The cult of the celebrity chef is viewed as a modern day phenomenon. But years before the advent of Jamie Oliver and, of course, predating Fanny Craddock and Julia Child, there was Xavier Marcel Boulestin.
Described by The Guardian’s Matthew Fort as “the most imaginative and liberating food writer of his time,” Boulestin was a much respected French-born, author and restaurateur. He also became the world’s first TV chef, showing viewers how to make an omelette, on the experimental BBC programme Cook’s Night Out in 1937. A twice-monthly programme followed, until 1939, when the fledgling BBC Television service was closed down because of the advent of the Second World War.
Marcel Boulestin died on 19th/20th September 1943 and 70 years after his death, restaurateur Joel Kissin has reintroduced his name to a whole new generation of food lovers with the opening of Boulestin, his new restaurant and café in London’s St James’s.
Born in Poitiers in 1878, Boulestin was an Anglophile from an early age, attempting to convert his family to the benefits of mint sauce with mutton, buying mince pies and marmalade in Paris, and familiarising friends such as the author Colette with the custom of afternoon tea.
He moved to London in 1906, thereafter making his home and career in the capital. After working for a while as a writer and social commentator, Boulestin decided on a change of direction, opening an interior design shop. During the First World War, he served as an interpreter to the British Expeditionary Force, often amusing himself by teaching solders how to cook.
Simple French Cooking for English Homes
Post war, what began as a hobby turned into a career, when Boulestin was asked to write a French cookery book designed for the British market. Simple French Cooking for English Homes was published in June 1923 and was an immediate sensation.
In the wake of this success he opened the Restaurant Français in Leicester Square, moving two years later to new premises, called simply Boulestin, in Covent Garden. Described by Cecil Beaton as “the prettiest restaurant in London”, Boulestin was soon counting the likes of Marlene Dietrich, Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin among its devotees.
Among the many influenced by Boulestin’s writings was Elizabeth David, who after his death trapped in a Paris occupied by German forces, emerged as the nation’s leading food writer.
Boulestin the restaurant
Boulestin the restaurant continued under various managements until it was replaced by a fast food restaurant in 1994. As a newspaper remarked at the time, its closure was “greeted by howls of protest as part of cooking history dies.”
Kissin, who as co-founder of Conran Restaurants alongside Sir Terence has himself been credited with transforming the London restaurant scene, explains that the new Boulestin is not a copy of the original. “The Boulestin that closed in 1994 was not the same as that which opened in 1927. And, similarly, I’m not opening the same restaurant all over again.”
However, Boulestin the man was certainly an inspiration to Kissin. “When I started this process, I thought, ‘Whatever happened to him?’ And I began reading his cookbooks and finding him more and more interesting. His style of cooking is absolutely my favourite kind of food. If you look at his books, especially the first two, his philosophy is simple, muscular, classic French food.”
Boulestin’s influence goes way beyond a name on the London restaurant scene. Widely credited with making French cooking accessible to the British cook, he got people talking about food, thereby paving the way for today’s generation of celebrity chefs. The new Boulestin restaurant will ensure that his great legacy lives on.
“Do not be afraid to talk about food. Food which is worth eating is worth discussing.” Marcel Boulestin, 1878 – 1943
Boulestin, 5 St James’ Street, London, SW1A 1EF
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