Alexis Benoît Soyer

Soyer, Alexis Benoît (älĕksē' bənwä' swäyā'), 1809-58, French chef and writer on gastronomy and dietary reform. After the Revolution of 1830 he went to London and was notable as chef (1837-50) of the Reform Club. In 1847 he was commissioned by the government to open kitchens in Dublin for the benefit of Irish sufferers from famine, and he was (1855-57) in the Crimea as a cooking adviser to the British army, which was suffering from poor diet. Soyer invented relishes and sauces, innumerable kitchen utensils, and several types of stove. His publications include The Pantropheon; or, History of Food (1853) and A Shilling Cookery (1854).

Bibliography

See H. Morris, Portrait of a Chef (1938).