Chef, author of cookbooks and restaurateur, Auguste Escoffier, revolutionised French cuisine, getting rid of heavy sauces, simplifying and codifying recipes. He also forever changed the workplace of the professional kitchen, streamlining procedures and improving working conditions and safety. He was revolutionary too in his commercial bottling of vegetables and sauces.

In his partnership with César Ritz, Escoffier introduced the concepts of the luxury hotel, women dining in public, and the fixed-price menu. Much of his career was spent in England, but he refused to learn English in case he ended up cooking like them! However, he did much to introduce fine food to the British palate and one of his greatest fans was the Prince of Wales, future King Edward VII. Escoffier was the first professional chef to be awarded the Légion d’honneur and over his long career, he did to change the way we eat. Just $15, purchase access here.