“When Prince William and Prince Harry were very young, I made it for them using the same recipe... my mother used to make this when I was a child, and it was a great favourite of mine. When Prince William and Prince Harry were very young, I made it for them using the same recipe. It was a firm favourite in the royal nursery; so much so that, many years later, Prince William chose to have chocolate biscuit cake at his wedding for the Groom’s cake.”
So reads the note Carolyn Robb wrote describing the recipe for Chocolate Biscuit Cake in her book The Royal Touch: Simply Stunning Home From A Royal Chef.
One always wondered what could be the fare served at the Balmoral Castle or Buckingham Palace and all you’d need to do is take a peek into this royal chef’s book.
“My food is always simple, but with great attention paid to flavours, colours and presentation,” Robb told tabloid! about her style of cooking. “I take care in the preparation of food and the provenance of the ingredients that I use is very important to me. I cook with whatever is in season and use locally grown produce wherever possible. I do not favour elaborate, extravagant or complicated food — I like to think of mine as the very finest of ‘home cooking’”.
Yet, she agrees that “there is a need to be creative when you are cooking for the same people day in and day out”.
“Like all of us, [they] had their own favourite foods and the challenge was in finding new ways to present old favourites. Some of the other challenges that presented themselves were associated with constantly moving about to different houses [and] different kitchens and trying to ensure that you always had the utensils and ingredients that you needed with you,” said Robb, a mother of two young girls.
Many of these recipes have been carried forward by Robb from her mother, who she says was her inspiration. Starting early — that is as soon as she could hold a large spoon and was able to read enough to understand a recipe — she’d help her mother in the kitchen. And as she grew in South Africa, she decided to turn this passion into profession.
Having spent working a winter in the kitchen of a Swiss ski resort, she decided to get a diploma in Cordon Bleu Cookery from the Tante Marie School of Cookery in Surrey. Passing with distinction, she had no trouble finding work as chef to the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester at the Kensington Palace. But fate had other plans. Two years later, at an event at Kensington Palace, the 23-year-old’s cooking bowled over none other than the Prince of Wales and his wife.
The rest, as they say, is history. For 11 years Robb became a part of the royal kitchen, cooking for Prince Charles, the late Princess Diana and their two young boys, William and Harry.
Her fondness for the royals is pretty evident in the book where in each recipe comes with a loving note, describing simple fare such as a roasted eggplant laden with peppers and parmesan, tarts and chutneys.
“As employers Prince Charles and Princess Diana couldn’t have been better. They were always kind, caring and concerned about all those who worked for them,” she said. “Prince Charles is definitely a foodie — he loves his food but, as a great champion of the organic movement, he is also very passionate about food production and farming methods. Princess Diana was less of a foodie, although she was a very competent cook herself”.
Of the Grand Dame of the British Monarchy, who celebrates her birthday on April 21, Robb says she’s “an incredible lady”.
“My respect for Her Majesty [Queen Elizabeth II] and all that she does is enormous. I have been very privileged to meet and speak to Her Majesty on a variety of occasions; at Windsor Castle, at Balmoral castle in Scotland, at Prince William’s confirmation service, at the Christmas dance at Buckingham Palace and at garden parties at Buckingham Palace”.
After retiring from the royal kitchen, Robb moved to Dubai to work at a culinary establishment called the Chef’s Larder. For 15 months, Robb established delis around town, conducted training programmes at the seven-star Burj Al Arab and Al Maha Desert Resort, among others. She then moved to become the food editor of TimeOut Dubai. She remembers it as being an “exciting time” on the culinary scene in UAE.
“So many wonderful restaurants were emerging and the standard of the food on offer sky-rocketed. Since then it has just got better and better. It is heartening to see that more and more chefs are taking care over the provenance of the ingredients that they use and that traceability and sustainability are now a very important criteria in selecting produce. It is a while since I have been in the UAE but I can’t wait to get back. I shall have to come on an extended visit if I am to get to all the restaurants that I’d like to try,” said Robb.
In 2002, Robb returned to the UK to establish her catering and event management company Calla-Bash, that catered to a high profile client base and provided consultancy in product development to small organic food businesses, hotels and restaurants.
Now she’s partner in The Royal Touch, a boutique culinary/lifestyle brand that has Royal Touch Gourmet Cafes, Royal Touch Culinary Tours, Royal Touch Hotel & Private Events, and Royal Touch Licensing & Merchandising on a worldwide basis under its umbrella. It is in the process of introducing the Royal Touch Café-Bakery which will offer many British-made products — from cashmere throws from Scotland, to chinaware, kitchenware to exclusive jams, honeys, teas and scone mix.
“I have created The Royal Touch in conjunction with my business partner William Schwartz, who is based in Los Angeles. The brand showcases the infectious British spirit that is loved by so many, with added touches of whimsicality, and of course royalty. I enjoy the process of creating, licensing and promoting beautiful lifestyle and kitchen products which reflect my diverse experience both in and out of the kitchen.
“I completed my first book last summer and the next one is rapidly formulating itself in my mind. With the ever increasing popularity of Britain’s royal family and the associated global media coverage, as well as so many premium British brands enjoying global success, it seems that the timing is good for the emergence of The Royal Touch. We are exploring, creating a very British boutique retail outlet.”
When it comes to the culinary field, Robb agrees we still see it dominated by men despite the fact women chefs are making their mark.
Who would know it better than her? Apart from being a world class gourmet chef and baker, Robb, a single mother of two little girls, is an entrepreneur, a triathlete, a certified fitness instructor, a writer, food critic and a radio host.
“Working in a kitchen is tough and can be very physically demanding, in addition to the hours being very long. I think that it will always be a male-dominated field. It does not bother me that this is the case — so long as there continue to be women chefs who have the skill and stamina to rise to the very top. I do think that female chefs generally have a more deft touch in the kitchen and tend to produce food that is more homely.”
Her most important things in the kitchen
“I need my kitchen to be clean, tidy and well organised at all times. I need sharp knives and good wooden chopping boards. Having good lighting is essential – preferably plenty of natural light. My kitchen has a long window and the windowsill provides the perfect place for all my pots of fresh herbs to flourish," Robb said.
"I like to buy fresh produce in small batches so that it is at its best when it is used – and hasn’t been lingering in the refrigerator getting limp. Some of the staple ingredients which I love to have in the kitchen are an interesting selection of oils and vinegars, Parmigianio Reggiano cheese on the block, good quality couverture chocolate, farm butter and bananas to eat when I’m too busy to stop for a proper meal,” she said.
