Food - Drink
Former Royal Chef Darren McGrady's Tribute To Queen Elizabeth
By LISA CURRAN MATTE
Queen Elizabeth II's former personal chef Darren McGrady paid tribute to the monarch's passing in a September 9 Instagram post. McGrady posted a recent photo of the queen, captioned, “RIP Your Majesty. Thank you for letting me cook for you for 11 years!”
A few hours before posting his tribute, McGrady spoke with CNN, saying, “You know, it’s an incredibly sad day. I’m feeling those sort of pains in my stomach, as if I lost a loved one, and I think the whole nation feels the same, and everyone around the world.” McGrady worked for the queen from 1982 to 1993.
The former royal chef described the first time he spoke with the queen after several years of working at Buckingham Palace. “She came into the kitchen and said, ‘Thank you for a lovely weekend.’ She had this way of making you feel like you were the only person in the world at that moment,” McGrady said.
McGrady shared more fond memories of the queen, including her love of farm-fresh ingredients: “She was never happier than when she was actually eating something from her own garden.” It was even Elizabeth herself who landed McGrady his job interview and starting position, after he wrote a letter to her.