How The First Presidential Chef Escaped George Washington

Being a chef at the White House is something many culinary professionals only dream of, but for the first man to hold the role of chef to the president, it was a living nightmare. That's because, while modern White House chefs apply for the role thinking of cooking for state dinners and having backstage access to the nation's First Family, Hercules Posey, George Washington's cook in the 1780s and 1790s, didn't choose his job; he was enslaved. It wasn't until 1797, after years of working in the kitchens at Mount Vernon and in Philadelphia, that he was able to escape to freedom.

In the early years after the American Revolution, the President lived in Philadelphia, as the White House and surrounding District of Columbia didn't exist yet. Posey, who had been enslaved first by Washington's neighbor and then by Washington himself, traveled between Mount Vernon and the President's home in Philadelphia, where he cooked for visiting diplomats and other officials as well as for Washington personally. The frequent returns to Virginia were in part to skirt a Pennsylvania law that would have granted Washington's slaves their freedom after six continuous months in the state –- something Washington wanted to avoid. It wasn't until the night of Washington's birthday ball in 1797 that Posey took advantage of his captor's distraction with the party to make a break for freedom. He succeeded, living the rest of his life as a free man. The only record of him after his escape saw him working as a cook in New York City.

Thankfully, chefs at the White House are no longer enslaved. Instead, they must compete for the job by passing a rigorous application process while learning a sometimes strange set of rules. Once they've cleared this and any security checks, the executive chef will report directly to the spouse of the president. The president can make special requests which the kitchen must follow, like George H. W. Bush's infamous rule to never serve broccoli or his son George W. Bush's preference for "cheeseburger pizza."

It takes a huge number of talented kitchen workers to cook for the White House, and that's especially true in the modern era. Early presidents could rely on just one chef, which is probably why the future King of France complained of lackluster food at Mount Vernon shortly after Hercules Posey escaped. Today, the White House kitchen team includes sous chefs, pastry chefs, prep cooks, and more –- there's even a team dedicated just to White House grocery shopping. The large staff is important for creating the enormous gingerbread houses that grace the White House every Christmas, crafting the impressive dishes served during state dinners such as the ice cream sculptures served to the Japanese Royal Family in 1994, and managing the 24/7 routine needed to prepare the presidents' favorite breakfast when they awaken.