Alexis Soyer & The Soyer Stove
The Soyer stove was developed by Frenchman Alexis Benoit SOYER, 1810 – 1858. His creation of the stove, essentially a slow cooker, revolutionized cooking in the field of battle during the Crimean War (1853 – 1856). Its design became one of the most important inventions for the improvement of outdoor catering on a large scale.
During the Crimean war conditions for soldiers were woeful and inadequate with limited provisions for shelter and cooking. Food was cooked over open fires by the soldiers themselves using large quantities of wood that was in short supply. Along with other luminaries of the time, Soy realised something had to be done. Just as Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole sought to improve the conditions for the nursing of injured and sick soldiers, Soyer went out to improve the catering facilities to provide them with nourishing food.
Alexis Benoit Soyer was born on 04th February 1810, to Emery Roche Soyer and his wife Marie Chamberlain, in Maeux-en-Brie France. A town with a reputation as a strong Huguenot community. Little is known of Soyer’s youth, other than his father died when he was 8 years old. At the age of 21 Soyer was sent to live with his brother Phillipe in Paris, becoming an apprentice at the restaurant of Georg Rignon in the Rue Vivienne. In 1826 he joined the Maison Douix becoming head chef leading a team of twelve, as his Brigade of Cooks. By 1830 Soyer had secured the post of second to Jules, Prince de Prolignac, Prime Minister under Charles X. In 1830, following an incident that saw Les Trois Glorieuses armed supporters shoot two staff, Soyer fled France for England. With his brother Phillipe now head chef to Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, Soyer joined the household staff. From 1832 Soyer worked for several British nobles. One of those included the Duke of Sutherland. His daughter in law Harriet, a prominent Whig promoter, was to become an important friend and supporter of Soyer. Whilst having his portrait painted by Francois Simoau, he met his future wife Elizabeth Emma Jones, whom he married in 1837
From humble origins, he became both a celebrated Victorian chef and much more. His talents led him to design kitchens, introducing the benefits of cooking with gas and using adjustable temperature ovens. He also invented catering equipment, trained staff in the art of catering. During this period, he also found time to write several books, some containing recipes for the poor. One book been titled ‘A Shilling Cookery for the People’. So innovative were his kitchens they were opened to the public for conducted tours.
The design of the Soyer Stove became one the most important inventions to the improvement of outdoor catering on a large scale. Such was the effectiveness of the stove it was continually used by the British Army for over 100 years, found its way into use by the RAF and into civilian life. The stove was used for soup kitchens during WW1 & WW2, both in the field of battle and for civilians caught in the Blitz. Such is the success and durability of the stoves they have been adopted by the Australian and Canadian military with stocks kept even today for use in civilian emergencies.
During his time with the soldiers in the Crimean war, Soyer devised a system of having a trained chef and team of kitchen assistants for each regiment. This later lead to the creation of the Army Catering Corp and RAF Mobile Catering Squadron.
Soyers contribution to the improvement of life for British soldiers cannot be underestimated, a legacy that remains to this day. His desire to improve the catering for Crimean soldiers ultimately cost Soyer his life. Having fallen ill whilst in the Crimea, he returned home to London, where he died in 1858. He is buried next to his wife Emma in Kensal Green Cemetery, London.
Elizabeth Emma Jones
Known as Emma Jones, Emma was a talented painter becoming one of the youngest painters to exhibited at the Royal Academy. Her portrait of Soyer was engraved by Henry Bryan Hall. Emma died in 1842 following a premature childbirth. A distraught Soyer erected a monument to her at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.
Falklands War
It was later used in the Falklands War in 1982. During the Falklands War most of the army’s supply of stoves was destroyed when the supply vessel Atlantic Conveyor went down after being hit by an Exocet missile.
WRVS
The Blitz of WW2 saw the stoves being used by the WVS (Woman’s Voluntary Service) and Civil Defence Corps to provide emergency food and drink to civilians. They were also used by the RAF at airfields in field kitchens to provide food for service men and woman when kitchen buildings were destroyed through bombing or during mobilization of personnel.
Citations
Potbelly Stoves Old Farmers Alamanac – Robert Bailey Thomas
Soyer Stove Calculating.wordpress.com
Forgptten History – Mrslippery, 9 years ago
Triplex Cooker WVRS
Royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk Heritage Online
WRVS&HC/WRVS/HQ/P/CD/EFQ005
Assembly of emergency feeding Triplex Cooker Stage 4 20/06/1951
WRVSA&HC/WRVS/HQ/P/SWH/CAD005
Preparing food for cadets in the white city
Contributors Mr Lee Atherton - Location and use of Potbelly Stove, Soyer Stove and Triplex Stove.
Mrs Christine Means - Use of Triplex Stove by WRVS. Local history of Potbelly Stove.
During the Crimean war conditions for soldiers were woeful and inadequate with limited provisions for shelter and cooking. Food was cooked over open fires by the soldiers themselves using large quantities of wood that was in short supply. Along with other luminaries of the time, Soy realised something had to be done. Just as Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole sought to improve the conditions for the nursing of injured and sick soldiers, Soyer went out to improve the catering facilities to provide them with nourishing food.
Alexis Benoit Soyer was born on 04th February 1810, to Emery Roche Soyer and his wife Marie Chamberlain, in Maeux-en-Brie France. A town with a reputation as a strong Huguenot community. Little is known of Soyer’s youth, other than his father died when he was 8 years old. At the age of 21 Soyer was sent to live with his brother Phillipe in Paris, becoming an apprentice at the restaurant of Georg Rignon in the Rue Vivienne. In 1826 he joined the Maison Douix becoming head chef leading a team of twelve, as his Brigade of Cooks. By 1830 Soyer had secured the post of second to Jules, Prince de Prolignac, Prime Minister under Charles X. In 1830, following an incident that saw Les Trois Glorieuses armed supporters shoot two staff, Soyer fled France for England. With his brother Phillipe now head chef to Prince Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge, Soyer joined the household staff. From 1832 Soyer worked for several British nobles. One of those included the Duke of Sutherland. His daughter in law Harriet, a prominent Whig promoter, was to become an important friend and supporter of Soyer. Whilst having his portrait painted by Francois Simoau, he met his future wife Elizabeth Emma Jones, whom he married in 1837
From humble origins, he became both a celebrated Victorian chef and much more. His talents led him to design kitchens, introducing the benefits of cooking with gas and using adjustable temperature ovens. He also invented catering equipment, trained staff in the art of catering. During this period, he also found time to write several books, some containing recipes for the poor. One book been titled ‘A Shilling Cookery for the People’. So innovative were his kitchens they were opened to the public for conducted tours.
The design of the Soyer Stove became one the most important inventions to the improvement of outdoor catering on a large scale. Such was the effectiveness of the stove it was continually used by the British Army for over 100 years, found its way into use by the RAF and into civilian life. The stove was used for soup kitchens during WW1 & WW2, both in the field of battle and for civilians caught in the Blitz. Such is the success and durability of the stoves they have been adopted by the Australian and Canadian military with stocks kept even today for use in civilian emergencies.
During his time with the soldiers in the Crimean war, Soyer devised a system of having a trained chef and team of kitchen assistants for each regiment. This later lead to the creation of the Army Catering Corp and RAF Mobile Catering Squadron.
Soyers contribution to the improvement of life for British soldiers cannot be underestimated, a legacy that remains to this day. His desire to improve the catering for Crimean soldiers ultimately cost Soyer his life. Having fallen ill whilst in the Crimea, he returned home to London, where he died in 1858. He is buried next to his wife Emma in Kensal Green Cemetery, London.
Elizabeth Emma Jones
Known as Emma Jones, Emma was a talented painter becoming one of the youngest painters to exhibited at the Royal Academy. Her portrait of Soyer was engraved by Henry Bryan Hall. Emma died in 1842 following a premature childbirth. A distraught Soyer erected a monument to her at Kensal Green Cemetery, London.
Falklands War
It was later used in the Falklands War in 1982. During the Falklands War most of the army’s supply of stoves was destroyed when the supply vessel Atlantic Conveyor went down after being hit by an Exocet missile.
WRVS
The Blitz of WW2 saw the stoves being used by the WVS (Woman’s Voluntary Service) and Civil Defence Corps to provide emergency food and drink to civilians. They were also used by the RAF at airfields in field kitchens to provide food for service men and woman when kitchen buildings were destroyed through bombing or during mobilization of personnel.
Citations
Potbelly Stoves Old Farmers Alamanac – Robert Bailey Thomas
Soyer Stove Calculating.wordpress.com
Forgptten History – Mrslippery, 9 years ago
Triplex Cooker WVRS
Royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk Heritage Online
WRVS&HC/WRVS/HQ/P/CD/EFQ005
Assembly of emergency feeding Triplex Cooker Stage 4 20/06/1951
WRVSA&HC/WRVS/HQ/P/SWH/CAD005
Preparing food for cadets in the white city
Contributors Mr Lee Atherton - Location and use of Potbelly Stove, Soyer Stove and Triplex Stove.
Mrs Christine Means - Use of Triplex Stove by WRVS. Local history of Potbelly Stove.
