SOUL OF A FRENCH CHEF

February28th

5 Comments

SOUL OF A FRENCH CHEF

Posted in: People

Robert Werth (on right) with Tom Young

Chef Robert Werth dedicated his life to mentoring and inspiring young culinarians. We met in 1974, when he sent the first of many students I was to train. Over the past 36 years of our friendship there was one quality of his that outshone any other and remains an important quality I strive for in my own work. He had a big heart and always placed humanity and compassion before performance. The great success of his life was instilling confidence, passion and a positive self-image in those he taught. A priceless gift. Though I was never enrolled in AB Tech as a culinary student, I was one of Robert’s pupils.

My kitchen has been filled with his teachings and his spirit all this time and there are many of my own pupils that owe their success to the lessons of his I have tried to pass on.

Peace be with you, old friend.

Mark

5 Comments

Comment by Jim Ferguson — March 1, 2010 @ 3:07 am

Thank you for the news of Chef Robert Werths passing. His influence will be missed so deeply. I was that kid that made his way to Highland, NC to meet the up and coming Chef Mark Rosenstein.

I can remember thinking that I must be really lost because the
Frog & Owl Cafe was really “out there” about 10 miles down some winding mountain road and set in one of the most beautiful places I could imaging for a restaurant. But! who could find it?

As I soon learned, Chef Werth had found Mark and his passion for quality food and service. Mark had also connected to a fellow culinarian, a real giant of a man and chef. I am so grateful…….my life so enriched.
Comment by Amy Edwards — March 5, 2010 @ 7:51 am

When I first opened 23 Page in 1984 I was so grateful to find the AB Tech Culinary program and most especially Chef Werth. Coming from San Francisco and the school of Alice Waters, Chef Werth was decidedly old school by comparison, but the tide was turning and he rolled with it. His classes were shifting from learning how to open a No 10 can to working with fresh foods. And was he ever excited by this! He was a very dear friend who could always be counted on for helping to find a solution to just about any problem and his optimism was truly inspiring. He will be missed by so many!
Comment by mark — March 5, 2010 @ 8:38 pm

Amy, Robert will be missed indeed. He definitely had an Old World point of view. In the early days – the ‘industrial side’ of cooking dominated and you are correct, he was able to change.
Comment by Scott Alderson — March 11, 2010 @ 2:33 am

To learn here from my mentor chef that a gentle sweet old friend has passed on saddens me. It spurs on instant reflection that only brings smiles and tears of my appreciation for this great man. My life changed course forever in the late of summer 1986 – from The Frog and Owl to AB Tech to The Market Place. My life, my career, my craft took shape, was nurtured and molded, and that jolly and honorable Alsatian man was so integral. What a genuine caring and sincere mogul of our profession who instilled the love of cuisine to so many. I will be forever grateful to dear Chef Werth for honestly caring about me and everyone he taught and guided.

Thank you Chef Werth. I love you so much. Take off your tall Toque. Rest easy my friend.
Comment by mark — March 11, 2010 @ 7:10 am

Scott,
Some lessons run deep and take time to re-surface. The ones we both learned from Robert are those types of lessons.
Mark