![\"King](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_King-Charles-III-at-Fortnum-Mason.jpg\")
King Charles’ mind-blowing conversation with chef has been revealed(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\nThe Italian chef collaborated with Stanley Tucci to cater for King Charles and Queen Camilla, as well as the Beckhams, Helen Mirren and other famous celebrities<\/p>\n
07:00, 10 Dec 2025Updated 07:47, 10 Dec 2025<\/p>\n
King Charles’ mind-blowing conversation with chef has been revealed(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
A chef who was hired by King Charles<\/a> for a huge royal event says he was \u201cblown away\u201d by one conversation with the monarch.<\/p>\n Francesco Mazzei worked alongside beloved actor Stanley Tucci to create the menu for an exclusive black-tie banquet, held at the King\u2019s private residence at Highgrove<\/a>. Guests included the Beckhams<\/a>, Dame Helen Mirren, and Donatella Versace.<\/p>\n In a new interview, Francesco revealed the conversation with Charles which left him amazed. Speaking to ITV\u2019s<\/a> Talking Royals podcast, the chef said he \u201cwas blown away\u201d by the King\u2019s \u201chuge knowledge\u201d about the food on offer.<\/p>\n The chef was full of praise for the King, who knew \u201ceverything\u201d about the food, saying: \u201cHe knew about the aging of Culatello, he knew about the aging of parmigiano reggiano.\u201d<\/p>\n Culatello is a prized Italian cured meat, the so-called \u201cKing of Hams,\u201d which is specially produced in Parma. Parmigiano reggiano is a similar speciality food, a hard cheese originating in the Emilia-Romagna region.<\/p>\n Francesco continued: \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Speculating that the King\u2019s knowledge might not be restricted to food, Francesco added that he\u2019s sure the King \u201cknows the same about architecture, about art\u201d. The King is certainly no stranger to voicing his opinions on Britain\u2019s architectural landscape.<\/p>\n Charles and Camilla requested an \u201cItalian-English mashup\u201d for the menu, specifically asking for the Italian dishes to be cooked with 100% British produce.<\/p>\n Preparation took over a year, as Francesco scoured the British Isles in search of ingredients fit for the King. In the end, he sourced Scottish crab, tomatoes from the Isle of Wight, and Welsh garlic.<\/p>\n Other ingredients came from a bit closer to home. The herbs used in Francesco\u2019s herb ravioli were sourced from the King\u2019s very own kitchen garden at Highgrove. Despite the February chill, Francesco was impressed with the herbs grown.<\/p>\n \u201cI was blown away,\u201d he told the podcast<\/a>. \u201cI mean, it looked, it felt, like an Italian garden. All the beautiful, fresh herbs.\u201d<\/p>\n Across the extensive menu Francesco created, only the extra virgin olive oil could not be sourced from the UK. \u201cMaybe it will come one day!\u201d the chef joked.<\/p>\n Having previously worked at Mayfair\u2019s Dorchester Hotel, the Calabrian chef is clearly upbeat about Britain\u2019s culinary possibilities. He praised its \u201cbeautiful produce\u201d and proclaimed that \u201cYou can basically do every cuisine in the UK if you know where the produce comes from\u201d.<\/p>\n The private meal was almost in jeopardy. The palace first contacted Francesco over two years ago, but the King\u2019s shock cancer diagnosis<\/a> threatened the event. A year later, the Palace reached out once more to push ahead with the banquet.<\/p>\n This was, according to Francesco, because of the King\u2019s appreciation for \u201cthe slow food movement\u201d. Charles has long been famous for prioritising seasonal, organic, and locally sourced produce.<\/p>\n![\"King](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_The-King-And-Queen-Attend-A-UK-Italy-Dinner-To-Celebrate-The-Slow-Food-And-Slow-Fashion-Movement.j.jpeg\")
The star-studded banquet was attended by the likes of David and Victoria Beckham(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Francesco](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_Francesco_-_Image_002_1.jpg\")
Chef Francesco cooks at London’s Sartoria restaurant(Image: Supplied )<\/p>\n