The cooks who changed Britain Alexis Soyer Sometimes described as the first celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer was a French culinary prodigy who moved to England in 1830. Endlessly inventive, he developed many kitchen gadgets that changed the way Britons cooked forever, including gas-powered, temperature-controlled ovens, and water-cooled fridges. Like a 19th century Jamie Oliver, he also considered himself a philanthropist: he set up soup kitchens during the Irish Potato Famine and in the Crimean War dedicated himself to improving the food fed to British troops.