HISTORY OF
MODERN FOOD
SERVICE
CA-ICA-1. Students will examine and identify the
history and philosophy of the food service industry.
 What events and people have influenced the
development of the modern
 What opportunities are available for employment
in the hospitality/food service industry
FOOD IN ANCIENT GREECE
AND ROME 300 BC – 475 AD
 Greece and Rome – Lavish banquets
 Marcus Apicius (Rome) wrote the first cookbook
De Re Coquinaria (On Cooking) Still used
today
 He wrote of putting meats and sauces on bread
(Pizza?)
 When he had difficult financial times he killed
himself for fear of not having good food to eat
 When Roman Empire fell, so did fine dining and
lavish banquets (475 AD)
Middle Ages (500 AD – 1100)
 Feudalism – wealthy landowners with
serfs who worked the fields
 Poor diets – stored root vegetables and
salted and smoked meats
 Wealthy had banquets, but not formal.
Ate with hands Purpose – only to eat
 Trenchers – stale bread used as plates
Renaissance (Awakening)
(1200 – 1700’s)
 Wealthy craved spices to flavor foods
 Marco Polo introduced spices to Europe
 New ideas about life, art and food
 Catherine de Medici married Henry II of
France
 She brought fine food, ice cream and
use of silverware to French Court
 Brought Haute Cuisine to France –
elegant ways of preparing/serving food
Catherine de Medici
 She was from Italy – had arranged marriage to
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Henry II
14 years old at time of marriage
Brought her chefs with her to France. Was
homesick and the marriage was bad. Poured
herself into society to keep herself busy
No children for 10 years, the 9 children in 11
years!!!
Brought fork, ice cream to France
Café or Coffehouses open
 1650 the first café opened in England
 Until then, only public places were
taverns – open to men only
 Coffeehouses welcomed women
 Bakers began to serve pastries
Great Chefs in history
 Marie – Antoine Careme (late 1700’s)
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King of Chefs and Chef to Kings
Art of Grand Cuisine
Classified the sauces into 4 groups –
system still used today
Created sugar sculptures – sweet pieces
that are forerunners of wedding cakes
Felt bakery pieces were a branch of
architecture
Boulanger
 Don’t know his first name!
 Was private chef to royalty
 When the French Revolution occurred, he was
out of work
 Opened the first restaurant (Paris) 1765
 Served soup
 Known as the father of the restaurant
Chef’s – cont.
 George Escoffier (1800’s)
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Simplified Careme’s work – believed fewer
ingredients maintained balance and
perfection
Developed the kitchen brigade system
which assigns specific tasks to kitchen staff
Established sanitation rules and rules for
dress
His books are still important references
Foodservice in the United
States
 Colonial American did not travel or eat
out
 The Industrial Revolution (1800’s)
brought people to the cities
 Coffee shops and diners (kitchens on
wheels) were established
 Fine dining – Delmonico’s opened in
New York. Opened a 2nd – first chain
 http://www.delmonicosny.com/
Gold Rush in California
 1850’s Gold discovered in California
 People moved west – cafeterias opened
to feed people moving west
 Inexpensive, assembly line dining
1900’s
 Fast food – White Castle 1st chain
 After World War II, quick service
restaurants such as McDonald’s and
KFC
 Quality, safe, affordable food
1970’s Nouvelle Cuisine
 “New Cooking”
 Modern chefs wanted to lighten up
classical French cuisine
 Trend did not last long
Classic (French) Organization of a Kitchen (Kitchen
Brigade)
OH- 12.1
Contemporary Version of Classic Kitchen Organization
OH- 12.2
The Executive Chef – Has
culinary education and degree
 Good Knowledge and skills
 Judge the quality of food
 Manage and lead
 May be in the office more than the
kitchen
 Oversees food costs
Sous Chef – Management
level
 Second in command – Means Under the
Chef
 Assistant to executive chef
Station Chefs  Have knowledge and cooking skills
 May or may not have culinary education
 Are responsible for food preparation
Entry Level Jobs
 No experience necessary
 May wash dishes, clean vegetables
Culinary Arts
Industry Factoids and Forecasts
 Culinary Arts is a growth industry.
 Over 70% of eating and drinking establishments
are independently owned.
 Almost half of American adults have worked in
the restaurant industry at one time.
 There were 3.1 million chefs, cooks and food
preparation workers in 2006.
Average Pay Ranges
Job Title
Annual Earnings of Middle
50%
 Cooking Assistant
 $23,096 - 28,862
 Executive Chef
 $55,976 - 85,328
 Executive Pastry Chef
 $45,610 – 68,326
 Food Scientist
 $48,289 – 73,410
 Hotel Manager
 $64,926 – 119,094
 Line cook
 $19,280 – 25,229
 Restaurant Manager
 $36,778 – 53,916
 Sous Chef
 $31,977 – 49,745