Georges Auguste Escoffier (; 28 October 1846 – 12 February 1935) was a French
chef,
restaurateur and culinary writer who popularized and updated traditional
French cooking methods. He is a legendary figure among chefs and gourmets, and was one of the most important leaders in the development of modern
French cuisine. Much of Escoffier's technique was based on that of
Marie-Antoine Carême, one of the codifiers of French
haute cuisine, but Escoffier's achievement was to simplify and modernize Carême's elaborate and ornate style. In particular, he codified the recipes for the five
mother sauces. Referred to by the French press as
roi des cuisiniers et cuisinier des rois ("king of chefs and chef of kings"—though this had also been previously said of Carême), Escoffier was France's preeminent chef in the early part of the 20th century.