Charles Elmé Francatelli

Portrait of Charles Elmé Francatelli

Charles Elmé Francatelli (1805–10 August 1876), Anglo-Italian cook,[1] was born in London, of Italian extraction, in 1805, and was educated in France, where he studied the art of cookery. Coming to England, he was employed successively by various noblemen, subsequently becoming chief chef of the St James's Club, popularly known as Crockford's club. He left Crockford's to become chief cook to Queen Victoria from 9 March 1840 to 31 March 1842,[2] returned to Crockfords, and afterwards he was managing steward of the Coventry House Club from the day it opened on 1 June 1846 until it closed on 25 March 1854, at the Reform Club 1854-61, then Manager of the St James's Hotel, at the corner of Berkeley Street and Piccadilly, 1863–70, and also chef de cuisine to the Prince and Princess of Wales at Marlborough House 1863-65. From 1970-76 he was manager of the Freemason's Tavern.[3] He was the author of The Modern Cook (1845); of A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes (1852), "The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant" (1861) and of The Royal English and Foreign Confectionery Book (1862). Francatelli died at Eastbourne. A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes was reprinted by Pryor Publications in 1993, complete with the original advertisements and introduction, and has been reprinted almost every year since. ISBN 0-946014-15-9

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Notes

  1. ↑  "Francatelli, Charles Elmé". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
  2. ↑ Account books of the Lord Steward of the Royal Household for 1840-42, National Archive, Kew, refs. LS 2/66, LS 2/67 and LS 2/68
  3. ↑ Colin Smythe, "Charles Elmé Francatelli, Crockford's and the Royal Connection" in Petits Propos Culinaires 101 (2014), pp. 42-67, and "Charles Elmé Francatelli, Additions & Supplementations" in Petits Propos Culinaires 102 (2015), pp. 100-118

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