Sally Seymour facts for kids

Sally Seymour (died 3 April 1824) was a talented African American pastry chef and restaurant owner. She built a very successful cooking business in Charleston, South Carolina. At a time when few African Americans owned businesses, Sally Seymour stood out. She greatly influenced the food styles in Charleston through her popular restaurant and by training many other chefs.

A Chef's Journey

Sally Seymour was once enslaved by Thomas Martin, who was also the father of her children. In the 1780s, she managed Martin's home and kitchen. She learned to be a pastry chef from Adam Prior, an Englishman. He was one of only two chefs in Charleston who had trained in France.

Becoming a Free Business Owner

In 1795, Thomas Martin gave Sally her freedom. This process is called manumission. She then chose the name Seymour. She quickly started her own pastry bakery in Charleston. By 1802, she was able to buy the building for her business.

Sally Seymour became a very successful entrepreneur. She had several people working in her kitchen. This included both free African Americans and enslaved individuals. She trained many people in her cooking skills.

Famous Food and Customers

Sally Seymour learned to make many delicious foods from Adam Prior. These included cakes, hot meat pies, sweet pies, trifles, jellies, and candies. Her food became even more popular than her teacher's!

Her business was so successful that important groups met there. In 1817, the famous St. Cecilia Society held a meeting at her establishment. Important leaders like Thomas Grimké and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney also met regularly at her restaurant. They called their group the Mutton Chop Club.

A Lasting Legacy

Sally Seymour is known as the leader of a "culinary dynasty" in Charleston. This means her family continued her cooking traditions for generations. A big part of her legacy was the many African American chefs she trained. These included enslaved kitchen workers, free Black women, and her own children, Eliza and William.

Training Future Chefs

Some of the people she taught became famous chefs themselves. These included Camilla Johnson, Eliza Dwight, Martha Gilchrist, Cato McCloud, and the Holton sisters. The Holton sisters even started a rival business!

Sally Seymour's teaching changed how people cooked in Charleston. She taught a French style of cooking vegetables with balanced flavors. This influence was even mentioned in a famous cookbook called The Carolina Housewife by Sarah Rutledge.

When Sally Seymour passed away in 1824, she left her successful business to her daughter, Eliza Seymour Lee. Eliza was also a well-known pastry chef. She continued to expand her mother's amazing business.