Darren McGrady, who was a royal chef for 15 years and cooked for the late Queen Elizabeth II as well as a number of US Presidents, has claimed we should stop using mayo in tuna sandwiches
Brits with a love for tuna sandwiches have been advised to ditch the mayonnaise and opt for two flavour-enhancing ingredients in its place. This culinary tip comes from Darren McGrady, a former royal chef who served the likes of the late Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry over an impressive 15-year tenure.
With experience cooking for five US Presidents, it’s safe to assume that Darren has his fair share of sandwich-making expertise. However, he suggests that we’ve been getting the lunchtime staple wrong.
In a revelation that might surprise some, the chef proposes a rather contentious change to the traditional tuna and mayonnaise sandwich – eliminating the mayo entirely. According to Darren, mayonnaise “really takes away” from the taste of the tuna.
Instead, he recommends following King Charles’ example and drawing inspiration from the increasingly popular Mediterranean diet.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Darren said: “I think the mayo just really takes away from the flavour of the tuna. We should go back to what King Charles does with the Mediterranean diet.”
He then revealed two ingredients that could elevate the beloved sandwich: “You just need a little olive oil and a splash of vinegar, and then some seasoning. That would really enhance the sandwich.”
Swapping out mayonnaise, high in fat and calories, for olive oil has obvious health benefits. Olive oil is a staple of what many consider to be the world’s healthiest diet – the Mediterranean Diet– and is proven to improve heart health and reduce inflammation.
Tuna sandwiches are also a hit stateside. In fact, the tuna salad sandwich is a top lunchtime pick in the US. The National Fisheries Institute reports that Americans consume an astonishing one billion pounds of tuna annually.
Intriguingly, over half of this (52%) ends up in tuna salad sandwiches. On British shores, it was reported in 2016 that around 210 million tuna sandwiches are sold each year.
King Charles is known to follow a predominantly plant-based diet and typically skips lunch altogether. In 2018, Clarence House released 70 facts to mark the then-Prince Charles’ 70th birthday, with the 20th fact clearly stating: “The Prince does not eat lunch.”
Gordon Rayner, former royal correspondent at The Telegraph, has mentioned that the King considers lunch a “luxury” that interferes with his busy agenda.
However, when it comes to lighter fare, the King seems to prefer something more unconventional than a classic tuna mayo sandwich. In 2020, Clarence House disclosed his preferred brunch selection.
It seems that Charles is a fan of a delicacy known as “Cheesy Baked Eggs.” Clarence House shared a picture of them on Instagram, accompanied by a caption that revealed that they were one of the King’s “favourite recipes.”
The caption read: “The Prince has also shared one of his favourite recipes, Cheesy Baked Eggs, which can be made by using any number of our great British cheeses.”
Darren spoke to Express.co.uk via Heart Bingo.