Definition: ritz

Born into a family of shepherds in Upper Valais, César Ritz established himself in Europe as the grand master of luxury hotels. Since then, the English word "ritzy" has been used to describe something that is very elegant and ultra-chic. He is the founder of the Ritz hotel dynasty. Auguste Escoffier was hired as head chef at the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo by César Ritz, who was the manager, and Madame Jungbluth, the owner. This marked the beginning of a long collaboration between César Ritz and Auguste Escoffier. Until 1888, they would divide their time between the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo during the winter season and the Grand National in Lucerne during the summer season. It was there that Escoffier began to revolutionise cuisine. He would be described as "the king of chefs... the chef of kings". César Ritz lent his name to a leading Swiss hotel school, among other things. All courses are taught in English, the school's official language.