'She was a good basic cook.Roast chicken, scrambled eggs... all very English stuff'

Food critic Tom Parker Bowles describes the dishes his mother Queen Camilla made during his childhood and which meal still causes Buckingham Palace to grind to a halt

- ATHENA STAVROU

Tom Parker Bowles has lifted the lid on the cooking of his mother, Queen Camilla, and the meals they ate at home while he was growing up.

Describing Camilla as a “good, basic cook”, he said she perfected slow-cooked scrambled eggs (always on the Aga) and roast chicken – but steered clear of all spice and curries. Never following a recipe, she relied on “very, very simple food” while providing meals for Tom and his sister Laura at their home near Chippenham in Wiltshire.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent’s editor-in-chief, Geordie Greig, the renowned food writer discussed everything from his fondest childhood food memories to the one meal that causes Buckingham Palace to grind to a halt.

His latest cookbook, Cooking and the Crown, follows the history of food within the royal family – from the grand banquets of Queen Victoria to the more thoughtful approach adopted by modern-day monarchs. His mother’s best recipes, including her simple guide to porridge and chicken broth, are included, alongside some of the King’s favourite dishes.

Recalling a happy home which relied on local and seasonal food until Sainsbury’s arrived in 1980, leading him to Monster Munch crisps and Ice Magic chocolate sauce, he explained how his mother always favoured plain English food.