Back on the Queen’s Yacht after 20 years

The last time I cooked on the Royal Yacht Britannia was in 1992. It was just a short paddle across the English Channel for Her Majesty the Queen to pay a State Visit to President Mitterand of France and at the time I didn’t realize it would be my last yacht trip. (Shortly afterwards I moved across to Kensington Palace to cook for Princess Diana, William and Harry)

I was thrilled therefore when the producers of cult UK TV food show Hairy Bikers contacted my agent saying they were doing a show on the history of British food and wanted to do one of the shows about the Royal Family and had secured HMY Britannia to film on. And that they wanted me to cook in the royal galley. I jumped at the chance.

It’s been over 20 years since I was rattling pans on Britannia. I spent eleven years on the royal yacht and would fly out with the Queen on a Foreign State Visit and cook for the royal family and their guests on board.

The highlight of my time on Britannia was Her Majesty’s trip to the USA in 1991, we flew in to Tampa, joined Britannia and then sailed to Miami where the Queen was hosting a banquet for Presidents’ Reagan and Ford.

I have to admit to getting goosebumps being back in the royal galley in my chef whites again. I have eleven years of happy memories onboard. Can’t wait to go back again next summer on my culinary trip and have dinner onboard in the royal dining room.