Marguerite Patten

Who they were

Hilda Elsie Marguerite Patten,, was a British home economist, food writer and broadcaster. She was one of the earliest celebrity chefs who became known during World War II thanks to her programme on BBC Radio, where she shared recipes that could work within the limits imposed by war rationing. After the war, she was responsible for popularising the use of pressure cookers and her 170 published books have sold over 17 million copies.

Early life

Educated at: Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School.

Early life and career Born in Bath, Somerset , she was raised in Barnet , Hertfordshire , where she won a scholarship to Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School for Girls (now Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls ). [ 1 ] Patten was 12 when she began to cook for her mother and younger brother and sister after her father, who was a printer, died, and her mother had to return to work as a teacher. While she was not the primary cook for the family, she did take an interest in cooking from that age onwards. [

Path and career

Awards / honours: Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Why this date

Marguerite Patten appears on our June 4 calendar for 2015 as a death entry.