One of the perks of being in the royal family is that a private chef cooks most meals, but that goes out the window when it’s BBQ season.
Yes, just like us, the royal family is a fan of a garden BBQ, and former royal butler Grant Harrold has revealed what it’s really like inside the palace.
ReutersKing Charles and Queen Camilla take the grill into their own hands[/caption] Former royal butler Grant Harrold revealed what a royal BBQ is really likeRex Features GettyHE even shared which roles the royal family took on when al fresco dining[/caption]Grant was once King Charles‘ butler before he became king, revealed the rules to a perfect al fresco evening.
He also shared insight into the royal’s BBQ from who was in charge of grilling to prepping salads.
Head of the grill
While most people see BBQs as a casual affair, the same can’t be said for the royals.
Grant revealed: ““Royal family BBQs and picnics were very much family affairs. If it’s a Royal event, it’s guaranteed you would bring outdoor furniture with you to sit on.”
He also claimed that they were involved when it came to cooking and the staff wouldn’t get involved in the process.
“They were very hands on, they did it themselves, the staff didn’t do it,” he added.
“The Queen would do the salad with Charles, Prince Philip would do the BBQ with Princess Anne. It was very much a team effort.
Grant said it was a good idea to follow suit in the royal’s roles at a BBQ.
“Who’s in charge of the BBQ? That’s a good question. Traditionally, it was always the man in charge, the ladies were in charge of the table settings. In recent years, and despite the modern world we live in, it still seems to be the norm,” he says.
“Even with same sex couples, somebody always takes the lead, someone always does that. People say, ‘Oh it’s just the man’, but it isn’t at all. The roles have to be divided, and it’s probably fair that the person who is best at cooking is the one who should be doing the BBQ, and the person who is best at setting the table, and prepping that sort of thing, should have those responsibilities.”
News Group Newspapers LtdPrince William may now be in charge of the grill[/caption]Dressed to impress
“They would wear nice daywear, the King would wear nice chinos and a shirt, for example. It’s very much a family thing, that’s what it’s all about. It should all be about having a nice time with friends and family and relaxing.”
Speaking of outfits, the former butler to the royals revealed you should always aim to dress up rather than dress down.
Grant said: “Let’s just say, if it’s a BBQ at the Palace, then you’re going to want a pair of nice chinos and silk shirt, or formal shirt – not a t- shirt. If it’s on the formal side, as a gentleman, you should have a jacket, but if it’s not, you could have an open-neck shirt.
“For the ladies, you should wear a cocktail dress if the weather is good. But if it was on the beach, you would need to follow suit with beachwear. It’s always better to overdress than underdress.
“It’s always up to the host to decide on the dress code though, so always check in ahead of time.”
What it is like being a chef for the royal family
COOKING for royalty means that everything has to be perfect as former royal chef Darren McGrady well knows.
Darren, who worked for the royals for 15 years and cooked at Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral, has revealed that when it came to banqueting events he had to prepare no less than 150 plates of food for the late Queen.
Speaking to Coffee Friend, Chef McGrady said: “There were no food tasters, no.
“Some Royals had their food prepared separately away from guests at big banquet events.
“However, with the Queen, we would prepare 150 plates and the Queen’s page would come in and pick one at random.
“That way, if you were to tamper with the food you would have to tamper with all of them.
“From our perspective, it also meant we had to get the same standard across every plate, not knowing which one the Queen would be eating.”
Table manners
You may be hosting outside, but the royal butler said it’s no excuse not to bring out your best cutlery and serveware.
“When it comes to cutlery and crockery, I always think you should use the best of what you have,” he told Spin Genie.
“These days, plastic is not acceptable. It’s best to go back to having china and cutlery out. You can always find second-hand cutlery and china if you don’t want to use your finest china, but why not impress your guests? Make sure you’ve got napkins – never serviettes.”
Eating outside can often lead to making a mess so one tip Grant has is to bring a spare outfit, just like the royal family do.
“If you spill some food down on you but it isn’t noticeable, leave it. If you look down, people are more likely going to notice. I always carry a spare shirt and chinos and a tie as a backup, just in case,” he continued.
“It’s always a good idea to have something you can change into. If you’re a member of the Royal family, you would always have a spare outfit.
“If you have food around your mouth, you probably won’t notice yourself. But you should always tell somebody if you see they have something around their mouths. If they have something in their teeth or a crumb around their mouths or chin, definitely let them know but do it discreetly.
“Don’t start wiping it away for them, you’re not a dentist – but let them know definitely.”
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