Kuchmistrz

master cook; a court official overseeing the kitchen staff – cooks, bakers, confectioners, and pâté makers. He planned daily menus for the court, ensured the obedience of the kitchen staff, and supervised the dishes served at the lord’s table. He received funds for purchasing products, which he entrusted to the steward. Selecting a suitable master cook, as well as the kitchen staff, was difficult, as few possessed the necessary knowledge and skills to choose the right people. “About the master cook, I announce that it shall be the one who is here with the marshal, the man seems quiet…” Jadwiga Woroniczowa asked her relative, “I request you try to find a proper, conscientious man, suitable for the court’s disposition.”

 

Source: BN, Polona, ref. no. 6917/III, vol. 11, p. 20, Jadwiga z Jabłonowskich Woroniczowa do Ignacego Woronicza, z Kozłowa, May 17, 1758.

See more: B. Popiołek, Rytuały codzienności. Świat szlacheckiego dworu w osiemnastowiecznej Rzeczypospolitej, Warszawa 2022, p. ; eadem, Między kuchnią i spiżarnią. Magnackich regestry wydatków kuchennych w osiemnastowiecznej Rzeczypospolitej, Warszawa 2025, p. 316