Auguste Escoffier

Georges Auguste Escoffier was a French chef, restaurateur, and author who popularized and modified traditional French cooking techniques. Much of Escoffier's approach was based on that of one of the codifiers of French haute cuisine, Marie-Antoine Carême; Escoffier's triumph was to simplify and modernize Carême's intricate and ornate manner. In season four, footman Alfred Nugent pursues his passion for food by applying to a cookery school at the opulent Ritz Hotel. This program is named after the chef Auguste Escoffier, sometimes known as the "king of chefs and cook of monarchs" or the "father of contemporary French cuisine". Escoffier rose to prominence while working at London hotels, albeit not at the Ritz.

He was noted for his cookbooks, seasonal ingredients, and organizing abilities in high-volume (and high-profile) kitchens. Escoffier was a cook for almost six decades, an outstanding record even today. During that period, he invented the dish "peach Melba" in tribute of the legendary singer Nellie Melba, who appears in the same season of Downton Abbey. Escoffier created Le Guide Culinaire, which is still regarded as a key reference source, both as a cookbook and a cookery textbook. Escoffier's recipes, techniques, and kitchen management practices are still widely used today, and have been copied by chefs and restaurants not just in France, but also across the world.