History of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs
| The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950, traces its origin back to 1248. At that time, the French King Louis IX (later canonised as Saint Louis) wishing to thank the trades which had contributed to the construction of Sainte Chapelle, ordered the establishment of several professional guilds, including that of.
..the “Oyeurs” or goose roasters. The vocation of this guild was to improve the technical knowledge of its members: apprentices, tradesmen, and masters. By 1509, during the reign of Louis XII, when the guild’s knowledge was extended to include the preparation of other meats and poultry, including game, it took the name “Rôtisseurs” (roasters). In1610 under the reign of Louis XIII, it was granted a Royal Charter and a coat of arms. Renaissance of the Confrérie des Rôtisseurs
For more than four centuries the Confrérie des Rôtisseurs cultivated and developed the culinary arts, meeting all the requirements of professionalism and quality demanded by the “Royal Table”, until 1793 when the guild system was dissolved during the French Revolution. The Rôtisseurs were completely forgotten until 1950, when Dr Auguste Bécard, the well-known journalists Jean Valby and Curmonsky (elected ”Prince of Gastronomes”), and chefs Louis Giraudon and Marcel Dorin revived the association and founded “Confrérie de la Chaîne de Rôtisseurs”. Creation of the Coat of Arms
Today the coat of arms is the contemporary emblem of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. In 1610, when the arms were created, they featured two crossed spits and four larding utensils in the center, surrounded by the flames of the hearth. In today’s version, this historic blazon is encircled by fleurs-de-lis and two chains, between which are the new name of the association and the two founding dates of 1248 and 1950. The inner chain is represents the professional members, while the outer chain symbolises the non-professional members and the bond between all members.
