Egon Ronay

Egon Miklos Ronay (24 July 1915 – 12 June 2010) was a Hungarian-born food critic who wrote and published a famous series of guides to British and Irish restaurants and hotels in the 1950s and 1960s. These guidebooks are credited with raising the quality of British cuisine offered in public eating places. Ronay also championed foreign cuisine for British diners.

Born in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, in 1915, he was the son of a prominent restaurateur. With the onset of World War II, he was conscripted into the Hungarian Army and served with the occupying forces after the First and Second Vienna Awards in southern Slovakia and northern Transylvania.

His father's business suffered during wartime, and was taken over by the Communists once Hungary fell under control of the Russians after the defeat of the Nazis.

Ronay emigrated to London, England alone on 10 October 1946. His father's contacts arranged for him to manage Princes restaurant in Piccadilly, and then the Carousel Club in St James's. He then borrowed £4,000 and took over the 39-seat Marquee, a former tea room, near Harrods, putting classic French dishes on the menu, which was unusual for post-war UK.

The renowned TV chef Fanny Cradock visited with her husband, Johnny, and subsequently Ronay built up useful contacts with the press. After much cajoling, he began to write a food column for The Daily Telegraph.

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