Food fit for a queen

Published on Friday 31 May 2002 01:00

ROYALISTS or not, this weekend the nation will raise a gluttonous salute to party food. Crisps, fairy cakes and sausage rolls may not be of traditional royal calibre, but as the last bowls of jelly and ice-cream slip away, and we restock our shelves with the usual weekly supplies, it appears that on closer inspection, Her Majesty’s daily diet may not be so far removed from our own.

For while the Queen is unlikely to be found loading her trolley with chips in the frozen foods section at Tesco’s, that’s not to say she doesn’t enjoy pre-packaged branded goodies along with the rest of the nation.

A quick glance at Her Majesty’s Royal Warrant holders (she currently has 84 food manufacturers and suppliers) confirms that, although local Aberdeenshire businesses fare well by tradition, multinational household names, from Unilever to DairyCrest, are also high up the list.

Breakfast at Buckingham is bound to be an elaborate affair whatever the day of the week, but British staples such as Weetabix and Kellogg’s Cornflakes will be guaranteed their place on the royal sideboard, as will a freshly brewed pot of Twinings tea. A side order of toast, well-buttered with a low-fat spread (Flora and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter are Royal Warrant holders) and topped with a spoonful of Centura Marmalade or Kirkness & Gorie Honey, should set Her Majesty up for the day.

In the event of a royal hangover at Balmoral, the Queen might well be partial to a fry-up as supplied by her tradesman from nearby Ballater; haggis, black and white pudding and 20 varieties of sausage from HM Sheridan, or kippers, smoked salmon and Balmoral fillet from fish merchants John Ross Jr (Aberdeen) Ltd.

Depending on her appetite after such a hearty breakfast, a glass of Robinson’s orange squash and a couple of McVities biscuits should suffice for the Queen’s elevenses. And should she remain at Balmoral and find herself alone for luncheon, she may be quite content to tuck into a can of Baxters or Campbell’s soup, along with a few slices of Ryvita, thinly spread with Marmite, or beans-on-toast (Heinz) and a packet of plain Hula Hoops, washed down with a bottle of Lucozade or can of Coca-Cola.

Afternoon tea, still a daily ritual in the royal household, is likely to consist of fresh Aberdeen rolls and Balmoral bread from Chalmers Bakery in Ballater, Walkers shortbread and a slice of Dundee cake, all accompanied, of course, with a cup of Darjeeling.

For a pre-dinner tipple, the Queen may opt for a Tanqueray and tonic (Schweppes), or a small glass of Domecq sherry - the Duke of Edinburgh might join her at this point with a pint of Carlsberg or Tetley’s.

A delivery from Fortnum & Mason is likely to make up most of the ingredients on the dinner menu (Harrods was removed from the list of Royal Warrants when relations disintegrated following the death of Diana), although Her Majesty might call upon James Baxter & Son Ltd, purveyors of potted shrimps, for a royal starter, together with a fine bottle of Berry Bros & Rudd’s White Burgundy.