Egon Ronay
Encyclopedia
Egon Ronay was a Hungarian
-born food critic who wrote and published a famous series of guides to British
and Irish
restaurants and hotels in the 1950s and '60s. He was an innovator when Britain had little appreciation of foreign cuisine.
, Austria-Hungary
, in 1915, he was the son of a prominent restaurateur. With the onset of World War II
, he was conscripted into the Hungarian Army and served with the occupying forces after the Vienna Awards
in southern Slovakia
and northern Transylvania
.
His father's business suffered during wartime, and was taken over by the Communists
once Hungary fell under control of the Russia
ns after the defeat of the Nazis
.
, England
alone on October 10, 1946. His father's contacts arranged for him to manage Princes restaurant in Piccadilly
, and then the Carousel Club in St James's. He then borrowed £4,000 and took over the 39-seat Marquee, a former tea room near Harrods
, putting classic French
dishes on the menu
, which was unusual for post-war UK.
The renowned TV chef Fanny Cradock
visited with her husband, Johnny, and subsequently Ronay built up useful contacts with the press. After much cajoling, he began to write a food column for The Daily Telegraph
.
In his later years, Ronay acted as food consultant for pub
chain J D Wetherspoon, visiting outlets in his chauffeur
driven car to ensure the onion rings
were sufficiently crispy and the baked potato
es up to standard. He also worked for motorway service station company Welcome Break
, promoting their food and drinks.
Ronay sold the rights to his books to the AA
in 1985. However, after subsequent owner Leading Guides International went into bankruptcy
, in 1997 Ronay went to court to claim back the guides which bore his name. In 2005, in conjunction with the Royal Automobile Club
, Ronay brought out Egon Ronay's RAC Guide to the Top 200 Restaurants in the UK, basing the reviews on comments received by restaurant inspectors.
(b. 1944), is a former actress and fashion designer.
In various interviews, Ronay steadfastly refused to give his age. He died at his Berkshire
home in Yattendon
, on June 12, 2010, after a short illness.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
-born food critic who wrote and published a famous series of guides to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
restaurants and hotels in the 1950s and '60s. He was an innovator when Britain had little appreciation of foreign cuisine.
Early life
Born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, in 1915, he was the son of a prominent restaurateur. With the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was conscripted into the Hungarian Army and served with the occupying forces after the Vienna Awards
Vienna Awards
The Vienna Awards are two arbitral awards by which arbiters of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy sought to enforce peacefully the claims of Hungary on territory it had lost in 1920 when it signed the Treaty of Trianon...
in southern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and northern Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
.
His father's business suffered during wartime, and was taken over by the Communists
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
once Hungary fell under control of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
ns after the defeat of the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
.
Career
Ronay emigrated to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
alone on October 10, 1946. His father's contacts arranged for him to manage Princes restaurant in Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
, and then the Carousel Club in St James's. He then borrowed £4,000 and took over the 39-seat Marquee, a former tea room near Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
, putting classic French
French cuisine
French cuisine is a style of food preparation originating from France that has developed from centuries of social change. In the Middle Ages, Guillaume Tirel , a court chef, authored Le Viandier, one of the earliest recipe collections of Medieval France...
dishes on the menu
Menu
In a restaurant, a menu is a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be a la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served....
, which was unusual for post-war UK.
The renowned TV chef Fanny Cradock
Fanny Cradock
Phyllis Nan Sortain Pechey , better known as Fanny Cradock, was an English restaurant critic, television cook and writer who mostly worked with her then common-law husband Johnnie Cradock, adopting his surname long before they married. She was the daughter of the novelist and lyricist Archibald...
visited with her husband, Johnny, and subsequently Ronay built up useful contacts with the press. After much cajoling, he began to write a food column for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
.
In his later years, Ronay acted as food consultant for pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
chain J D Wetherspoon, visiting outlets in his chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
driven car to ensure the onion rings
Onion rings
Onion rings are a form of fast food commonly found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and some parts of Asia. They generally consist of a cross-sectional "ring" of onion dipped in batter or breading and then deep fried; a variant is made with onion paste...
were sufficiently crispy and the baked potato
Baked potato
A baked potato, or jacket potato, is the edible result of baking a potato. When well cooked, a baked potato has a fluffy interior and a crisp skin. It may be served with fillings and condiments such as butter, cheese or ham....
es up to standard. He also worked for motorway service station company Welcome Break
Welcome Break
Welcome Break is a company which operates thirty-five motorway service stations in the UK. It is the second largest motorway service area operator behind Moto.-History:...
, promoting their food and drinks.
Egon Ronay's Guide
In 1957, Ronay completed the first edition of the Egon Ronay's Guide to British Eateries, selling 30,000 copies. The guides gained in popularity and it became a mark of distinction to be mentioned in the books. Many restaurants proudly displayed blue roundels in their window saying "EGON RONAY'S GUIDES" for each year they were listed. The guides made a point of not accepting advertising or hospitality from hotels and restaurants to ensure their impartiality.Ronay sold the rights to his books to the AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
in 1985. However, after subsequent owner Leading Guides International went into bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
, in 1997 Ronay went to court to claim back the guides which bore his name. In 2005, in conjunction with the Royal Automobile Club
Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...
, Ronay brought out Egon Ronay's RAC Guide to the Top 200 Restaurants in the UK, basing the reviews on comments received by restaurant inspectors.
Personal life
Twice married, his daughter Edina RonayEdina Ronay
Edina Ronay FRSA is an Anglo-Hungarian fashion designer and former actress, the daughter of food critic Egon Ronay and mother of actress/writer Shebah Ronay....
(b. 1944), is a former actress and fashion designer.
In various interviews, Ronay steadfastly refused to give his age. He died at his Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
home in Yattendon
Yattendon
Yattendon is a village and civil parish northeast of Newbury, Berkshire. The M4 motorway passes about south of the village.-Geography:Yattendon stretches from Everington in the west to the hamlet of Burnt Hill in the east and the woodland just east of Yattendon Court, including Mumgrove Copse,...
, on June 12, 2010, after a short illness.