The coronation of King Charles III took place on Saturday at London's Westminster Abbey which saw millions of people from around the world tune in to watch the televised event. It was a historic day, full of memorable moments that saw great unity among members of the Commonwealth. President Alar Karis attended the coronation and expressed his well wishes, but this is not the first time there has been an Estonian presence at a royal coronation. A little known fact that some people may not be aware of is that Ernst Joannes Kollist, a patissier from Pärnu, was the chef patissier at the coronation of King George VI in 1937.
Born in 1885, Kollist worked in a pastry shop as a labourer after he finished high school and was soon promoted to apprentice. After graduating in 1905 he began travelling the world working in top class hotels first in St.Petersburg, then Lucerne Switzerland before moving on to London.
Kollist had a hunger for learning and increasing his skills. He studied German, French, English and Italian languages as well as accounting and other professional general knowledge. He was diigent in his pursuit of learning about wines, menus and goods, table setting, manners and the art of cooking.
In1916 Kollist volunteered to join the British Army and continued his profession in a military environment, afterwards he carried on working in famous hotels.
Kollist published the cookbook French Pastry, Confectionery and Sweets in 1929. In his book Kollist assembles an original collection of recipes from nearly three decades. This classic work contains secret recipes and methods of continental chefs including sections on pastries and sweets, flans and gateaux, petits-fours, chocolates, cakes, souffles, ices, parfaits, and much more. The highly illustrated book is now considered a collectors item. In 1950 he published a second book The Complete Patissier.
