The Queen, Eternity and 170 for Dinner

Oh my, I’ve been away from the blog for what seems like an eternity. But eternity is relative and I’d like to account for my absence, in part (because it was a long one), by telling you that I was visiting the Queen. Well, almost (I’m sure if I had given her fair warning I would have been invited for Tea).

“Eternity? The Queen?“ you ask? Be nice! It most probably will be an eternity before I’m invited to tea, but I did visit the Queen’s kitchen at Windsor Castle which has been in constant use for just about an eternity. Really. Its thought that the main kitchen (the queen does have a more manageable kitchen in her private apartments), has been in constant use for 750 years certainly, but possibly even upwards of 900 years. Our guide (this was a tour after all and no photography allowed… sadly) stated that it’s thought that the kitchen at Windsor is quite likely the world’s oldest and longest always-in-use kitchen. The kitchen itself dates from the 13^th Century. Windsor was originally built by William the Conqueror in the decade after the Norman conquest of 1066, and he must have had a place to cook.

So apart from eternity, what’s so cool about this massive kitchen? First of all, it’s spotless. The copper pans that rest on a shelf traveling the perimeter are the only decoration (although they were at one time used at various royal residences). The beautiful vaulted ceiling, roasting spits at each end and the vintage gas stoves don’t count as decorative. They are useful. Now don’t quote me here, but I remember the guide telling us (I was too in awe to take notes) that there are about 120 formal dinners a year, the chefs bring their own equipment (pots, knives etc), they can formally seat just over 170 guests (but actually cook for many more because the entourage and staff get hungry too), the refrigerator is the size of a small Manhattan apartment and there is no freezer. Blimey! No, I’m serious. With the exception of fish, all the provisions are sourced from the Queen’s estates and are very fresh. A foodies dream come true.

I have a few more entries planned from this trip so you don’t have to say “ ta ta for now” to the Queen just yet. If you are still curious about the kitchen, I came across this funny (as in funny-odd) site featuring old books (which is where I got the line illustration). They have something there about the kitchen at Windsor. It’s called Chest of Books and the link is embedded for your entertainment. Unfortunately, there are more than a few ads at the top of this site, but scroll down and check out not only the Windsor part, but also the link to “The Illustrated London Cookery Book” which dates merely to the 1800’s.

Eternity? The Queen? Think I’ll go make myself a cupa (British for ‘a cup of tea’) and imagine what it’s like to entertain 170 guests.