Escoffier developed the recipes while working at the Savoy, Ritz and Carlton hotels from the late 1880s to the time of publication.

The hotels and restaurants Escoffier worked in were on the cutting edge of modernity, doing away with many overwrought elements of the Victorian era while serving the elite of society.

Many of the recipes Escoffier developed while working at the Savoy in London, and later the Ritz in Paris.

Recipes were often created and named for famous patrons including royalty, nouveaux riches, and artists.

[1] The original text was printed for the use of professional chefs and kitchen staff; Escoffier's introduction to the first edition explains his intention that Le Guide Culinaire be used toward the education of the younger generation of cooks.