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11318

ANON. - with a meeting and Dinner for the famous Pitt Club.
London Tavern
Tree items of Ephemera. 1. A letter. 2. A table-plan. 3. An Illustration of a lavish Dinner.
ITEM 1. A general folded letter headed 'The Pitt Club' addressed to Tho. Olney, from A.D. Welch; Secretary, inviting him to the London Tavern for a General Meeting of the Club on Friday May 16th, 1828 to participate in a ballot for the 48 candidates named in the letter. The invitation is also for a celebration Dinner on the anniversary of Pitts birthday on May 28th. ITEM 2. An A3 sheet of strong paper showing an extremely well-designed table plan for an Inauguration Banquet at the Tavern on November 3rd, 1870. This table plan alone with its list of 40 titled people at the top-table, [see image # 2 below] gives a true first impression of the professionalism of the Tavern's organisation. ITEM 3. This is a wonderful Illustrated London News engraving dated Feb.12th 1859, of a complimentary dinner set-up for Mr Davis, The Huntsman of Her Majesties Staghounds at the London Tavern. All items housed in a marble papered folder.
- These items of ephemera, are interesting for two reasons. The London Tavern and its table settings and the historic Pitt Club, meeting there on May 3rd 1828. The Tavern was the most prestigious catering venue in London. (for a full description of the Tavern and its massive catering operation, see item # 11217, on this book-site.) The Pitt Club was apparently officially founded in Michaelmas term 1835, [although the letter here, irrefutably proves the club members were being nominated already in 1828.] and named in honour of the Prime Minister, from 1783 – January 1801 - William Pitt the Younger, who had previously been a student at Pembroke College, Cambridge. The Pitt Club was originally intended as one of many political clubs set up across Great Britain, 'to do honour to the name and memory of Mr William Pitt, and to uphold in general the political principles for which he stood'. In particular the University Pitt Club was intended to assist the local party organisations of the town of Cambridge to return worthy, that is to say, Tory, representatives to Parliament and to the Borough Council. From the start, however, there was a social element as the Club's political events were combined with 'the pleasures of social intercourse at dinner, when party fervour among friends, dining in party uniform, might be warmed towards a political incandescence by the speeches to successive toasts'. Over the course of the Pitt Club's first few decades, the political element diminished whilst the social element increased. By '1868, at the latest, the Pitt Club ceased from all political activity and elected members to its social advantages without any regards whatever to considerations of political party'. Though the Club's 'raison d'être' changed in its early years, it was from the first, and always remained, an undergraduate organization. The Pitt Club has been in almost continuous operation since its founding. During the First World War, however, the Club's existence became increasingly tenuous as more Cambridge men joined the forces. It temporarily closed in October 1917 but reopened in early 1919. By 1920, the Club had become, according to the Minutes; "nearly normal again, the only real trouble being the horrible scarcity of whisky". After the Second World War and they had to seek alternative accommodation, and eventually settled for rooms above the post office in Trinity Street, which they called the Interim Club. On 7 November 2017, a referendum to elect women into the club passed. This did not pass without controversy though, with only resident members being granted a vote. With ladies now elected, one imagines that the full maturation of the historical Pitt 'Social' Club's non-political activities progressed to everyone's full satisfaction. These are rare items of ephemera, especially the dating of the Pitt Club's activities in the letter. The other surprise also, is the London Tavern's high level of quality.

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