Margaret Blatch (; 22 June 1886 – 1963) was an English vegetarian chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. She and her husband became vegetarian around 1907 and focused on developing new vegetarian recipes, earning several awards for their work in the field of vegetarian cookery. She served as the principal of the Eustace Miles and published cookbooks, including One Hundred and One Practical Non-Flesh Recipes, in 1916, and Household Non-Flesh Cookery, in 1936. Blatch also managed the vegetarian restaurant Shearns in London from 1923 until its closure in 1962.
Biography
Early and personal life
Margaret Kelleher was born on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, on 22 June 1886.
She married Joseph Francis G. Blatch in 1906 at
Marylebone;
he died in 1921, aged 41.
Career
Vegetarian cookery and early restaurant work
Blatch, along with her husband, became
vegetarian around 1907. For the next nine years, they dedicated their time to developing new combinations of vegetarian foods, focusing on nutrition, digestibility, flavour, and presentation. Their work was recognised with multiple awards, including three gold, six silver, and four bronze medals, as well as numerous diplomas for vegetarian cookery at the Food and Cookery Exhibitions held at the Royal Horticultural Hall. Their culinary expertise was judged by some of the world's leading chefs. In addition to their achievements in competitions, they catered to the public at Blatch's Restaurant, located at 50
Cannon Street, London, and other venues.
Eustace Miles School of Cookery and first cookbook
For four years, Blatch worked as the principle of the
Eustace Miles and was frequently requested by her pupils to create a recipe book.
In 1916, she self-published this as
One Hundred and One Practical Non-Flesh Recipes.
This was followed by an expanded 92-page second edition in 1917, published by Longmans, Green & Co.
A third edition was published in both 1917 and 1918.
Pamphlets and later cookbooks
In the 1920s, Blatch published a pamphlet titled
Conservative Cookery as part of the London Vegetarian Society's
Humane Diet Leaflets series.
This was followed by
Household Non-Flesh Cookery in 1936.
Botulism inquest
In 1935, four people died after consuming nut meat brawn, with three cases attributed to
botulism, prompting an inquest. Blatch, who had supervised the product's manufacture for 29 years, testified that there had never been a previous complaint. Her evidence supported the jury's verdict that there was no negligence by the manufacturers, as the germ itself was not present in the food at the time of preparation, though a toxin had developed before consumption. Experts affirmed that while botulism was a theoretical risk, British canning methods were considered safe. The coroner acknowledged the rarity of the disease and recommended additional precautions in future production.
Shearns and media coverage
In 1940, Blatch was described in the
Daily Mirror as "London's famous vegetarian chef".
She was quoted in the article discussing the growing demand for
.
Blatch worked as the manager of the London vegetarian restaurant Shearns from 1923 to its closure in 1962. The restaurant served around 500 vegetarian meals per day, with customers including George Bernard Shaw, the Countess of Warwick, and a number of .
Death
Blatch died in
Islington in the third quarter of 1963, aged 75.
Legacy
One Hundred and One Practical Non-Flesh Recipes is included in the Southern Adventist University's "Foodies' Guide to Vegetarian Cookery in 19th Century America".
Vegetarian cookbook writer Rose Elliot learned to cook by reading Household Non-Flesh Cookery.
Publications
Notes
External links
