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Are you a chef? Do you know where the white chef coat is coming from?
You might think that it a very very old thing, seen the pride and stories chefs is having about “their uniform”.
Through our research here at ECRShop.com it appears that a colleague chef back in the mid 19th century by the name Marie-Antoine Careme (French chef) who was quite popular is the one who is credited to have come up with the great idea for the chef coat of today. Mr. Careme’s idea was to create a uniform as would honour the chefs.
Some say that the reason for the choice of white as the colour, is and should be representing cleanliness in the kitchen.
All this happened in the French kitchen, but before long the world know French Master chef, George Auguste Escoffier brought the coat to London where he managed the restaurants at the Savoy hotel and later the
Carlton hotel. Mr. Escoffier is also in history described as the chef, encouraging his chefs to wear their uniform outside of work.
Since mid 18th century the uniforms has seen a ongoing change, some chef’s still preferring the classic white chef coat with black stud buttons, some with colour designs on the whole or partly on the chef coat. One thing is for sure, there is many different styles of chef jackets to choose from.
Chefs name: Marie-Antoine Careme
Date of birth: June 8, 1784–January 12, 1833 / age 48
Child hood: Born in Paris and abandoned in Paris by destitute parents in 1792 in the chaos of the French Revolution. One out of 25 children.
Nationality: French
Known for: "Chef of kings - king of chefs," Founder of the haute cuisine. The father and creative mind for the white chef coat.
Career: Kitchen boy at a cheap Parisian chophouse in exchange for room and board. In 1798 emploied by Sylvain Bailly as apprenticed. Sylvain Bailly a famous pâtissier. In this employment Marie Antoine Careme became famous for his centerpieces (pièces montées) as was displayed in the pastry shops window. Through this centerpiece work he provided his highly creative skills for people of the high socity in and around Paris.
These people was from Napoleon to French diplomat's. He finished his culinary education under Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord where he also became the chef de cuisine at the age 21. He also worked as head chef to the future George IV of England, Emperor Alexander I of Russia, and Baron James de Rothschild with more. Through his career he wrote several large books, recipes, table serving and more about cooking and kitchen organization.
*After the fall of Napoléon, Carême went to London for a time and served as chef de cuisine to the Prince Regent, later George IV. Returning to the continent he served Tsar Alexander I in St. Petersburg, before returning to Paris, where he was chef to banker James Mayer Rothschild. (*source,provided by Jason Olson)
Marie-Antoine Careme restingplace: Cimetière de Montmartre in Montmartre.
NOTE: About the chefhat. That’s a old thing, we have not been able to find much information about this famous hat used by the chefs, only that is was around long before our French chef Mr. Marie-Antoine Careme got the brilliant idea for the chef coat.
Do you have additional information or corrections to this subject we will be happy to receive your email.
Who created and sold the first hamburgers?
Answer. The Romans did, they sold them from stands in the streets
©The research team at www.ecrshop.com 2007
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