After a family trip to Sandringham, I wrote a food blog about the Queen. It fascinated me to think of the regular afternoon tea’s and the glass of champagne before bed, with 20 Buckingham Palace chefs and butlers galore on hand. I was also disappointed that the Queen, despite her extensive traveling wasn’t much of a foodie, opting for a NO garlic rule, well-done steak and cheap chocolate to anything real and proper.
So, when I heard through the foodie grapevine that Prince Charles eats organic muslie, home-made bread, local honey and dried fruits for Breakfast – it made me think.
After all we are what we eat and what we eat says a lot about us. I’m not an obsessive royal but I do respect what they do and what they represent and bring to MY England.
I also love a bit of psychology and after watching ‘The Crown’ on Netflix I realised 2 things –
- In my opinion the Queen is Dyslexic.
- Prince Charles is the sensitive, also dyslexic, black Royal Sheep of the family.
(p.s – I’m dyslexic, we are a special bunch)
So, while all the other Royals are tucking in to smoked fish or crispy bacon, sausages and poached eggs in fried bread cups at Balmoral. Prince Charles is munching on specially made muesli – – and what’s more he takes a breakfast package with him where ever he goes in the World.
(Tupperware containers are much the thing in the Royal household!)
He’s obviously never tasted Shakshuka in Israel, Waffles with maple in Canada or Rosti in Switzerland like I have – because ‘I don’t pack my cereal in my suitcase Charles’
But then again, I’m not particularly healthy, especially when on holiday or have staff to carry my bags plus ‘Easy Jet’ have a weight restriction!
Charles and Camille’s main residence is Highgrove House in Gloucestershire bought in 1980, where his 15-acre farm ‘Home Farm’ produces organically certificated produce. Not only is his organic produce used in his Duchy Originals (now partnered with Waitrose), it’s also transported where ever Charles is. The Prince likes to boast (and rightly so) that food served at state banquets is from ‘home Farm’, whether it be Balmoral, Sandringham, Windsor or Buckingham Palace.
His food company was set up to promote organic products, with over 200 ranges from Cheese Biscuits to Passata. Charles even has shop’s selling his produce including a very successful online business. So much so Duchy Originals turn over £200 million per annum.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs, pork, beef, eggs and dairy are all produced on the farm suppling the Royal Family with the best products all year round.
Talking about Balmoral – Prince Charles fishes for Salmon in every early evening while there. All fish fished, game shot and meat hunted is eaten by the Royal Family.
So, you could say they are self-sufficient! If it wasn’t for the staff.
Self-sufficient enough, to, on the odd occasion call out for Fish and Chips and happily eat them out of newspaper, well in the old days anyway, when the children were ‘wee lads and lasses’.
Plus, as a little prince he would have enjoyed the infamous Barbeques at Balmoral cooked by their father.
So;
Prince Charles is a massive foodie in contrast to his parents especially by ways of fresh, local and organic, he even has his own Restaurant in Scotland ‘Rothesey rooms’ serving up fresh, local Scottish fare.
However depending on what you read, it is said he is incredible fussy – he likes his vegetables steamed with a certain water, his eggs boiled for exactly 7 minutes, he insists on using his own produce – of course some people would call that fussy, for me it’s making sure your food is cooked to perfection and insuring it has the absolute perfect taste – thats not fussy, thats knowing what you like and making sure you get it.
So, with farms, cafes, shops and restaurants plus a team of chefs cooking his meals he must be in foodie heaven.
Of, course he can play at his interests he gets around £8million from the duchy alone per year, but with successful businesses under his belt grown from scratch ‘eight-mil’ is just pocket money, who wouldn’t eat the best.
If I was the future King of England, I’d have all that plus a Chocolate Factory.
So, what products have the Princes Royal seal of approval by way of the Royal warrant –
- Fortnum and Mason – grocery shopping
- Carluccios – restaurant and Deli
- Champagne Laurent-Perrier
- Laphroaig Distillery
- Taylors of Harrogate – Tea
- Waitrose
- Cherry Brandy – which he got caught drinking as a 14-year-old school boy at Gordonstoun.
With chefs and produce at your every wake and call, you wouldn’t be too bothered about fast food, let alone the horrific processed taste of it.
It was Princes Diane that introduced Mc-Crap to the little princes William and Harry. So-used to staff was his first wife that she needed instructions to use the microwave. It was also said that Princess Diana much preferred her London residence to her country one, not having her husband’s enthusiasm for farming and the countryside.
His second wife shares his passion and is a little more apt in the kitchen, with her being seen in local supermarkets and butchers and on one occasion buying some kidneys to flavour some gravy.
Talking of marriages and differences, when Charles married Diane they gorged on
- Brill quenelles in Lobster sauce
- Stuffed Chicken with lamb mousseline, new potatoes, with corn and cream sauce.
- Strawberry’s and Clotted Cream from ‘Home Farm’
Hosted at Buckingham Palace by the Queen. Plus, as it was a state affair it was the Queen who chose the menu or at least approved it – – and we all know ‘she don’t do garlic’!
Charles and Camilla’s wedding was a civil ceremony not attended by the Queen, with the buffet at Windsor.
- Selection of sandwiches including egg and cress
- Open Sarnies with potted shrimp and Venison with redcurrant jelly
- Hot Canapes and an impressive selection of
- Mini Pasties
The later make up for boring sarnies and soggy flans (my opinion)! – Amongst the mini pastries were Caramel banana slice, strawberry tartlets, mocha fudge, caramelised lemon tarts, scones with clotted cream and duchy jam, fruit cake and mini ice-cream cornets.
I love the fact that they have a sweet tooth and excelled at the perfect finish, but not quite the Royal feast you would expect.
(Maybe that’s why the Queen didn’t go – she gets afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace everyday).
But casual and unpretentious, never-the-less.
The future King of England absolutely loves a curry, eating out often and grabbing the odd take away. His favourite curry house is in Southall, sharing its secrets with quite a few celebrity’s and politicians. He’s also passed on his passion for a curry to his son Harry, who likes them spice, unlike his brother William who’s not so keen on chilli heat.
Let’s, now forget Tom Parker Bowles, his step-son is a cookery food writer and critic, he must have got his love of cooking from someone. Uncle Charles has been around for a very long time!
So, reading about his love for food, I draw several conclusions –
Absolute respect for his vision regarding sustainable and organic farming, freshness and seasonal eating.
He was doing it when others ridiculed – with a father who ‘guffed’ at organic, a league of disbelieving journalists and a mother who chose old fashioned tradition with no frills. He embraced food for its glory, he spiced and seasoned – he chose love over conformity. He persevered, he committed, he followed his dreams and created his own passion. He even runs some of his cars on bio fuel from red wine waste and vegetable oil.
For this is the man, who will wear the crown – a man who likes a Rubby Murry, a man who isn’t afraid to break the rules but at the same time a man who keeps quiet – a wise man is a strong man.
A man who likes it HOT.
A man who when is Coronation-ed will eat Coronation chicken with garlic and chilli and the bread will be sour dough, organic milled and freshly baked. It will contain seasonal salad from the fields and spread with butter from his Dairy and quite possibly served with some cold beer.
He’ll look in to his beloved wife’s eyes, from his throne, with the crown jewels balanced on his head and say
‘about bloody time’
by Zena Leech-Calton ©
Cookery Tutor and Food Writer
www.lovenorwichfood.co.uk
Photo credit: Bill Braasch