Soyer, Alexis Benoît [key], 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).
See H. Morris, Portrait of a Chef (1938).
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