The History of Garde Mange
Aaron avers

The garde manger profession began with peoples need to preserve food. The practice of food preservation is very much older than the term garde manger. In medieval times, castles and large homes were equipped with underground larders, or cold food storage rooms. The food storage areas in these castles and manor houses were usually located in the lower levels, since the cool basement-like environment was ideal for storing food. These cold storage areas developed over time into the modern cold kitchen. In France, the larder was called the garde manger. So one meaning of the culinary term garde manger can be a person in charge of cold foods preparation and preservation. Today, in the industry, I have …show more content…

This need for space was due not only to an upswing in the number of protein sales, but also to the need for separating raw proteins from processed foods to avoid cross-contamination and the resulting possibility of food borne illness. Special "butcher shops" were created where portion sizes, product deployment, and temperature could be highly controlled. Today butcher shops exist both as standalone establishments and alongside kitchens in large hotels, country clubs and high volume restaurants.
Modern garde manger can refer to different things in the professional kitchen. In many restaurants it is a station which is generally an entry level cooking position within the restaurant, as it involves preparing salads or other smaller plates which can be cooked and plated without significant experience. In other high-profile classically influenced restaurants and hotels, the position pertains to the classical preparations.
Today Garde Manger is referred to as "The Art of the Cold Kitchen". Some may even say it is the arts and crafts of the culinary industry. Today's Garde Mangers must behold more than simple food preservation skills. They must have the knowledge and skills to create everything as small as a batch of mayonnaise to something as large and elaborate as ice carving.
Some food establishments use the word pantry instead of Garde Manager. Some may even refer to it as the salad station...the list