Great Britain
Precaution: Before the Queen eats at official appointments, the food is X-rayed
Queen Elizabeth II at an official appointment
© Alastair Grant / Picture Alliance
The previous chefs of the royal household have revealed some interesting details from Queen Elizabeth II’s kitchen.
It is probably rare that Queen Elizabeth, or Prince Charles, shuffles into the kitchen of Buckingham Palace in the evening and cooks spaghetti with tomato sauce for themselves. Instead, there is an entire kitchen team for the royal family, who take care of them every day and regularly conjure up entire menus. Two of the former chefs have now given intimate insights into their daily work.
Former royal chef Graham Tinsley revealed: “If there were larger banquets, we had to put the food, all containers, knives and kitchen utensils in an X-ray machine beforehand, after which we were driven to the venue on motorcycles.” This was to ensure that nothing could happen to the Queen or her high-ranking guests.
Chef of the Royals – a special job
One of Tinsley’s predecessors was Darren McGrady, who cooked for the Royals for four years in the late 1990s. He revealed that he often tried to cheat Princess Diana’s favorite pudding onto the menu: she loved his special version of créme brulée. “I always suggested two desserts – Diana’s favorite pudding and one the Queen didn’t particularly like. So I knew the Queen would choose the pudding.” After serving, McGrady defended the remains of the dessert from the hungry kitchen crew, because he knew that Princess Diana would sneak into the kitchen later and get a second serving. Asking the queen for a second something – she didn’t dare.
Diana also made him cook more healthily: Although she liked to eat, she was not a fan of hearty meat dishes and fatty sauces. For her, McGrady occupied herself with vegetarian cooking and lighter dishes. One of her favorite dishes was peppers stuffed with rice, which he often cooked for her “two to three times a week”. One of his fondest memories of his job was that Diana sometimes just came into the kitchen and ate her meal there. “She even made me coffee once,” says Darren McGrady.
Source: “Daily Mail”