Egon Ronay facts for kids

Egon Miklos Ronay (born July 24, 1915 – died June 12, 2010) was a famous food critic from Hungary. He wrote popular guidebooks about restaurants and hotels in the United Kingdom and Ireland during the 1950s and 1960s. Many people believe his guides helped make British food better in restaurants. He also encouraged people in Britain to try foods from other countries.

Early Life in Hungary

Egon Ronay was born in Budapest, which was part of Austria-Hungary in 1915. His father owned a well-known restaurant. When World War II started, Egon joined the Royal Hungarian Army. He served during the war.

During the war, his father's restaurant business faced many problems. After the war, when Hungary came under the control of the Soviet Union, the new government took over his family's business.

Starting a New Career in London

Egon Ronay moved to London, England, by himself on October 10, 1946. Thanks to his father's connections, he first managed a restaurant called Princes in Piccadilly. After that, he managed the Carousel Club in St James's.

Later, he borrowed some money and bought a small place near Harrods called the Marquee. It used to be a tea room. Ronay started serving classic French cuisine there. This was quite new and exciting for restaurants in Britain after the war.

A famous TV chef named Fanny Cradock visited his restaurant. This helped Ronay make important connections with people in the news. After a lot of effort, he began writing a food column for The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

In his later years, Ronay worked as a food expert for the pub chain J D Wetherspoon. He would visit their pubs to make sure the food, like onion rings and baked potatoes, was always good. He also worked for motorway service station company Welcome Break, helping them improve their food and drinks.

The Famous Egon Ronay's Guide

In 1957, Egon Ronay finished his first book, Egon Ronay's Guide to British Eateries. He sold 30,000 copies! His guidebooks became very popular. Being mentioned in one of his books was a big honor for a restaurant. Many places proudly showed blue signs in their windows that said "EGON RONAY'S GUIDES" for every year they were listed. The guides were special because they never accepted money or free meals from hotels and restaurants. This made sure their reviews were always fair and honest.

Ronay sold the rights to his books to the AA in 1985. Later, in 1997, he went to court to get back the rights to the guides that had his name on them, after the new owner had problems. In 2005, he worked with the Royal Automobile Club to release Egon Ronay's RAC Guide to the Top 200 Restaurants in the UK. This guide used comments from restaurant inspectors.

Family Life

Egon Ronay was married two times. His daughter Edina Ronay (born in 1943) used to be an actress and is now a fashion designer. Another daughter, Esther, worked as an editor for the BBC and makes documentaries. Egon Ronay always kept his age a secret in interviews. He passed away at his home in Yattendon, Berkshire, on June 12, 2010, after being sick for a short time.