Do you know the Patron Saints of the culinary professions?
The choice of a patron saint for each trade is a custom that dates back to medieval corporations. It could have been suggested by his professional activity, by a dominant feature of his life, his death or his legend.
The vast majority of master craftsmen and merchants were grouped into guilds. These associations of members of the same profession served mainly to defend the interests of workers: avoiding competition within the town, guaranteeing the exclusivity of the urban market (monopoly), setting wages and working hours. These corporations were often associated with religious brotherhoods which looked after the religious and social needs of the members. Each brotherhood had its patron (a saint or a saint), its chapel and its religious festivals.
- BUTCHERS: Saint Adrien and Saint Nicolas, Saint Aurélien (in Limoges)
- BISCUITERS: Saint Fortunat
- BAKERS: Saint Honoré, Saint Lazare, Saint Michel
- BREWERS: Saint Médard and Saint Arnoul de Soissons
- DELICATESSEN: Saint Antoine (the Great)
- CONFECTIONERS: Saint Côme and Saint Damien
- DREAMS: Saint Michel
- COOKS: Saint Fortunat, Saint Laurent, Sainte Marthe
- DISTILLERS: Holy Spirit
- GROCER: Saint Nicolas de Myre
- CHEESE MAKERS: Saint Uguzon
- FRUIT: Saint Leonard
- GLACIERS: Saint Servais (not Saint Gervais 
)
)- MARKET GARDENERS: Saint Fiacre
- MILLERS: Saint Blaise
- MUSTARDS: Saint Amand
- PASTRY: Saint Honoré, Saint Macaire, Saint Blaise
- FISHERMEN, MAREYORS: Saint André, Saint Pierre
- ROTISSEURS: Saint Laurent
- SERVANTS: Sainte Blandine
- COOPERS: Saint John the Baptist
- CATERERS: Saint Lubin
- WINEMAKERS, SOMMELIERS: Saint Vincent, Saint Verny (in Auvergne), Saint Vernier (in Burgundy and Franche-Comté

And for the Mac Do plodders, the Coca-Cola thirsty, the Nutella starving:
SAINT RITA, the patroness of desperate causes!
