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King Charles’ secret passion leaves renowned chef in awe: ‘I was blown away’
Chef Francesco Mazzei recalls working for King Charles
Francesco Mazzei, who collaborated with Buckingham Palace for a special dinner at Highgrove earlier this year, has shared what surprised him about meeting King Charles.
“I had a chance to talk to him for more than 20 minutes. I was blown away by the knowledge of the King about cooking in general,” he said on ITV’s podcast, Talking Royals.
Chef Mazzei was tasked to prepare an “Italian-English mashup” for the King’s high profile guests, which included David and Victoria Beckham, Helen Mirren, and Donatella Versace.
He revealed on the podcast that some of the ingredients he needed to use while preparing the dinner was sourced straight from Charles’ impressive garden on the estate’s grounds.
“I was blown away. I mean, it looked, it felt, like an Italian garden. All the beautiful, fresh herbs,” he said.
Francesco Mazzei had further help from American-Italian actor Stanley Tucci while working for King Charles, with the soiree taking place at Highgrove House back in February.
