During the first half of the nineteenth century, Alexis Soyer, a Frenchman from Meaux, was the most famous cook in London. A combination of chance, talent and social conscience took him into many of the great events of his time. Born in 1810, he cooked his was through the Paris July Days in 1830; he oversaw the building of London's most modern kitchen at the Reform Club, where he ran the kitchen from 1837-1850; he designed a model soup-kitchen which he took to Ireland, at the Lord Lieutenant's request, during the 1847 famine; he opened London's first Parisian-type restaurant in conjunction with the Great Exhibition in 1851; and in 1855, he went to the Crimea to take over the running of the kitchens in Florence Nightingale's hospital at Scutari. When he died in 1858, Soyer was helping Miss Nightingale reform British army catering.
Reviews
"... a fascinating biography and social history." (Olive, May 2004)

"Brandon's colourful details will give the book lively appeal to a wide range of social historians" (Times Literary Supplement, 24^th September 2004)

"...exhilaratingly illuminating...a wonderful book..." (The Victorian, November 04)

Book Information
ISBN 9780470869925
Author Ruth Brandon
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint John Wiley & Sons Inc
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc
Weight(grams) 397g
Dimensions(mm) 190mm * 152mm * 25mm