About Us: History

After the Edict of Nantes in 1685, a number of French Protestants emigrated across the channel. Many noble families soon followed suit, taking with them their chefs. Such were the roots of French cuisine in England.

Antonin Carème, 'King of Chefs and Chef of Kings', is the spiritual patron behind all chefs and the inspiration behind the Academy of Culinary Arts. Carème revolutionised the cooking not only of King George IV in the early 19th century, but also that of Napoleon, Tsar Alexander, Talleyrand-Périgord and the Rothschilds. The bicentenary of Carème's birth was commemorated in June 1984 at The Royal Pavilion, Brighton, by members of the Academy of Culinary Arts, who created a spectacular banquet incorporating the artistic Carème style.

The Académie Culinaire de France was founded in 1883 by Joseph Favre, a Swiss chemist living in Paris with a particular interest in food. Today, its members can be found all over the world from the UK to the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, and the Benelux countries. Michel Bourdin and Albert Roux OBE were behind the establishment of the Academy of Culinary Arts - the British branch of the Académie Culinaire de France in 1980.

The twenty five founder members were: