SC - Medieval Cooks - long

[Christine A Seelye-King]

Well, this doesn't answer the question on guilds for the cook's of the
great houses as opposed to the city (great topic, by the way, I don't
recall seeing too much time spent on Cook's Guilds) , but I did find it
while looking, and thought the passage was interesting.  
Christianna

>From "Mediaeval Craftsmen"  by John Harvey, Drake Publishers, NY, 1975

"Precautions were taken too over the supply of fresh food.  Refrigeration
was unkown, but Salzman showed that the great catches of fish were
brought back alive in a well in the holds of fishing vessels.  For land
transport they were packed in salt.  The city of Norwich rendered to the
Crown annually 24 pies made with the first herrings caught each season. 
Each pie contained five herrings, cooked with ginger, pepper, cinnamon,
cloves, and spices.  Land in East Carleton, five miles south-west of
Norwich, was held by serjeanty of carrying these pies to the king; the
carrier was given one of the pies for himself, and on arrival at court
received liberal entertainment.  Cooking was one of the more highly
skilled crafts, though its products were not durable, and for banquets at
least an aesthetic element was introduced.  The first of the great
English cookery books, "The Forme of Cury", was compiled by 'the chief
masters cooks of King Richard the Second... the which was accounted the
best and royallest viander of all christen Kings',  and we know the names
of two of these master cooks.  Master Thomas Beauchef, who in his time
had cooked for the Black Prince, became an emeritus cook in 1383 because
he was 'an old man and not able to labour as he used to do'; his fee,
wages and robe were continued for life, and leave 'to go away for
recreation and return when he pleases'.  His successor was his junior
John Goodrich, who had been in the royal kitchens from 1363 and went on
until 1393.  Beauchef was still alive in 1391 and Goodrich died in 1398.
"

Fish-
Salzman, L.F. "English Industries in the Middle Ages" (1923)

Cookery-
Harvey, _  "Gothic England, a Survey of National Culture 1300-1550" 
(1947, rev.ed.,1948)

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