Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) was a prolific British writer. He wrote in most genres, but is perhaps best remembered for his series of novels set in the so-called "Five Towns" of Staffordshire, Central England, and centred on the families involved in the area's pottery industry. It is true that the works were not always well-received, and he admitted himself that he saw writing as a means of income rather than artistic integrity, but he was a skilled story-teller and they remain popular.

However, he has another claim to fame - the "Omelette Arnold Bennett"! Unlike other luminaries in the arts, such as notably Rossini, he did not concoct the recipe himself, but on dining at the Savoy Hotel in London was so favourably impressed by an omelette served with smoked haddock, Parmesan cheese and cream, that he asked for it to be served wherever he dined, and it has come to be known by chefs the world over as the "Omelette Arnold Bennett".

Having an omelette named after him is, incidentally, a distinction he shares with Napoleon!

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