The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is an international gastronomic society founded in Paris in 1950. It is devoted to promoting fine dining and preserving the camaraderie and pleasures of the table.
The Chaîne is originally based on the traditions and practices of the old French royal guild of goose roasters – the goose, a type of poultry, was particularly appreciated during the Middle Ages. Its authority was gradually expanded to include the roasting of all poultry, meat and game. The written history of the guild of "Les Oyers" or “Goose Roasters” has been traced back to the year 1248. At that time King Louis IX, later to be Saint Louis, assigned Etienne Boileau, the Provost of Paris, with the task of bringing order into the organisation of trades and guilds, developing young apprentices and improving the technical knowledge of guild members. He gathered together the charters of more than 100 of these trades, among them the Goose Roasters.
Over the years, the activities and privileges of the Goose Roasters Guild were extended to preparing and selling all kinds of meat, including poultry and venison.