Former Royal Chef Says If He Added One Item to the Royal Menu King Charles Would Put “Thick Black Marker” Through It
Darren McGrady says he wouldn't have "dared" to suggest certain meals during his time at the palace.
Cooking for the Royal Family not only involves making day-to-day meals at royal residences, but planning elaborate state banquets and other royal events. Former royal chef Darren McGrady has opened up about Princess Diana’s favorite healthy breakfast and Queen Elizabeth’s simple tastes, and in a new interview, he’s sharing how the royal kitchens shift from winter to spring menus.
Speaking on behalf of Heart Bingo Online, McGrady says that careful consideration had to be made as to the seasonality of ingredients or they would’ve been banned from the royal menu book.
“The Royal Family eat by seasons,” he explains. “If I put strawberries on the menu in January, there would be a huge thick black marker through the menu book deleting those strawberries. 'How dare you even suggest strawberries in January'—King Charles would have the same feedback on this too.”
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King Charles enjoys oysters at the Whitstable Oyster Festival in 2013.
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret used to love picking berries at Balmoral, including everything from raspberries and gooseberries to red currants and blackcurrants, and McGrady says that the locally-grown fruits would make the cut.
Calling the estate’s berries “the best Scottish strawberries,” McGrady says, “we could put those on the menu every day and The Queen would pass them because they were in season.”
“Moving to the palace and then on to Windsor Castle for Easter court, it's all the spring food that's being served,” he says. The King isn’t a chocolate person, but McGrady says fresh fruit is more his thing.
Balmoral Castle's gardens provide plenty of fresh fruit for the royals.
“King Charles is not a big fan of chocolate, so that wouldn't be on the menu, but he really loves his vegetable gardens, so soon the peaches will be coming in from the hothouses at Windsor Castle,” the former royal chef shares. “There are lots of spring dishes, a lot of lamb on the menu and a lot of fish.”
When it comes to dessert, McGrady says that King Charles would rather eat cheese than sweets. “In place of big chocolate puddings, The King is a huge fan of cheese, so seeing lots of cheese and honey on the menu,” he explains.
