A History of Chef Boyardee

Chef Boyardee was, in fact, a real person. Born Ettore (Hector) Boiardi, Chef Boyardee was a real man and a real chef (unlike Mrs. Butterworth or Betty Crocker). There has even been an internet rumor denying his existence, claiming that “Boyardee” was combination of the names of three food company executives; Boyd, Art and Dennis. Hector Boiardi was born in Piacenza, in northern Italy. When he was sixteen, he immigrated to the United States (through Ellis Island) to join his brother who was working as a waiter in New York’s Plaza Hotel restaurant. While working in West Virginia’s prestigious Greenbrier Resort, Chef Boiardi supervised the catering for president Woodrow Wilson’s wedding. On December 18, 1915, Chef Boiardi supervised the catering for President Wilson’s second…