In the early
1940s, a foundry in the Midwest manufactured torpedoes for the
U.S. Navy. The front end of the torpedo shell was cut off, so as
to allow explosives and other materials to be inserted. That
same front end piece was approximately 8 to 11 inches in
diameter and was shaped like a skillet, with shallow, sloping
sides.
This surplus
end piece was simply stockpiled in the foundry yard. At some
point in the early fifties, someone recognized the extraordinary
cooking potential of the surplus pieces and affixed a handle to
one. They made wonderful omelette pans and were distributed
through restaurant supply companies, as there were no gourmet
kitchenware stores in existence at that time.
In the 1950's, the
foundry stopped manufacturing torpedoes, and the surplus pieces
were no longer available.
In 1963,
Julia Child, who was just getting started as a television
personality, visited The Pot Shop in Boston, then a
retail and product development company. She explained the
foregoing history of the pan and suggested that The Pot Shop
management develop a similar heavy cast omelette pan, since none
were then available.
In 1962, I
gave that first pan to Julia Child and she used it to create a
special omelette for me (it was magnificent!) at a lunch in her
magnificent home in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Both her husband Paul and her producer Ruth Lockwood were
present.
Since then,
The Pot Shop has manufactured The Original French
Chef Omelette Pan, and has done so for 44 years.
During that
time, opportunistic kitchenware suppliers have tried to call
anything an omelette pan and present them in a way that would
appear that the market is glutted with quality omelette pans.
Many of these promoters have gone out of business; more keep
coming in (who also won't be around for long).
The
Original French Chef Omelette Pan is different.
For four generations, customers across the country adore this
product.
You can
experience this kind of quality too. See for yourself what we
believe to be the best pan ever created. Buy it today.
