"It is with great regret that I have to inform you of the passing of Victor Ceserani MBE, yesterday at the age of 97.
 
"For many of us we grew up with such great ‘starter’ books as Practical Cookery, Theory of Catering to name but a couple, these were books that gave us all a great grounding and knowledge to start and push our careers.
 
"Victor was formerly Head of Department at what was then called School of Hotelkeeping and Catering, at Ealing College of Higher Education, now University of West London. He was an examiner for the ‘old’ City & Guilds Advanced Cookery – 706/3. Victor in his earlier days had been a well respected judge at national food and cookery competitions, a Fellow of the IOH (formerly HCIMA), an Honorary Member of the Association Culinaire Francaise, the Academie Culinaire de France and the City & Guilds of London Institute and a Fellow of University of West London – just where did he get his energy!!
 
"Originally he started his chef life as an apprentice at the Ritz Hotel, commi at the Orleans Club and chef at Boodles, all of which were rightly renowned for the excellence of their cuisine.

"The one saving grace is that his books, history all live on.
 
"So from the Craft Guild of Chefs – Victor Ceserani RIP – but never forgotton, and only adding to the great brigade upstairs!!"

Andrew Green