The GBK Cookbook

Applied Ability Awards

The British Food Trust

Other








Cooks of the Century

by Helen Gaffney

Who are the great cooks and chefs who have inspired us in Britain during the last 100 years? From Mrs. Beeton to Delia Smith, all have their place in our collective culinary psyche.

1900-1910 Mrs. Beeton's influence was still supreme; her Book of Household Management (1861) was constantly updated. In none of the new editions were the cooking times shortened, however, it was still 20 minutes for boiling an egg, 45 minutes for cabbage.
1910-1920 In 1916, in the middle of the First World War, sugar and fats were rationed, and to boost bread supplies flour was mixed with barley, rye and even oats.
1920-1930 Mrs. Leyel, in the Gentle Art of Cookery (1925) brought lightness and style to cooking. Marcel Boulestin's Simple French Cooking for the English Homes interpreted gallic taste to English needs.
1930-1940 Ambrose Heath's influence was both practical and imaginative. The Book of the Onion (1933) starts off by giving 14 recipes for onion soup.
1940-1950 Severe rationing of food was made palatable with Marguerite Patten's shrewd advice. Books gave us recipes from the wild, like squirrel tail soup and rook pie.
1950-1960 The first TV chef in Britain, Philip Harben, looked and cooked like a Frenchman. Fanny Craddock used food as a class symbol, but also made cooking exciting.
1960-1970 Elizabeth David's books slowly had the effect of introducing the British to Mediterranean cuisine. At the same time, Constance Spry celebrated the simple traditions of British cooking.
1970-1980 Jane Grigson married the best of French and British cuisines; in books like Good Things she emphasised freshness and simplicity. Arabella Boxer's First Slice Your Cookbook and Susan Campbell and Caroline Conran's Poor Cook made entertaining chic, while Robert Carrier turned the most modest dish into something luxurious.
1980-1990 Delia Smith's classless tones and approachable style convinced everyone they could cook too.
1990-2000 Society is mesmerised by the subject of food. It has been the era of TV celebrity chefs. Is there a danger though, that armchair cooking could make us forget the great traditions of our past?