As The Queen continues to mark her Platinum Jubilee year, the Royal Family is celebrating in a culinary way with the publication of the Platinum Jubilee Cookbook. The book has an extra royal touch as it includes a joint foreword by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
The book highlights the wide range of delicacies the royals have enjoyed during their tours across the world. In the foreword, the Prince and Duchess briefly mention The Queen as they write: “Seventy years ago, when The Queen came to the Throne, the culinary outlook in the United Kingdom was bleak: several foods were still rationed and the meagre choice of ingredients on offer posed a challenge to even the most creative cook.
“Meals from other parts of the world were almost unheard of. The only option for a takeaway was the ever-faithful fish and chips; and olive oil was sold in small bottles by chemists, for medical rather than culinary use. Today, our tastes have been transformed. More than ever before we welcome one another’s culinary heritage into our homes – and, for this, we are deeply grateful.”
The couple went on to note: “What has not changed is the profound, almost spiritual, significance of breaking bread with others, be they family, friends or strangers. A shared meal has always been a path to building relationships and resolving differences. While we all know this instinctively to be true in our daily lives, this book reveals that food is equally essential to our country’s diplomatic relations.”
As the foreword continues, the royals also give a small glimpse into life on a royal tour. Mentioning how food plays an important part, and it offers a chance to share British cuisine: “On all Royal Visits, food plays an important part, presenting opportunities to enjoy a taste of the host nation’s culinary heritage, while also offering a chance to share the best of British cuisine.”
In celebration of 70 years on the throne, 70 different British Embassies and High Commissions came together to provide recipes. Those recipes range from sausage rolls from the British High Commission Gaboronel to even whisky-laced bread and butter pudding from the Washington D.C. embassy. Alongside each recipe, readers and cooks will find stories of how food has been used in British diplomacy over the years.
All proceeds from sales of the book will go to The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) and the Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund (PWCF.)
