A word from the Honorary Chairman
During my many trips abroad, particularly in the 80s, half a century after his death, I realized that my great-grandfather had left a mark that had become global and a considerable heritage.
He is still an essential reference for the profession, to which he has restored its letters of nobility and prestige, helping to ensure that the profession is considered an art and that Chefs are respected.
“Good cooking is the basis of true happiness”.
He introduced standards of behavior and organization in the kitchen that are still in force today, and bequeathed to subsequent generations several writings, including the Culinary Guide – from which the recipes for the MOF competition are drawn – and the Book of Menus.
His prophetic introductions in these 2 books should be read over and over again, as they demonstrate just how modern and visionary he was.
Very committed to the transmission of knowledge and training, he was proud to have trained over 2000 chefs himself, who in turn went on to promote the excellence of French cuisine and its products around the world. For decades, his Disciples, spread over 5 continents, are happy to perpetuate his work by passing on his principles and values.
The most striking aspect of his personality is his humanism. Although he rubbed shoulders with the rich and powerful, he was always concerned about poverty and hunger in the world, and worried about the fate of the most disadvantaged.
And in this field, too, his Disciples continue his legacy, in conjunction with the Auguste Escoffier Foundation. Let’s not forget that his birthplace in Villeneuve-Loubet, which houses The Museum of Culinary Art and also the House of the Disciples Escoffier.
In 1928, at the dinner at which Auguste was elevated to the rank of Officier de la Légion d’Honneur by Édouard Herriot, then Minister of Culture and Public Instruction, Herriot ended his speech by saying that what he appreciated most of all, above and beyond all his qualities, was that he was a man of heart.
Perhaps this is the main reason why so many of us around the world honor his memory with pride.