author
John Mollard
A professional chef in Georgian and Regency London, he wrote one of the era’s practical, wide-ranging cookery guides for households from tradesmen to the well-to-do. His work is still remembered for documenting early 19th-century British cooking in clear, usable detail.
1 Audiobook
The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined
by John Mollard
About the author
John Mollard was an English cook and food writer best known for The Art of Cookery Made Easy and Refined, first published in the early 1800s. The book presents detailed recipes and kitchen guidance meant to serve a broad readership, and surviving editions describe him as a cook connected with leading London establishments, including the Freemasons' Tavern and later an address in Dover Street, Piccadilly.
His cookbook remained in circulation through multiple editions, which suggests it found a lasting audience. Today it is valued not only as a recipe book but also as a window into British dining habits of the period, from everyday preparations to more elaborate dishes.
Mollard's life is not as well documented as that of many later food writers, so modern attention focuses mainly on his cookbook and his career as a working chef. Even so, his name continues to surface in food history because his recipes help trace the development of classic dishes and the practical craft of professional cooking in early 19th-century Britain.