The chef’s hat, or toque blanche, is more than just a piece of headgear; it is a symbol of culinary tradition and expertise. Its origins date back centuries and intertwine with various cultural and historical narratives.
As we work closely with restaurants around the world in Field Grey, we thought we will take this chance to talk more about the history and stories behind the chef’s hat, along with the little heads up for the upcoming chef’s wear projects. Let’s explore the fascinating evolution of this iconic hat!
Stories of Chef’s Hat
In the general history of Chef’s uniforms, Marie-Antoine Carême sought the typical uniform now as a meaning of honouring the chefs, although toques were already being used in the industry. Later on, Georges Auguste Escoffier brought them to London through using them at the Savoy Hotel first, then the Carlton Hotel.
The history of the chef’s hat can be traced back to ancient times. Assyrian kings in 17th Century A.D. were scared of the chefs poisoning the king, so took the direction of making their hat resembling that of king’s, to make them understand the importance of them were respected.
Another interesting fact on the origin of Chef’s Hat comes from the era of King Henry VIII of France. The head chef of the King Henry was balding and ended up dropping few hairs in the soup. When he found out, he beheaded the head chef and since then they were required to wear hat during preparing food for the king.
Design Features of Chef’s Hat
Today, the chef’s hat remains a powerful symbol in the culinary industry. Modern chef hats come in various styles, including paper toques and skull caps, each serving practical purposes while honouring tradition. Regardless of style, the chef’s hat continues to uphold its historical significance, blending practicality with a rich heritage.
So did the shape and design mean anything in the past?
The answer is Yes – the height and numbers of pleats meant something in the past more than they do nowadays. Not only to mention the white-coloured chef’s hat represents the hygiene of your kitchen, the height of the hat often indicates the chef’s rank within the kitchen hierarchy. That means the higher your hat is, the higher rank you are at. Executive chefs typically wear the tallest hats, signifying their leadership and expertise.
The general design of them also worked to help the chefs stay cool in the boiling kitchen by releasing the heat through the open end on the top.
Moreover, the height of the chef’s hat itself would give them an alert on the safety matter, to prevent you from hurting themselves by what’s above you in the working area. The pleats, while less commonly counted for skills today, still represent a chef’s experience and knowledge. For instance, if you had 100 pleats on your hat, it would mean that you know 100 different ways to cook an egg. The more pleated your hat is, the more proven expertise you are.
Modern Design of Chef’s Hat
Although the design elements of the chef’s hats meant a lot in history, them in the modern days seem like they are more about style and functionality. Many of the chef’s hats are designed to match the brandings of the restaurants, with various styles. According to the reference, there are different designs of hats loved by the chefs, like the beret, the skull cap, baseball cap, etc.
Our Upcoming Project
This project we are so excited to talk about is from our existing clients, SHOTO and AKEDO. We have a history of making workwear with unique print designs (hint, this is what we will share in the next posting!) Briefly, the prints for the head bandana we designed for them were extraordinary – our designer introduces that the repeat prints make a statement not only about the chef’s style but the ambience of the venue. We are currently developing chef’s hats utilising the print so that the chefs can also choose between the bandana or the hat. These will be made in 100% cotton to ensure the hat is breathable and comfortable for the chefs (breathability, comfort and style is very important!)
Check our previous post and the upcoming post to learn more.
For more detailed insights, explore the history of the chef’s hat on Escoffier / Aprons and Smocks / Works Group / QAR Supplies.