Recently, in Melbourne, we have had the re-opening of a Melbourne institution: “Brunettis” a cafe that has produced, for decades, good coffee, great pastries and suitably splendid cakes (I buy my Birthday cake from them each year), and it put me to reflecting of an earlier time in Melbourne’s history when European restaurantation had a representative in this city. His name was Edmund Howard Gregory, confectioner and pastry cook, who struggled in his career here, to make for himself a good reputation from the moment he and his small family stepped off the boat.
Edmund was born on the 28th of January 1825 to George Benjamin Gregory and wife Mary. George was a confectioner and baker who had come to London from Shropshire to bring the family trade to the city. The earliest address I have is Everett Street, Brunswick Square near the Foundling Hospital in Bloomsbury—fashionable at the time they lived there. He must have done fairly well, as Edmund, having learned the rudiments of the trade under his father, was sent to the continent sometime before 1841, as Edmund is not in the 1841 census of London: had gone to Paris.
In Edmund Gregory’s newspaper ads in Melbourne papers some years later he referenced of three palces in which he worked in Paris: Chez Tortoni, Au Rocher du Cancale, and the Café de Paris (on the Boulevard des Italiens). Given that the average age for an indenturing was about 14 years old, it would have been 1839 when Edmund began his ‘apprenticeship’ and however he managed it, he worked in Paris, first with Urbain Dubois at Café Tortoni (Urbain was only in Paris from 1840-1845); and secondly under Pierre Fréderic Borrel. Chronologically I cannot fit his time at the Café de Paris in sequence, but I believe it was his earliest placement, being at that unoticeable and inditiguishabe stage.
Urbain Francois Dubois (1818-1901) was a supposedly a former Chef to the Rothschild family, and is famous for the invention of “Veal Orloff.” An article references Dubois as a teacher of Gregory only many years later, when Dubois had become famous.
P. F. Borrel (1788-186?) was a showman of food and dining—called by one journalist the “Rothschild of Gastronomy”—who had taken over “Au Rocher du Cancale” at 58 Rue Montorgeuil in 1816 when the founder, Alexis Balaine, an ex-oyster salesman at Les Halles, who had made a great and glorious small fortune of 10,000 from 1806-1816. He had amassed this by setting up late night, post-theatre oyster “rooms” where gathered, society’s wide-awakes, dandies, fops, gastronomic high-collars and well-connecteds; and often there was singing. Borrell, when he took it over, decorated it in splendid style, as Alexis had never done, and turned the entire late night dining requirement into an experience. Borrell too, made a small fortune, spending much of it on an estate that he had to let go when he went bankrupt in 1846. The “Rocher” closed (it reopened in another place later, but by that time it was wholly disassociated from Gregory and Borrel).
Edmund, his place of work closed, returned to England, aged 22 and with a wealth of experience, and even an resonant claim to the Borrel connection whose book had been selling well in England since 1832 when Borrel published it. On the 9th of Septmeber 1847, at St George’s Bloosbury, Edmund married Emma Brooks, daughter of William Brooks and Sarah Bugg, fruiters of Marchmont place. By the end of their life they were to have 13 children.
In 1853, Edmund emigrated to Melbourne and set himself up as a confectioner and cook (catering to Dinners, Balls, Suppers, Déjeuners, Wedding Breakfasts etc) at 54 Collins Street where he made enough money to sell the business to Messers. Wollcott and Mansfield (“Successors to E.H.Gregory”) and acquired a liscence that same year for the “Royal Hotel in Bourke Street” opening in 1855, advertising “Wines, Viands, and Delicacies.” He next stretched himself a little too far (taking after Borrel, I think) and opened the “Hall of Commerce” resaturant, advertising himself as the coolest “endroit” and the only place in Melbourne to eat and drink where the “hot wind is not felt.” He took on as his cook-mate, a Mr. F. Chambers, ex-chef of the Albion Tavern, and Simpson’s Divan in London. They offerred cold collation daily and “true” grilled chops or steak.
In 1854, the was a Newspaper column trumpeting:—“Grand Promenade Concerts” at the Concert Hall and Saloons in connection with the New Theatre Royal, Bourke Street.
“It will be open to the public on this and every evening, with a series of Grand Operatic and Classic Concerts, supported by the finest vocal talent in the colony, when the whole premises will be open as a Promenade Concert Room.
And brilliantly illuminated with gas. The proprietor, Mr. E. H. Gregory, has the honor to announce to the public, that he has obtained from the Officers of the 12th Regiment their kind permission for the use of The Military Band on this evening, which will be ably conductcd by Mr. Callen.
The following artistes will appear tills evening: Mons. Emile Coulon. ‘ Mrs. Hancock. Miss Octavia Hamilton [an old favourite of this blog]. Miss. Stewart. Miss Minnie Clifford. Mr. George Clifford. Mr. Peck, Violinist. Mons. Bial, Pianist. Doors open at half-past seven. Concert to commence at eight.”
Edmund’s Hall of Commerce didn’t go as well as hoped, and in 1856 he was to sell the liscence to F. W. Spiers but the grant was denied as the premises did not provide close “coveniences” for his patrons in whom he wished to include ladies. The Hall did not pass to Spiers — pas que je sache. Regardless, Gregory and Chambers moved to establish a restaurant at Cremorne Gardens, that desparate lifeboat of city-park culture that was a kind of antipodean, laudable, but poor-man’s Vauxhall Gardens. There he offered “Dinner, Teas and Suppers at Melbourne Prices” and curiously he was still dealing out of the Hall of Commerce, which he perhaps was still maintaining.
Then in 1857 he landed what was to secure a life-time apoointment to Parliament House as the official provisioner and purveyor.
In that same year, 1857, he heavily advertisied, “E. H. GREGORY’ Restauranteur, COOK, AND CONFECTIONER. Pupil of Borrel of ‘Rocher de Cancale, and of the Cafe de Paris, Paris. Purveyor, by appointment, to the Parliament Houses, Contracts to supply BALLS, DINNERS. &c., Entire or in part, in Town and Country. Fruit Ices a la crème, and a l’eau, daily from ten o'clock, at Gregory's Hall of Commerce Restaurant. The Ices at Gregory's are made precisely as he for has prepared them at Chez Tortoni, Café de Paris, and at the Rocher de Cancale, Paris.” He was flying his flag fully unfurled. Interestingly, Felix W. Spiers and George Hennelle’s advertisement is often above his, simply advertising themselves as wine sellers catering to businesses, boarding houses and trade—they were trading next to the Theatre Royal. The difference in press-pizzazz is apparent, and I have no doubt it was representative of Gregory’s attitude and the reason why he eventually established a “Café de Paris” of his own, though not entirely on his own.
Having overextended himself, Gregory declared insolvency, and the follwoing year the Café de Paris at the Theatre Royal opened under Spiers and Hennelle; Gregory was not involved in the partnership, but was engaged, it looks, to run the place. Spiers must have known a good thing when he saw it, and perhaps, Spiers’ wisdom in money matter reined in Gregory’s Borrel like drift that may have been fine in Paris but could not work here in Melbourne. Spiers was familiar with Gregroy’s chops, both metaphorical and actual. Hennelle, of whom we know little didn’t last too long with Spiers at the Café de Paris and his partnership with Spiers was quickly dissloved in 1858, to be replaced, with equal speed with William Pond. Hennelle quickly become insolvent, then soon after suffered terrible injuries when some masonry fell on him as he was walking past the new building site of the Post Office.
In 1859, Edmund, safe from commercial risk, set up a “Cooks, Pastry cooks and Confectioners Provident Society” out of the Hall of Commerce—classic Victorian social gravity.
In 1865 he reclaimed the liscence for the Royal Hotel from Achilles King, who had purchased it earlier—perhaps Edmund was trying to find extra income for the failing Café de Paris which folded in 1865. He had been in partnership with George Hennelle (who was lame, and may not have been a great business man; Gregory had advertised only once that he had secured a “glacier” from Café Richelieu in Paris, and I wonder if that was Hennelle—I suspect the claim was dropped simply because readers would have wondered what the heck a glazier was doing at the Café) and so in 1866 he wrapped up his time at the Café de Paris, and the assignee sold the liscence to Achilles King.
Gregory concentrated on his Parliament House work which saw him in good stead, and in 1873 was noted in one paper giving a testimonal for a gas cooker (among many other testifying persons about town), and in the 1881 International Exhibition in Melbourne he served as Judge on the Preserved Meats and Fish Jury.
In 1889, aged 64 he retired, with Parliament voting him a gratuity of 1,500 pounds for 32 years of service. There was also a suggestion too of a 350 pound pension per annum but in the light of the generous gratuity and the past bonus of 650 pounds, which had been going on for quiet some time, a pension was turned down.
His wife, Emma died at their home in Clara Street, South Yarra on the 9th of may 1901 and he, nine years later on the 15th of February 1910, in Ballarat at his daughter’s home—“A good kindly man…an old colonist, and first caterer to the Parliamentary Refreshment Rooms.”
Edmund was born on the 28th of January 1825 to George Benjamin Gregory and wife Mary. George was a confectioner and baker who had come to London from Shropshire to bring the family trade to the city. The earliest address I have is Everett Street, Brunswick Square near the Foundling Hospital in Bloomsbury—fashionable at the time they lived there. He must have done fairly well, as Edmund, having learned the rudiments of the trade under his father, was sent to the continent sometime before 1841, as Edmund is not in the 1841 census of London: had gone to Paris.
In Edmund Gregory’s newspaper ads in Melbourne papers some years later he referenced of three palces in which he worked in Paris: Chez Tortoni, Au Rocher du Cancale, and the Café de Paris (on the Boulevard des Italiens). Given that the average age for an indenturing was about 14 years old, it would have been 1839 when Edmund began his ‘apprenticeship’ and however he managed it, he worked in Paris, first with Urbain Dubois at Café Tortoni (Urbain was only in Paris from 1840-1845); and secondly under Pierre Fréderic Borrel. Chronologically I cannot fit his time at the Café de Paris in sequence, but I believe it was his earliest placement, being at that unoticeable and inditiguishabe stage.
Urbain Francois Dubois (1818-1901) was a supposedly a former Chef to the Rothschild family, and is famous for the invention of “Veal Orloff.” An article references Dubois as a teacher of Gregory only many years later, when Dubois had become famous.
P. F. Borrel (1788-186?) was a showman of food and dining—called by one journalist the “Rothschild of Gastronomy”—who had taken over “Au Rocher du Cancale” at 58 Rue Montorgeuil in 1816 when the founder, Alexis Balaine, an ex-oyster salesman at Les Halles, who had made a great and glorious small fortune of 10,000 from 1806-1816. He had amassed this by setting up late night, post-theatre oyster “rooms” where gathered, society’s wide-awakes, dandies, fops, gastronomic high-collars and well-connecteds; and often there was singing. Borrell, when he took it over, decorated it in splendid style, as Alexis had never done, and turned the entire late night dining requirement into an experience. Borrell too, made a small fortune, spending much of it on an estate that he had to let go when he went bankrupt in 1846. The “Rocher” closed (it reopened in another place later, but by that time it was wholly disassociated from Gregory and Borrel).
Edmund, his place of work closed, returned to England, aged 22 and with a wealth of experience, and even an resonant claim to the Borrel connection whose book had been selling well in England since 1832 when Borrel published it. On the 9th of Septmeber 1847, at St George’s Bloosbury, Edmund married Emma Brooks, daughter of William Brooks and Sarah Bugg, fruiters of Marchmont place. By the end of their life they were to have 13 children.
In 1853, Edmund emigrated to Melbourne and set himself up as a confectioner and cook (catering to Dinners, Balls, Suppers, Déjeuners, Wedding Breakfasts etc) at 54 Collins Street where he made enough money to sell the business to Messers. Wollcott and Mansfield (“Successors to E.H.Gregory”) and acquired a liscence that same year for the “Royal Hotel in Bourke Street” opening in 1855, advertising “Wines, Viands, and Delicacies.” He next stretched himself a little too far (taking after Borrel, I think) and opened the “Hall of Commerce” resaturant, advertising himself as the coolest “endroit” and the only place in Melbourne to eat and drink where the “hot wind is not felt.” He took on as his cook-mate, a Mr. F. Chambers, ex-chef of the Albion Tavern, and Simpson’s Divan in London. They offerred cold collation daily and “true” grilled chops or steak.
In 1854, the was a Newspaper column trumpeting:—“Grand Promenade Concerts” at the Concert Hall and Saloons in connection with the New Theatre Royal, Bourke Street.
“It will be open to the public on this and every evening, with a series of Grand Operatic and Classic Concerts, supported by the finest vocal talent in the colony, when the whole premises will be open as a Promenade Concert Room.
And brilliantly illuminated with gas. The proprietor, Mr. E. H. Gregory, has the honor to announce to the public, that he has obtained from the Officers of the 12th Regiment their kind permission for the use of The Military Band on this evening, which will be ably conductcd by Mr. Callen.
The following artistes will appear tills evening: Mons. Emile Coulon. ‘ Mrs. Hancock. Miss Octavia Hamilton [an old favourite of this blog]. Miss. Stewart. Miss Minnie Clifford. Mr. George Clifford. Mr. Peck, Violinist. Mons. Bial, Pianist. Doors open at half-past seven. Concert to commence at eight.”
Edmund’s Hall of Commerce didn’t go as well as hoped, and in 1856 he was to sell the liscence to F. W. Spiers but the grant was denied as the premises did not provide close “coveniences” for his patrons in whom he wished to include ladies. The Hall did not pass to Spiers — pas que je sache. Regardless, Gregory and Chambers moved to establish a restaurant at Cremorne Gardens, that desparate lifeboat of city-park culture that was a kind of antipodean, laudable, but poor-man’s Vauxhall Gardens. There he offered “Dinner, Teas and Suppers at Melbourne Prices” and curiously he was still dealing out of the Hall of Commerce, which he perhaps was still maintaining.
Then in 1857 he landed what was to secure a life-time apoointment to Parliament House as the official provisioner and purveyor.
In that same year, 1857, he heavily advertisied, “E. H. GREGORY’ Restauranteur, COOK, AND CONFECTIONER. Pupil of Borrel of ‘Rocher de Cancale, and of the Cafe de Paris, Paris. Purveyor, by appointment, to the Parliament Houses, Contracts to supply BALLS, DINNERS. &c., Entire or in part, in Town and Country. Fruit Ices a la crème, and a l’eau, daily from ten o'clock, at Gregory's Hall of Commerce Restaurant. The Ices at Gregory's are made precisely as he for has prepared them at Chez Tortoni, Café de Paris, and at the Rocher de Cancale, Paris.” He was flying his flag fully unfurled. Interestingly, Felix W. Spiers and George Hennelle’s advertisement is often above his, simply advertising themselves as wine sellers catering to businesses, boarding houses and trade—they were trading next to the Theatre Royal. The difference in press-pizzazz is apparent, and I have no doubt it was representative of Gregory’s attitude and the reason why he eventually established a “Café de Paris” of his own, though not entirely on his own.
Having overextended himself, Gregory declared insolvency, and the follwoing year the Café de Paris at the Theatre Royal opened under Spiers and Hennelle; Gregory was not involved in the partnership, but was engaged, it looks, to run the place. Spiers must have known a good thing when he saw it, and perhaps, Spiers’ wisdom in money matter reined in Gregory’s Borrel like drift that may have been fine in Paris but could not work here in Melbourne. Spiers was familiar with Gregroy’s chops, both metaphorical and actual. Hennelle, of whom we know little didn’t last too long with Spiers at the Café de Paris and his partnership with Spiers was quickly dissloved in 1858, to be replaced, with equal speed with William Pond. Hennelle quickly become insolvent, then soon after suffered terrible injuries when some masonry fell on him as he was walking past the new building site of the Post Office.
In 1859, Edmund, safe from commercial risk, set up a “Cooks, Pastry cooks and Confectioners Provident Society” out of the Hall of Commerce—classic Victorian social gravity.
In 1865 he reclaimed the liscence for the Royal Hotel from Achilles King, who had purchased it earlier—perhaps Edmund was trying to find extra income for the failing Café de Paris which folded in 1865. He had been in partnership with George Hennelle (who was lame, and may not have been a great business man; Gregory had advertised only once that he had secured a “glacier” from Café Richelieu in Paris, and I wonder if that was Hennelle—I suspect the claim was dropped simply because readers would have wondered what the heck a glazier was doing at the Café) and so in 1866 he wrapped up his time at the Café de Paris, and the assignee sold the liscence to Achilles King.
Gregory concentrated on his Parliament House work which saw him in good stead, and in 1873 was noted in one paper giving a testimonal for a gas cooker (among many other testifying persons about town), and in the 1881 International Exhibition in Melbourne he served as Judge on the Preserved Meats and Fish Jury.
In 1889, aged 64 he retired, with Parliament voting him a gratuity of 1,500 pounds for 32 years of service. There was also a suggestion too of a 350 pound pension per annum but in the light of the generous gratuity and the past bonus of 650 pounds, which had been going on for quiet some time, a pension was turned down.
His wife, Emma died at their home in Clara Street, South Yarra on the 9th of may 1901 and he, nine years later on the 15th of February 1910, in Ballarat at his daughter’s home—“A good kindly man…an old colonist, and first caterer to the Parliamentary Refreshment Rooms.”
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