Philip Harben
Philip Hubert Kendal Jerrold Harben (17 October 1906 – 27 April 1970) was an English cook, recognised as the first TV celebrity chef.
His mother, Mary Jerrold, was an actress famous as the murderous Martha Brewster in the first stage presentation of Arsenic and Old Lace as well as many screen roles. His father, Hubert Harben, was a noted stage actor. His sister, Joan Harben, played Miss Mona Lott in the BBC Radio series ITMA. He learned at the side of his parents' cook, and "could scramble eggs and make mayonnaise long before I could read Thucydides or solve a quadratic equation".[1]
His first occupation was as a commercial photographer,[1] then was engaged to run the kitchen of the Isobar restaurant in the Isokon building in Hampstead, London from 1937 to 1940, when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force, but an eye injury put paid to his flying career and he was assigned to the catering corps.[1]
He compered a BBC wireless cooking programme from 1942, then a BBC TV programmes "Cookery" from 1946 to 1951, followed by "Cookery Lesson" (with co-presenter Marguerite Patten) and "What's Cooking" from 1956. His emphasis was always on method and principles rather than recipes, but he could be remarkably dogmatic - "The Pot to the Kettle not the Kettle to the Pot!".[1]
Philip Harben can be credited with the first TV 'moment' when on live television he cracked an egg which was so bad he had to abandon the recipe while he and the studio crew broke into helpless laughter.
He had a regular column in the British Woman's Own magazine in the 1950s.
In 1958 he helped found the Harbenware kitchen utensils company which in 2009 was still operating under the same ownership.
References in popular culture
- He appeared as himself in the 1953 movie Meet Mr. Lucifer, instantly recognisable by his educated accent, expansive manner, ample girth and neatly trimmed beard (and in his trademark black and white striped apron).
- He appeared as himself in the 1955 Norman Wisdom film Man of the Moment, in which Norman interrupts his television appearance while being chased by crooks.
- In Terence Rattigan's play Separate Tables: Table Number Seven, Mr. Fowler, Lady Matheson and Mrs Railton-Bell leave the table in distress to watch "dear Philip Harben".
Publications
- The Way to Cook, John Lane, The Bodley Head, London 1945
- Cooking Quickly, John Lane, The Bodley Head, London 1946
- Entertaining at Home (with Katharine Harben), Bodley Head, London 1951
- Television Cooking Book Oldhams Press, London 1951
- The Pocket Book of Modern Cooking, News of the World, 1951
- The Young Cook, Peter Nevill, London 1952
- Cooking with Harben (ed. Katharine Harben), Herbert Jenkins, 1953
- Traditional Dishes of Britain, Bodley Head, London 1953
- Philip Harben's Cookery Encyclopedia, Odhams, London 1955
- The Teen-age Cook, Arco 1957
- Best Dishes from Europe, Arco, London 1958
- Best Quick Supper Dishes, Arco, London 1958
- Best Party Dishes 1958
- Cooking, Penguin, 1960
- Philip Harben's Book of the Frying Pan, Bodley Head, London 1960
- Imperial Frying with Philip Harben, Bodley Head, London 1961
- The Grammar of Cookery, Penguin, 1965
- The Way I Cook, Frewin, London 1965
- The Tools of Cookery, Hodder Paperbacks, London 1968 ISBN 0340044101
- Cooking Quickly, Clifton Books, Brighton 1969 ISBN 0901255017
- Philip Harben's Count Down Cookery, Dent, London 1971 ISBN 0460039652
Sources
References
- ^ a b c d TV's first masterchef Caroline Brandenburger, The Telegraph 24 August 2000
Includes his "foolproof" recipe for chocolate cake
| Persondata |
| Name |
Harben, Philip |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
Television chef |
| Date of birth |
17 October 1906 |
| Place of birth |
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| Date of death |
27 April 1970 |
| Place of death |
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