Former chef to the Queen, Les Brooks, is just back from an amazing week on the royal yacht Britannia where he stood in for the Queen during a royal barge rehearsal for the Jubilee Pageant on the Thames.
'I even did the royal wave which had everyone laughing,' said Les, 56, who served as a Royal Navy chef on the royal yacht Britannia from 1974-85.
Last week he was filmed and interviewed by the BBC for a programme to be broadcast as part of the three-hour royal jubilee coverage of the Thames flotilla on Sunday, June 3.
'They asked me what sort of food the Queen likes and how I got on with members of the royal family,' said Les who cooked for royalty, American presidents and celebrities during his years on Britannia.
For the past four years Les has gone back to the royal yacht (decommissioned in 1997, now in Leith harbour, Edinburgh) among 100 volunteer former workers on the vessel, including stokers, electricians, officers, who spend a week every year 'sprucing up'.
Les' job is to work in Britannia's galley with past and current Royal chefs feeding the volunteers, starting by singing the sailors' hymn at 8am, and ending with navy tot time (rum) at 4.30pm.
Their recent week, May 13 to 18, ended with a red carpet champagne dinner hosted by Admiral Rankin, a former Britannia rear admiral.
Former stokers and mechanics had spent six months renovating Britannia's royal barge and its two escort barges. All have now been transported to London to take part in the Thames flotilla, and the Queen will travel on the royal barge.
Les was asked to stand in for the Queen during an hour's practice run on the royal barge and now looks forward to watching himself on TV on the day and seeing the Queen doing the real thing.
During his time as chef on Britannia Les was on two world cruises, separate tours of the West Indies and South America, the royal family's annual Scottish Islands holiday – when, Les said, Prince Phillip took over beach barbecues – and taking the Queen Mother round the Channel Islands.
Every two years Les cooked at the formal heads of Commonwealth dinner on the royal yacht, and he has also cooked for US presidents including Bush and Nixon, and celebrities such as Paul McCartney and Hollywood stars.
He has cooked for every member of the royal family including William and Harry as children and says all of them are good, non-fussy eaters.
Les recalls the Queen avoids garlic when she's got to meet people; is fond of fish and seafood; her favourite puddings include treacle tart and bombe crème de menthe.
Les added that for her buffets the Queen Mother always insisted on burnt chipolatas.
On the day he left the royal yacht Britannia, Les had a private audience with the Queen who presented him with gold cufflinks.
As well as on the royal yacht, Les has cooked at Buckingham Palace, Balmoral and Windsor, and his son, Michael, is now senior under-butler at Buckingham Palace.
Les, helped by his wife Christine, is now chef to the Plym Yacht Club in Oreston.
The club is hosting a two day festive programme of celebrations for the village on the quay tomorrow and Sunday.
On Saturday evening Les will create a very special diamond jubilee buffet.
For more details about the buffet email: [email protected]">[email protected]
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