The food writer talks high tea with the King and Queen and how he's reassessing what he eats.
People assume we had fleets of kitchen staff when I was growing up, but my mother made all our meals. She was a great cook then and still is. Nothing fancy, just hearty food: scrambled eggs, fresh mince from the local butcher, fruit and veg from the garden.
My children (Lola, 17, and Freddie, 14) call my mum ‘Gaga’ and the King ‘Uppa’. My daughter’s not bad in the kitchen, but she doesn’t really make recipes with Gaga because Mum’s not that kind of cook – her approach has always been instinct and feel; no recipe book, no apron, no fuss.
If I ask her how she gets her roast chicken to taste so good, she’ll say, "Well, you get a chicken and put it in the oven".
What temperature? "Nice and hot".
How long? "Till it’s done".
King Charles is a food hero. This is not me being oily, I’m simply stating the facts. Ask him about artisan British cheeses or the number of apple varieties in the orchard at Highgrove and he knows his stuff.
Back in the 70s and 80s, he was talking about farming methods and techniques, about seasonal ingredients, going organic, and everyone thought it was a bit woo-woo.
Now, it’s mainstream thinking. He was ahead of his time.
Mum’s a big fan of Clarkson’s Farm, which is bringing British farming back into the spotlight.
It’s a tough, 24-hour, thankless job, that’s often profitless. How bizarre it’s taken someone like Jeremy Clarkson to point out things must change.
Being a food critic, I could eat out for every meal, every day, but I’m 50 this month and trying to look after myself. Not so many long lunches, a few booze-free days each week, swearing and sweating through sessions at the gym.
Earlier this year, I saw my doctor about Ozempic. He told me to go away and just "Drink less, eat healthier food and go for a walk".
Yes, I eat meat, but I go easy on the red meat – as does my mother. And the King, after what he’s been through recently, is looking again at what – and when – he eats.
I’m no nutritionist, but I know that food is part of a body’s ‘medicine’. It knows when we’re having the right stuff.
I was wary of writing about my connection to the Royal Family. But my new book, Cooking & The Crown, features my mother’s recipes, some from the King’s chef, the late Queen’s favourite curry and the chocolate bavarois served at one of Queen Victoria’s garden parties.
I hope people don’t think I’m being a nepo-middle-aged-bloke, but anyone interested in food – and I am a food geek – is bound to be interested in royal food.
It did help I could speak to the King’s chef, Mark Flanagan, and visit the kitchens at Buckingham Palace.
The royal menu has changed drastically in the years since Queen Victoria. Then, there might have been ten dishes for breakfast and lunch,14 at dinner, plus truffles and cream.
The late Queen kept things very simple but there is one meal that has survived since Queen Victoria’s day: high tea at 5pm.
I’ve always enjoyed high tea with my mother and the King at Birkhall – cakes, crumpets and the legendary Birkhall scones.
I keep getting asked what royal Christmases are like, but I’ve not actually been to one. I’ve talked to my mother about it and, from what I gather, it’s fairly traditional: a decent-sized Norfolk turkey with all the trimmings, mince pies and Christmas pud.
Ever since I got divorced eight years ago, I’ve spent Christmas Day with my ex-wife (Sara) – we still get on well – and family.
This year, for the first time, I’m not sure where I’ll be. I might be with my mother and the King or I might be preparing the veg before having a pint in my local. If I’m in charge of dinner, I like to push the boat out.
Turkey’s great, but what about a nice beef joint… or stuffed boar’s head?
Cooking and the Crown: Royal recipes from Queen Victoria to King Charles III byTom Parker Bowles (Aster, £30)
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