The Queen, a creature of habit, always had a specific sandwich she enjoyed with her afternoon tea, as revealed by a former royal chef. Despite her extensive travels and access to skilled private chefs, Queen Elizabeth II remained loyal to her childhood favorite sandwich. She never missed her afternoon tea, a tradition she upheld no matter where she found herself in the world.
In a YouTube video celebrating the return of garden parties at Buckingham Palace, Darren McGrady, a former Royal chef, spilled the beans on the Queen’s preferred sandwich. He disclosed that Her Majesty had a soft spot for jam pennies, a simple concoction of bread, jam, and a touch of butter, usually made with strawberry jam sourced from the gardens of Balmoral Castle. McGrady shared, “The Queen was served jam pennies in the nursery as a little girl and has been enjoying them for afternoon tea ever since.” It seems even royalty can’t resist the comfort of a childhood treat.
Not really sure why this matters, but the late monarch also had a penchant for a classic tuna mayonnaise sandwich, served with a generous layer of butter, thin cucumber slices, and a sprinkle of pepper. And let’s not forget about the scones – a must-have for the Queen’s afternoon tea. She followed the traditional Cornish method of spreading jam first and then adding a dollop of cream. McGrady reminisced about preparing scones for the Queen, even at five in the morning, because for her, it was always tea time. It’s fascinating to see how important afternoon tea was to Her Majesty, with a spread that included sandwiches, pastries, and of course, a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea.
