La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs () is an international

gastronomic Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...

society founded in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1950. It is one of the oldest gastronomic societies in the world. The organization is named after the French Royal Guild of Goose Roasters, whose authority gradually expanded to the roasting of all

poultry Poultry () are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of harvesting animal products such as meat, Eggs as food, eggs or feathers. The practice of animal husbandry, raising poultry is known as poultry farming. These birds are most typ ...

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

, and

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

, and which disbanded in the late 1700s.

History

The organization takes its name from a historic organization of French culinary guilds. The written history of the guild of "''Les Oyers''" or "Goose Roasters" has been traced back to 1248. At that time,

King Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis ...

assigned

Étienne Boileau Étienne Boileau () (1200 or 1210 – April 1270) was one of the first known prévôts of Paris. Biography In 1261, he was named prévôt of Paris by King Louis IX and served until 1270. Boileau brought together the regulations on the police, ...

, the

Provost Provost may refer to: Officials Ecclesiastic * Provost (religion), a high-ranking church official * Prince-provost, a high-ranking church official Government * Provost (civil), an officer of local government, including the equivalent ...

of Paris, with the task of bringing order into the organization of

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

s and guilds, developing young apprentices and improving the technical knowledge of guild members. He gathered the charters of more than 100 of these trades, among them the Goose Roasters. Over the years, the activities and privileges of the Goose Roasters Guild were extended to preparing and selling all kinds of meat, including

and

venison Venison refers primarily to the meat of deer (or antelope in South Africa). Venison can be used to refer to any part of the animal, so long as it is edible, including the internal organs. Venison, much like beef or pork, is categorized into spe ...

. In 1509, during the reign of King Louis XII, some new statutes were introduced, which resulted in the change of the name of the guild to "Rôtisseurs" and the restriction of its activities to

game birds Game or quarry is any wild animal hunted for animal products (primarily meat), for recreation (" sporting"), or for trophies. The species of animals hunted as game varies in different parts of the world and by different local jurisdictions, thou ...

, lamb and

. In 1610, under

King Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

, the guild was granted a royal charter and its own

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

. For over four centuries, the "Confrérie", or brotherhood of the Roasters, cultivated and developed culinary art and high standards of professionalism and quality—standards befitting the splendor of the "Royal Table"—until the guild system collapsed in the 18th century during the French Revolution.

The Chaîne today

The name was revived in Paris in 1950 by a group of friends interested in food and wine. Since forming, the society has established bailliages, or chapters, internationally. As of 2022 the organization had bailliages in 80 countries. Local bailliages host dinners for members. Membership is by invitation. In the United States, first year membership dues in 2016 ranged to $625, including a $275 induction fee. The original organization and most current chapters do not require members to be culinary professionals. Members receive ribbons designating their type and level of membership at the induction ceremony and may earn pins, medallions, and other indications of their service and participation in bailliage events. A small group of representatives from the Confrérie were guest judges on Season 3 Episode 4 of the TV Show ''Top Chef''.

Competitions and awards

La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs organizes a cooking competition for young

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

s under 27, the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs, sponsored by a professional Chaîne member. The competition is a "black box" competition, where the competitors do not know ahead of time the ingredients they will use. Competitors have 30 minutes to write a menu and three and a half hours to prepare a three-course dinner for four people. The organization also organizes competitions for young

sommeliers A ''sommelier'' ( , , ), ''chef de vin'' or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the ''s ...

, the Jeunes Sommeliers. Chapters also present Brillat awards, named for gastronome

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (; 2 April 1755 – 2 February 1826) was a French lawyer and politician, who, as the author of ''Physiologie du goût'' (''The Physiology of Taste''), became celebrated for his culinary reminiscences and reflect ...

, to local chefs.

Notable members

Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...

Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...

Barron Hilton William Barron Hilton (October 23, 1927 – September 19, 2019) was an American business magnate, philanthropist and sportsman. The second son and successor of hotelier Conrad Hilton, he was the chairman, president and chief executive officer of ...

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

* Peter Mondavi *

Robert Mondavi Robert Gerald Mondavi (June 18, 1913 – May 16, 2008) was an American winemaker. His technical and marketing strategies brought worldwide recognition for the wines of the Napa Valley in California. From an early period, Mondavi promoted label ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

References

External links

Official website of the international headquarters of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs

Official website of the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs and Jeunes Sommeliers International Competitions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Confrerie De La Chaine Des Rotisseurs French cuisine Gastronomical societies Organizations established in 1950 1950 establishments in France