Have you ever eaten a meal and thought it was fit for a queen? Turns out, there are rules that define whether or not it is. After Buckingham Palace posted a job opening for a Demi Chef de Partie, it got us wondering… What exactly does it take to be the queen’s chef? The listing on the website states that the role is all about “learning new techniques to deliver the oldest traditions.” If that sounds intimidating, you’re not wrong. This isn’t any ordinary Demi Chef de Partie role — from catering large-scale events to standing at the helm of the royal’s everyday dining experience, we’re not sure we could handle the heat.
With this in mind, we’re outlining what it takes to cook for the royal family, along with all the perks (and downsides) that come with the role.
The Salary Isn’t Great
If you thought that working for the queen meant big dollars, you’d be wrong.
Chefs at Buckingham Palace take home around £20,604.52, which converts to just over $27,000 per year. The Independent reported that this is slightly below average for a chef. That isn’t exactly a salary fit for a royal, but there are other perks, including the title, of course, that may make the role completely worth it.
Benefits Are Aplenty
Since the salary isn’t great, the role does make up for it with plenty of other advantages.
Hold your horses because the benefits are a lot better than the wage. From 33 days of holiday, a 15% employer contribution pension scheme, all meals provided, training and development, and a range of recreational facilities, things don’t look too shabby. Being the queen’s chef is a live-in role, so it makes total sense why all the meals are on the house.
They Have A Buckingham Palace Postcode
The royal chef gets to live in the royal quarters, but this is also why the salary is so low.
Turns out that the salary is as low as it is because it’s been adjusted for live-in accommodations — but living in one of the swankiest pads in the world isn’t a bad trade-off. According to Town and Country Mag, chefs either get to live in Buckingham Palace or nearby on royal property.
Experienced Cooks Only
All royal chefs are leaders in their field.
Inexperienced chefs need not apply. The Royal Household website states: “You’ll have some experience, possibly within a premier kitchen or volume catering,” adding “however, this isn’t essential. We’re more interested in your ability and enthusiasm to deliver across all four sections of the kitchen.” All four sections? No doubt this chef also needs to be a multitasking whiz!
The Pressure Of Important Events
Every important moment comes down to these culinary experts.
The royal chef has to be able to keep their cool, since they’ll be feeding the most important dignitaries, officials, and politicians. The Royal Household website adds: “As you’d expect, standards are exceptionally high here, and every day is busy, so you’ll need to be an ambitious and qualified chef.” Chefs prepare both “classical and contemporary menus” for events at the palace, which includes receptions, state dinners, and staff lunches — and this also means weddings.
Former Royal Chefs Have Gone On To Have Illustrious Careers
Darren McGrady has built an entire career based on his experience at Buckingham Palace.
Chef Darren McGrady was the royal chef between 1982 to 1997. According to his website, he cooked for Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Princes William and Harry for fifteen years, and has cooked for Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. He’s built an entire career out from this, including publishing books like The Royal Chef at Home and Eating Royally.
McGrady Had Intimate Knowledge Of Everyone’s Favorite Foods
From the queen’s cravings to her favorite breakfast cereals.
“The queen’s a chocoholic,” he told Food Network. “[She] loves anything chocolate on the menu. When I was there, the queen had Special K for breakfast every morning.” He also divulged the princes’ breakfast preferences. “William and Harry, when I would cook for them, they would have a whole selection of the Kellogg’s cereals on the sideboard. So they’d go through different ones. Sometimes it was Rice Krispies, sometimes it was the Corn Flakes. The Frosted Flakes were the really popular one. I used to like those, too.”
And Their Pre-Breakfast Rituals
Three meals a day? Never heard of it.
Before the queen digs into her bowl of Special K, she likes to start her day with a pot of Earl Gray tea and a plate of delicious biscuits. Sounds good to us! Then after a nice relaxing bath, she’s ready for breakfast by 8:30 a.m., and she’s very particular about how she likes that too. Her Special K is always waiting for her in an airtight Tupperware container and she serves herself, pairing the cereal with fresh fruit.
The Queen Likes To Change Things Up Sometimes
And this chef needs to know that variety is the spice of life.
Cereal and fruit is the perfect balanced breakfast, but even the queen craves something a little more on the odd occasion. As the royal chef, you can be expected to occasionally whip up a hot breakfast. With a preference of brown eggs over white, the queen prefers them scrambled, served with smoked salmon, and truffles — yum!
McGrady Also Gave Great Insight Into What Life As The Royal Chef Is Life
He revealed what it was like having breakfast in the mornings with the other chefs.
And It Turns Out That The Royals Love Eating Lobster
This is probably the least surprising tidbit about the royals, but it’s juicy nonetheless.
“When the queen celebrated her platinum wedding anniversary with the Duke of Edinburgh, one of the favorite dishes was an Eggs Drumkilbo, which is lobster,” McGrady told Food Network. “When I was at Buckingham Palace and catered the royal wedding for Prince Andrew, they had Eggs Drumkilbo on the menu. So, they use lots of lobster. We eat lots of shellfish.”
You. Must. Wash. Everything.
Even royal chefs have had their share of disasters
The Daily Mail’s weekend magazine reported that the queen was served a salad with an uninvited creepy crawly. After digging into her salad, she found an actual slug in her meal and she threw a royal fit. According to Delish, the Queen didn’t make a scene, but did leave a “terse reproach” about the salad for the chef, writing, “I found this in the salad – could you eat it?”
Every Royal Chef Must Know The Basic Rules
Like anyone else, the Queen has a list of foods that are a big no-no.
One hard and fast rule is that the Queen does not eat pizza. She also likes to make sure no one has bad breath when meeting with others, so every chef needs to ditch seafood and onions before an event. And McGrady once told People, “The queen is not a foodie.” He added, “She eats to live, unlike Prince Philip, who loves to eat and would stand and talk food all day.”
So there you have it — the queen’s chef has to make a lot of lobster, have some chocolate on hand, and live close by. It could be a total game-changer for the chef’s career.
Do you think you have what it takes?
