Duties of the Cooks of St Andrew’s Priory, Rochester, c.1235

Recording the responsibilities of the priory cooks. Translation of Custumale Roffense, folios by Dr Christopher Monk.

Translation

Concerning the cooks and the house which belongs to their office.

The office of R. Fichet and Ernulf serves at supper.  The office of G. Toterel serves the patients and the little brothers in the infirmary.  The office of S. Calchepalie serves the guests, and watches over the kitchen door, and carries out the slaughter of sheep and pigs at the Feast of St Martin, and distributes the cooks’ fee.  

The office of Fichet carves all the dishes, both meat and fish.  He himself [i.e. Fichet, the cook] makes the first or second dish and thereupon serves the monastery. He himself is witness to the buyer in order that all purchasing may be bought well and faithfully and later accounted for before the cellarer in the cellar.  His wage is 7 shillings.  Ernulf’s office is 5 shillings.  Toteterel’s office is 4 shillings.  Calchepalie’s office is 4 shillings. They have in common daily bread of a single monk and 2 and a half gallons of ale, but this from goodwill; and this was made by joint decision on account of the offenses which used to happen when they were eating at home, because there was no one who might respond to strangers arriving.  They will also have in the evening, after the reckoning of the dishes, a pot of ale in common to drink.  They also have, when the cellarer makes his larder, all necks of oxen and cows and all pieces from the knee to the foot, so that the sinews of the aforesaid pieces will remain attached. They have the heads for their skinning, and the cellarer keeps the tongues. They have at the same time, to be sure, all necks and tails of pigs, attached to a single joint from the backbone.  They have also all heads of fish except salmon, from which they have the tail.  For the offal of the prepared oxen, cows and pigs, the cooks will fetch their wives and the cellarer will supply them.  And if the cellarer wishes, when, instead of one pig, two or three sucklings are slaughtered for the court, the swineherd has a tale and neck from the cook, and for prepared offal they [i.e. the cooks] have charity, namely bread and ale, but by the goodwill of the cellarer.  They also get to take all the feathers of all the types of birds which come into the kitchen for eating.

Supper: Latin ad cenam, meaning the principal communal meal of the day which was taken in the evening rather than at noon.

Feast of St Martin: or St Martin’s Day, 11th November .  In England, the day of the annual butchering of animals for food.

Makes his larder: prepares his meat for storage, by slaughtering, butchering and salting.