Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
My time cooking for the royals
KwaZulu-Natal to Kensington Palace
WHIPPING up a meal fit for a king is no problem for former royal chef Carolyn Robb.
Robb, who grew up in Pietermaritzburg and attended St Anne’s, was the personal chef to Prince Charles and Princess Diana and their two sons, Princes William and Harry.
She has just finished filming four episodes for the second series of TV hit show Royal Recipes, due to be broadcast on ITV Choice on Monday. Robb said her love of food and cooking was inspired by her mother, but training as a chef only became a serious career choice when she visited Switzerland, after studying French and German at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Pietermaritzburg.
“I had a gap year and worked in Le Coq coffee shop and Terrace Garden Restaurant in Pietermaritzburg and then went to university. At the time, my brother John was backpacking in Europe.
“In Switzerland he sent me a postcard saying how beautiful it was – he suggested I get a job there in the ski season and I did.
“After that I knew I definitely wanted to get a professional cookery qualification,” she said.
Completing a diploma in Cordon Bleu Cookery in the UK, Robb’s career with royalty started when she was employed as a chef to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at Kensington Palace.
Two years later, in 1989 she took up the position as personal chef to Prince Charles and Princess Diana and the two princes.
Robb said she made “little mouse cupcakes” the first time she cooked for the princes.
“When they were young “they both loved coming into the kitchen to bake cakes and cookies, it was great fun.
“My happiest memory is of accompanying the family to the Scilly Isles, off Cornwall, for a summer holiday. A week of picnics, bicycle rides and exploring the island.” Prince William’s groom cake was a chocolate biscuit cake which Robb’s mother used to make for her.
“I loved making it for the two young princes. William’s cake was made and gifted to him by McVitie’s, the company that makes the biscuits in the cake. It was similar to a ‘fridge cake’.”
Her speciality for Prince Charles was her soda bread: “It was a favourite and we always had a freshly baked loaf on hand for sandwiches and for toast to serve with the starter at dinner.
“It is very quick and easy to make and Prince Charles loved it with lots of fresh herbs in it.”
She also cooked for Prince Charles when he was in hospital after falling off his horse while playing polo and breaking his right arm. “One of the dishes I cooked was a poached egg on crushed new potatoes with fresh herbs and a parmesan sauce.
“He even took the time to write a note to me with his left hand telling me how much he enjoyed the dish,” she said.
Robb worked with CNN for William and Harry’s weddings: “I am delighted to see them both happily married and with wonderful wives.”
When it comes to some tips on how to serve a “right royal dish” at a dinner party, Robb said: “keep the menu simple, use locally grown seasonal fresh produce and use plenty of fresh herbs, they add wonderful colour, flavour and aroma to a dish”.
Her “must-have” ingredients are good quality cooking chocolate, a selection of oils (olive, nut, avocado, coconut), and parmigiano reggiano (parmesan).
Robb has written a cookbook, The Royal Touch: Simply Stunning Home Cooking from a Former Royal Chef, and is now working on another and a range of kitchen and tableware.