author
A. G. (Arthur Gay) Payne
1840–1894
A Victorian food writer with a practical streak, best remembered for clear, economical cookery books and early vegetarian recipes. He also worked in the world of sport, giving his writing a brisk, no-nonsense tone that still feels approachable.
2 Audiobooks
Cassell's Vegetarian Cookery: A Manual of Cheap and Wholesome Diet
by A. G. (Arthur Gay) Payne
Common-Sense Papers on Cookery
by A. G. (Arthur Gay) Payne
About the author
Arthur Gay Payne was an English writer born in Camberwell on February 7, 1840, and he died in Penzance on April 1, 1894. He wrote on both cookery and sport, and some sources note that he also used the pseudonym Phillis Browne.
Payne is especially associated with practical household cookery. His books focus on plain, affordable, workable recipes rather than grand display, which helps explain why titles such as Cassell's Vegetarian Cookery and Common-Sense Papers on Cookery have remained of interest to later readers.
That mix of usefulness and simplicity is his main appeal today. His writing offers a window into late 19th-century English food culture, especially everyday cooking and early meat-free eating, while staying direct and readable.