Robert May (1588 – in or after 1664) was an English professional chef who trained in France and worked in England. He is best known for writing and publishing the 1660 cookbook ''

The Accomplisht Cook ''The Accomplisht Cook'' is an English cookery book published by the professional cook Robert May in 1660, and the first to group recipes logically into 24 sections. It was much the largest cookery book in England up to that time, providing nu ...

''. It was the first major book of English recipes, and contains instructions for many soups and broths, as well as recipes for both sweet and savoury pies.

Background

May was born in

Wing A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is e ...

, Buckinghamshire to Edwarde and Joan Mayes in 1588, however he was not baptised until 2 April 1592. His father worked at Ascott Park as the chief cook to the Dormer family. At age ten, May was sent to Paris by Lady Dormer—where he trained for five years to become a chef. Following his training, he served his apprenticeship in London, working for Arthur Hollinsworth (cook to the Grocer's Hall and Star Chamber). After his apprenticeship, May returned to Wing and became one of the five cooks reporting to his father at Ascott Park. In the mid-1630s Sir Anthony Browne employed May to be the chef at his country estate (

Cowdray House Cowdray House consists of the ruins of one of England's great Tudor houses, architecturally comparable to many of the great palaces and country houses of that time. It is situated in the Parish of Easebourne, just east of Midhurst, West Sussex s ...

) in west Sussex. May was of the

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

faith, and worked for a total of thirteen households of minor English nobility (including many aristocratic Catholic families) until the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

(1642–1651).

''The Accomplisht Cook''

Following the civil war, May wrote and published ''The Accomplisht Cook'' which he subtitled ''Or the Art and Mystery of Cooking''. The work was first published in 1660, and the last revision made during the author's lifetime was published in 1665. The 1685 edition of the work (at least its fifth) contains about 300 pages. May's recipes included customs from the Middle Ages, however he also embraced food trends from Europe—for example by including dishes such as French bisque and Italian brodo (broth). ''The Accomplisht Cook'' is still considered to be one of "the most extensive English treatment of potages, broths, and soups", with about 20 percent of the volume devoted to them. In addition to the large collection of recipes, the work contains a memoir of the author. When a 1678 edition of the book was discovered and put up for sale in 2007, auctioneer Charles Hanson said "No more than 200 of these books were ever printed in the period".

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:May, Robert 1588 births 1660s deaths English chefs People from Buckinghamshire English cuisine