# Florence A. George

Florence Annie George (1864 – 3 July 1918) was an English schoolteacher and cookbook writer. She worked as cookery mistress of King Edward VI High School for Girls and published four cookbooks. Her recipes for nut cutlets in her book Vegetarian Cookery have been described as the origin of the nut roast.

## Biography
### Early life and education

Florence Annie George was born in Gloucester in the second quarter of 1864. Her parents were William D., a canal superintendent, and Annie George. She had two sisters and two brothers. George later earned a first-class diploma from The National Training School of Cookery, London.

### Career

In 1894, George was appointed as cookery mistress of King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham. This decision was made by headmistress Edith Creak, despite the strong objections of the school governors, who had firmly advised against including cookery in the curriculum.
George saw cooking as a scientific skill that every girl should learn. In 1901, she published King Edward's Cookery Book as a textbook for everyone. It was described in The Publishers' Circular as a clear, concise, and methodical culinary guide designed for middle-class Englishwomen, providing essential cooking knowledge, principles, and practical advice, including scullery work, kitchen equipment, and seasonal ingredients. By 1921, it had sold 20,000 copies.
In 1908, this was followed by Vegetarian Cookery, described in the preface as being "written for those who, from principle, wish to abstain from meat, as well as for the many who, from reasons of health, are obliged to reduce the proportion of it in their daily diet." It included recipes that used ingredients such as onions, parsley, salt, and pepper to create vegetarian dishes intended to replicate the flavours and textures of meat-based meals, including a chicken substitute made from butter bean paste. The book's two recipes for nut cutlets have been described as the ancestor of the nut roast. Vegetarian Cookery went through at least six imprints.
In response to rationing during the First World War, George published Economical Dishes for Wartime, in 1916. It contained her original recipes amended to account for wartime shortages.

### Death

George died following an illness in Amberley, Gloucestershire on 3 July 1918, at the age of 54. At the time of her death, she had been working on a more comprehensive cookbook for several years. It was later finished by her formal pupil Kate Lackland and edited by Irene Davison. It was published as A Manual of Cookery in 1920.

## Legacy

In 2011, Sally Huxley, who succeeded George as Head of Food Studies at her former school, authored Recipes for Success, a modern adaptation of domestic science education. The book is based on research into the history of the subject, highlighting the role George played in its development. It includes recipes designed to reflect current social trends, similar to those created by George.
A brief mention of George and her book Vegetarian Cookery was included in Colin Spencer's The Heretic's Feast: A History of Vegetarianism. After reading about George in Spencer's book, Anne O'Connell, who had later attended George's school, was inspired to author Early Vegetarian Recipes, exploring the history of vegetarian recipes.
One of George's recipes from her King Edward's Cookery Book was included in Annie Gray's The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook.

## Publications

* King Edward's Cookery Book (London: Edward Arnold, 1901)
* Vegetarian Cookery (London: Edward Arnold, 1908)
* Economical Dishes for Wartime (Birmingham: Cornish Brothers, 1916)
* A Manual of Cookery (London: Edward Arnold, 1920)