Augost Fiemont

**Augost Fiemont** was a butcher, meat salesman and famed chef from Goelyn's Highlands. He played a key role in the "Lakewell Rise", which saw a drastic shift of significance in social status and ostentation within Goelyn and Kaladan during the turn of the era.

Widely considered the best chef in Ralanos history, he spent the latter years of his life as the owner and head cook of Fiemont Springs, a popular tavern in Bridgewell.

## History

Born in Highland Mills, he moved with his family to Goelyn in his early years, where his father, Argus, became a prominent meat distributor within the Grillex District. His father eventually joined *Tender Talk*, a prominent meat and poultry coop within Goelyn, and brought in Augost as an apprentice when he was fourteen years old. Augost impressed coop members, particularly for his ability to properly cut, filet, and cure beef and pork. He became head butcher by eighteen, eventually garnering a following by wealthy cityfolk.

He continued his work through his twenties, but inevitably dreamed of starting a family and moving onto a farm in the open country. His actions were received poorly, and he was kicked from *Tender Talk*, much to his father's chagrin. However, he instead moved to Cliffview, taking a distributor and merchant role in the coop *Southeast Meat*. The position brought him fortune, and he soon raised a family in the town for the next three decades. In that time, he opened his own shop in Cliffview, and ultimately became a co-owner of *Southeast Meat* before its disbandment in 1028 UA.

The breakup of *Southeast Meat* had substantial impact within Cliffview, and many people blamed Augost for a scarcity in meat over the next months. Fearing for his safety, he moved his family to Bridgewell, and opened Fiemont Springs in 1032 UA. The tavern garnered acclaim for its food and hospitality, becoming a prominent tourist destination over the next decade, until the Lakewell Rise reached its climax after the Rift of Goelyn in 1045 UA.

Augost died in 1061 UA, at the age of 74. His son, Ammos, took on his father's role at Fiemont Springs, but the tavern eventually switched ownership when it was bought out by Reginald Wallant, an agriculture tycoon and coop owner. The tavern still retains its name today, though the Fiemont family name has grown small, with the only remaining members living in Highland Mills.

## Culinary Style & Cuisine

As his fiscal expertise would confirm, many of Augost's most popular dishes featured beef or poultry, often cured, combining an array of odd spice choices which at the time were foreign. He used ginger in many of his dishes, as well as garlic, which had previously been mainly used in northern cuisine. His blending of meat and vegetables, such as broccoli and asparagus, is said to have caused a boom in revenue for those respective crops, and farmers even brought their produce to Bridgewell at the tavern's popularity peak.

He is known for developing the culinary art of saltering, which involved a lengthy marination of spices on meat before cooking, which came as a result of his curing proficiency. Saltering became a prominent feature in Highlands cuisine over the next few years, but soon amounted to a financial drawback as meat supplies altered greatly. While still a popular technique today, much of Ralanos' mass public cuisine values freshness and practicality over authentic taste and penchant.