Latest news with #DarrenMcGrady
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Surprising 'banned' ingredients in Royal Family kitchens
Former royal chef Darren McGrady - who cooked for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and Prince William - has revealed which ingredients were often 'banned' from the kitchen for certain family members They may dine on golden platters with silver cutlery, but when it comes to what actually went into the food at Buckingham Palace, there were some surprising red lines set by senior members of the Royal Family. According to a former royal chef who spent over a decade cooking for the late Queen Elizabeth II and her family, Her Majesty had very particular culinary preferences - and strong-smelling ingredients didn't make the cut. 'The Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial,' former royal chef Darren McGrady told Heart Bingo. 'So we didn't use garlic in her meals.' It wasn't a hard-and-fast royal law, but it might as well have been. That meant classics like garlic bread or spiced curries were off the menu — at least for the Queen. But not everyone agreed with her tastes. ' Prince Philip, however, loved garlic and would have it at his dinner parties,' the chef added, hinting at a more flavourful divide in royal dinner preferences. The Queen may have ruled over an empire, but her taste buds were famously down-to-earth. 'She was very frugal, likely due to her wartime upbringing,' the chef said. Lobster, foie gras and caviar were reserved for state banquets only. On regular days, the monarch was more than happy with comfort food. 'We cooked meals like cottage pie.' Breakfast was also surprisingly basic. 'The Queen's breakfast was at 9am, served in her room. She'd help herself to cereal from a Tupperware container - especially Special K - even though there were 20 chefs available to cook anything,' the chef recalled. That same restraint didn't apply to her sweet tooth. 'She loved dark chocolate, especially anything over 60 percent cocoa. Any dessert with chocolate on the menu was sure to be chosen,' the chef shared. Her birthday cake was a rich chocolate ganache recipe passed down from Queen Victoria's chef. Prince William, it seems, inherited the craving. 'When I worked for the Queen, William loved dark chocolate and asked for chocolate ice cream.' While the Queen avoided garlic, she didn't shy away from other ingredients people wrongly assume were forbidden. 'The idea that the Queen didn't eat seafood while traveling isn't true - we regularly cooked scallops and shrimp for her,' the chef said. Other royals had their own tastes. 'Prince Charles, now King Charles, was the most adventurous. He brought organic food into the royal kitchens long before it became mainstream,' the chef recalled. He also introduced Mediterranean and Italian fare, even foraging wild mushrooms at Sandringham for the chefs to cook. But when it came to guests, there were no custom orders. 'During my 11 years with the Queen, we didn't have a single vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant guest,' the chef said. 'If you dined with the Queen, you ate what the Queen ate. If you didn't like it, you'd stop for a McDonald's on the way home.' And yes, even royals sometimes did stop for fast food. Princess Diana once cancelled lunch plans for young William and Harry, saying: 'I'm taking them out.' When asked where, she replied: 'McDonald's.' The chef protested: 'I can do burgers better than McDonald's,' to which Diana quipped, 'I know that Darren, but they want the toys in the Happy Meal.'
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Queen's surprisingly simple breakfast ritual that didn't include Prince Philip
A former royal chef has revealed the late Queen's disciplined breakfast routine, and while mealtimes always stayed the same, her habits were surprisingly simple Despite the grandeur of royal life, Queen Elizabeth II's breakfast routine was far more humble than most would expect - and one she preferred to take alone. According to a former royal chef, the late monarch maintained a strict and disciplined daily schedule, beginning with a solo breakfast served in her room at exactly 9am. And while 20 chefs were on standby to prepare anything she might desire, the Queen would typically help herself to a bowl of cereal from a Tupperware container. "The Queen's breakfast was at 9am, served in her room," former royal chef Darren McGrady told Heart Bingo. "She'd help herself to cereal from a Tupperware container, especially Special K, even though there were 20 chefs available to cook anything." This routine was said to come from her wartime upbringing and her preference for structure and simplicity. Mealtimes, the chef confirmed, were "fixed," and never subject to change. He added: "Meal times were fixed. The Queen was very strict and disciplined. Contrary to popular belief, she never called for food at odd hours. They had set meals, and if they wanted something in between, there was always fruit or chocolates in their rooms." Her husband, Prince Philip, however, followed his own path when it came to the morning meal. More adventurous than the Queen in his tastes, the late Duke of Edinburgh opted for bold, traditional fare. "Prince Philip, on the other hand, enjoyed more adventurous breakfasts like deviled kidneys," Darren revealed. Despite ruling for seven decades, the late Queen didn't like anything too extravagant or luxurious, instead saving those meals for state banquets. "We didn't do anything over-the-top extravagant," the chef said. "The Queen was very frugal, likely due to her wartime upbringing. Ingredients like lobster, caviar, and foie gras were reserved for state banquets. On normal days, she was perfectly happy with comfort food, so we cooked meals like cottage pie." Even her dietary preferences reflected simplicity over spectacle. While the Queen had a well-known sweet tooth - particularly for dark chocolate - she also had firm rules on what wasn't allowed in her meals. "There weren't banned foods, but the Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial. So we didn't use garlic in her meals." And when it came to guests, there was no pandering to modern food trends inside Buckingham Palace. "During my 11 years with the Queen, we didn't have a single vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant guest," the chef said. "If you dined with the Queen, you ate what the Queen ate. If you didn't like it, you'd stop for a McDonald's on the way home."
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Royal chef shares late Queen's strict meal rules and why she often ate alone
Former royal chef Darren McGrady spent 15 years cooking for the British royal family - serving the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince William, and Prince Harry some of his finest dishes A former royal chef who cooked for the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has revealed the strict meal times the household followed for different family members. According to former royal chef Darren McGrady, the daily dining schedule in the late monarch's household was strictly regimented, with each member of the family often eating separately according to their own habits and tastes. "Meal times were fixed," the chef revealed. "The Queen was very strict and disciplined. Contrary to popular belief, she never called for food at odd hours. They had set meals, and if they wanted something in between, there was always fruit or chocolates in their rooms." Breakfast for the late Queen was served at 9am sharp - and surprisingly, it was a modest affair. "The Queen's breakfast was at 9am, served in her room. She'd help herself to cereal from a Tupperware container, especially Special K, even though there were 20 chefs available to cook anything.' Her husband, Prince Philip, had different preferences and often dined separately. 'Prince Philip, on the other hand, enjoyed more adventurous breakfasts like deviled kidneys,' the chef said. Lunch was always at 1pm, while dinner was served promptly at 8:15pm, moved to 8:30pm only if the Queen Mother was present. Though the timing was fixed, the food was often traditional and comforting rather than lavish. 'We didn't do anything over-the-top extravagant. The Queen was very frugal, likely due to her wartime upbringing," the chef explained. "Ingredients like lobster, caviar, and foie gras were reserved for state banquets. On normal days, she was perfectly happy with comfort food, so we cooked meals like cottage pie." Each member of the family, the chef noted, had their own culinary preferences. "Each royal had their favourites. For the Queen, it always came back to indigenous produce - partridge or venison from Sandringham, grouse from Balmoral. "The had a sweet tooth and loved dark chocolate, especially anything over 60 percent cocoa. Any dessert with chocolate on the menu was sure to be chosen.' The then-Prince Charles, now King, stood out for his passion for organic and Mediterranean foods. "Charles was the most adventurous. He brought organic food into the royal kitchens long before it became mainstream," the chef said. "He'd bring his own hampers with home-grown fruits and vegetables, especially at Sandringham... He also enjoyed foraging for wild mushrooms which he would bring to the kitchens for us to use in meals." Despite the modern fascination with dietary requirements, the royal table rarely accommodated special requests. 'During my 11 years with the Queen, we didn't have a single vegetarian, gluten-free, or lactose-intolerant guest,' the chef revealed. 'If you dined with the Queen, you ate what the Queen ate. If you didn't like it, you'd stop for a McDonald's on the way home.' And while garlic wasn't outright banned, it was subtly left out of the late monarch's meals. 'There weren't banned foods, but the Queen didn't like garlic or strong onions, viewing them as antisocial,' the chef said. 'Prince Philip, however, loved garlic and would have it at his dinner parties.' The younger royals had a more relaxed approach. Prince William and Prince Harry were fond of comfort food, and occasionally indulged in fast food. 'Wills and Harry loved cottage pie, pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries, potato wedges, macaroni cheese,' the chef recalled. 'One lunchtime, the Princess came in and said, 'Cancel lunch today. I'm taking them out.' I asked, 'Where are you going?' and she said, 'McDonald's.' I said, 'I can do burgers better than McDonald's,' and she said, 'I know that Darren, but they want the toys in the Happy Meal.'' For royal events such as state banquets, the chefs prepared more extravagant dishes. 'A state visit takes a lot of planning,' the chef explained. 'We'd get likes, dislikes, and dietary restrictions from the Foreign Office, then plan four menus and send them to the Queen - she'd choose one.' The Queen's taste remained consistent even for formal occasions. 'Dessert was often a bombe glacée - an ice cream dish. The Queen loved ice cream or chocolate desserts,' he added.
