Duncan Hines: How a Traveling Salesman Became the Most Trusted Name in Food

This delightful biography "offers conclusive proof that Hines was not only a real human being, but an American culinary hero" (The Weekly Standard).

Duncan Hines may be best known for the cake mixes, baked goods, and bread products that bear his name, but many people don't know that he was a real person and not just a fictitious figure invented for the brand. America's pioneer restaurant critic, Hines discovered his passion while working as a traveling salesman during the 1920s and 1930s—a time when food standards were poorly enforced and food safety was a constant concern. He traveled across America discovering restaurants and offering his recommendations to readers in his bestselling compilation Adventures in Good Eating—and the success of this work and his subsequent publications led Hines to manufacture the extremely popular food products that we still enjoy today.

In this biography, Louis Hatchett explores the story of the man, from his humble beginnings in Bowling Green, Kentucky, to his lucrative licensing deal with Procter & Gamble. Following the successful debut of his restaurant guide, Hines published his first cookbook at age fifty-nine and followed it with The Dessert Book—culinary classics including recipes from establishments he visited on his travels, favorites handed down through his family for generations, and new dishes that contained unusual ingredients for the era. Many of the recipes served as inspiration for mixes that eventually became available under the Duncan Hines brand.

This is a comprehensive account of the life and legacy of a savvy businessman and an often-overlooked culinary pioneer whose love of good food led to his name becoming a grocery shelf favorite.

© 2014 The University Press of Kentucky (Ebook): 9780813144832

Release date

Ebook: 27 March 2014