History of Hospitality and Foodservice

CA-CAI-1d: Trace the history and growth of the foodservice and hospitality industry and

list historical chefs and entrepreneurs relating their major accomplishments to the food

industry.

Ancient Greece and Rome

• 300-400 B.C.• Meals were

considered a time to nourish the soul as well as the body

• People ate while reclining on couches, enjoying music, poetry, and dancing

• Lesche: private clubs where banquets where held for Greeks

• Phatnai: Catered to travelers and traders

– Travelers brought their own food to these clubs

• grapes, olives, bread, wine and cheese

Rome

• 282 B.C.• Romans conquered

land surrounding Mediterranean that was formerly occupied by Greeks

• Romans were different—meals were primarily served in the home.

• They also desired more exotic foods and spices which increased trade

• Also stretched their empire farther east and north

Middle Ages

• 475-1300 A.D.• Signaled by the end

of the Roman Empire• Feudal society• Large banquets were

held almost every night—to eat.

• Their main utensil was their hands

• Travel was no longer safe so trade stopped

• Europe became isolated until….

• Marco Polo from Venice brought spices back from his travels to China

Renaissance

• 1400-1700’s• Spices were limited to just the wealthy• Creation of Haute Cuisine

– Elaborate and refined system of food preparation

– Began in Italy and was brought to France by Catherine de Medici

• Artisans began making utensils from fine metals

Renaissance Continued

• International trade continued to improve

• Cafés began opening serving coffee and sweets

• Guilds were established – associations of people with similar interests or

professions– Cooking Guilds established many professional

standards that exist today

Renaissance Continued

• Boulanger—1765

• Opened his café and served soups (restaurers) to his customers

• The term “restaurant” was coined.

• Many other cooks found themselves unemployed and began opening restaurants of their own.

Settling in North America

• 1600-1700

• Boston and New York were the major ports of trade

• Very few early Americans traveled or dined out…

• Dinner was served at lodges and inns

Industrial Revolution

• 1750-1890’s

• People in Europe began moving closer to the city to work in factories

• There was a need to live walking distance to work so you could return home for lunch

• Dining establishments opened up to serve the needs of workers and employers

Scientific Advancements

• Louis Pasteur developed pasteurization which made milk safer to drink

• Nicholas Appert discovered canning methods

• Florence Nightingale made arguments on appropriate dietary needs and health maintenance

The Gilded Age

• 1850-1890’s

• Factory owners were making big bucks and liked elegant and fancy

• Entrepreneurs opened restaurants so that people could dine and be seen in elegant surroundings.

• Delmonico’s and the Astor House– 18 course meals were common

Marie-Antoine Careme

• 1800’s

• Created chef uniform to represent cleanliness

• Perfected the chef hat– Different sizes represented rank

Georges Escoffier

• 1846-1935

• Perfected chef dress

• Established the brigade system and rules of conduct

20th Century

• Birth of Fast Food– White Castle 1921 in Wichita, Kansas– Other early restaurants, KFC and McDonalds

• Growth of National Chains grew through the 1970’s

• “eating out” is now just as common as eating at home

20th Century Continued

• The Food Network launched in 1993

The Evolution of the Cooking School

• The first schools were really just classes conducted in private households or the teacher’s home.

• Originally used to teach women of the household, military organizations, and religious establishments

A Man’s Perspective

• Men were trained in a completely different method

• They relied heavily on apprenticeships

• They trained with a master chef and made their way up to top-level culinary positions

The First Schools• Philadelphia 1808: Elizabeth Goodfellow

opened a pastry shop and offered classes to the public– Considered America’s first cooking school

• 1855: Pierre Blot opened the Culinary School of Design

• Later, Blot partnered with Commodore Vanderbilt and opened the New York Cooking School– America’s first FRENCH cooking school

Today’s Cooking Schools

• The original/first Le Cordon Blue in Paris was opened in 1895 by Marthe Distell

• Following WWII, the GI bill for returning veterans boomed education.

• The Culinary Institute of America was opened in 1946– The first American cooking school for professionals– Relocated to Hyde Park, NY in 1970