author
Charles Elmé Francatelli
1805–1876
A star Victorian chef who brought grand French technique to British kitchens, he became famous both for cooking at the highest level and for turning that knowledge into bestselling household guides.
1 Audiobook
A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes
by Charles Elmé Francatelli
About the author
Born in London in 1805 and of Italian family background, Charles Elmé Francatelli was educated in France and trained in Paris under the celebrated chef Antonin Carême. He went on to build a high-profile career in Britain, working for leading aristocratic households and becoming one of the best-known chefs in London.
Francatelli held important posts at Crockford's Club and the Reform Club, and he also served as chief cook to Queen Victoria. Alongside his kitchen work, he became widely known for his cookery writing during the Victorian period.
His best-known book, The Modern Cook, helped spread French-influenced cooking to English-speaking readers, and he published other popular works on plain cookery and household management as well. He died on August 10, 1876, but his name remains closely linked with the rise of ambitious, restaurant-style cookery in 19th-century Britain.