Taillevent

Known as Taillevent, Guillaume Tirel was a French cook active in the 14th century, probably born around 1310 and dead in 1395. Reliable reference sources describe him as an important figure in the early history of French cuisine and connect him with service at the French royal court.

He is best remembered for Le Viandier, one of the earliest well-known French cookbooks. The book became an important record of medieval cooking techniques and ingredients, and it helped secure his lasting reputation far beyond the royal kitchens where he worked.

Because so little personal portrait material survives from this period, a clear modern-style likeness does not appear to be available from the source pages reviewed. His legacy rests mainly in his culinary writing and in the long influence of his name on French gastronomy.