Chef Anton Mosimann guides Rachael Moloney through his library, a living archive spanning five centuries of cookery books. Portrait by Clare Park.
On the top floor of Anton Mosimann's culinary academy in southwest London is a light-filled, loft-like room. In one corner, a pair of soft, white leather armchairs invite you to sit down and linger. In another, a vast but paperless desk looms large. The room is quiet, still and tranquil.
Anton Mosimann describes this as his "thinking room". He comes here mostly at weekends to relax, read and create new menus. If this is the place for inspiration, then its source is on the floor below, in his library. Here resides a collection of more than 6,000 cookery books dating from the 16th century to the present day. Every cuisine under the sun is represented - a first scan revealed titles ranging from The White House Cookbook to Translyvanian Cuisine.
The sheer scope of this collection reflects Mosimann's academic approach to cooking and his desire to push into all corners of the world's kitchens. Born in 1947 into a family of chefs, he stayed in his native Switzerland to complete his apprenticeship, before arriving in England in 1975, aged 28, to work as the maître chef des cuisines at London's Dorchester Hotel. Thirteen years and two Michelin stars later, he left to open his own private London dining club.
But it was during his training that his passion for collecting cookery books was sparked. "When I was an apprentice, I was given Escoffier's Guide Culinaire as a present. I loved just browsing through it, learning about recipes and following up ideas. From then on, I began to buy more and more books and visit antique fairs. Gradually, I built up my own small library."
Mosimann's present collection, however, was boosted by another chef. "I had just won my first national gold medal, in Lucerne in 1973, and I went for an interview with Adelrich Furrer, one of Zurich's greatest chefs. A week later, I received a letter from him saying how much he had enjoyed meeting me and would I like to come to dinner? I was so nervous it took me six months to accept. When we finally met again, he asked me if I would consider buying his book collection, about 1,500 books. Unfortunately, I had to say no, because I could not afford it. Shortly after I arrived at the Dorchester, I received a call from Furrer's wife saying that he had died and that he had wanted to offer me first refusal on his collection. This time I said yes, but I had to take out a bank loan."
Furrer's library spanned many centuries and cuisines, and Mosimann has continued to develop his collection in subjects as diverse as household etiquette and modern manners and the art of sushi. He buys books at auction or on his travels, and is given many as gifts. He also sells them, such as in October 1995, when Sotheby's held a sale of some of his volumes, old menus and cooking implements. Interest in old cookery books is keen - the grand total for Mosimann's lots was £35,793. A handwritten Booke of Receipts by 17th-century cook Katherina Elisa Harington fetched £1,495, and an 1840s French edition by Marie Antonin Carème finally sold for more than four times the estimate at £1,322.
The oldest books in Mosimann's library are kept in a safe and those he took out to show me were all in immaculate condition. He gingerly leafed through a 16th-century German title, Kuchenmeistery; Opera di Scappi, a 17th-century book of recipes cooked for Pope Pius V by his chef Bartolomeo Scappi; and a weighty, untitled English tome dated 1736.
In this last book, he stopped at recipes for a chocolate sorbet and cheesecake. "Many of these old recipes are still cooked today. In lots of ways, not much has changed. The range of ingredients we use may have increased, but simple dishes like these are still made in the same way." He also keeps magazines, such as the Swedish title Gourmet, and drawerfuls of recipe cuttings - an illuminating way of tracing the history of a certain dish or type of menu. "These are useful when I'm cooking for a special occasion," he says. "I can look up recipes, see what has been done before and create a new menu. These occasions are numerous and eclectic: from Big Issue lunches for the homeless to the Prince of Wales's 50th birthday party.
Contemporary art is another passion and canvases hang all around the academy. Many are by a friend and former butcher, 'Le Boucher Corpaatoo': bright blasts of colour among the bookshelves. Another gift was a set of recipes focused on different parts of animals' bodies - such as the heart, liver, and blood - which are handwritten on parchment and illustrated with ink drawings. Though these might sound gory, they were rich in detail and a joy to look at.
The atmosphere of Anton Mosimann's library is seductive and not at all rarefied. This is a living archive, bringing centuries of cooking and knowledge into the present. The collection is well used and democratically put together, shelves of antique books sitting comfortably next to the latest glossy titles. When I asked Mosimann what he thought of modern cookery publishing, he replied enthusiastically: "Good. I always like to explore a new book."
The Mosimann Academy, 5 William Blake House, The Lanterns, Bridge Lane, London SW11, runs demonstrations, seminars, and workshops for professional and amateur cooks. Call 0171 924 1111 for details.