Published: Wednesday, 2nd July, 2008 10:20
Chef prepares feast for Queen
By Colin Hutton
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CHEF: Gordon Gillespie
A BANKIE chef cooking a banquet fit for a Queen when Her Royal Highness visits the town tomorrow (Thursday).
And senior sous-chef at the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Gordon Gillespie, is even looking to be “poached” by his royal visitor and perhaps win a move to cook at Buckingham Palace.
Preparations for the Queen’s visit reached fever pitch this week as organisers work around the clock to make sure everything is in place for the big day.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, are jetting in to officially open the West of Scotland Regional Heart and Lung Centre at the Golden Jubilee Hospital, before getting a tour of the Dalmuir facility.
Her Majesty will then attend a special lunch to mark the 60th anniversary of the NHS, which will be prepared by Gordon and his team at the adjoining Beardmore Hotel.
With more than 16 years experience in the business Gordon, 35, is not daunted by the task ahead, but admitted that it is a massive honour.
The Faifley man told the Post: “We found out about the Queen’s visit a while ago and were dying to tell people about it, but were not allowed — it was so difficult.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me because you have guys on the TV competing to cook for the Queen and here I am doing it outright as part of my job.
“It’s great for the whole team because it’s one of these things that we will probably never get to do again — unless they got to work at Buckingham Palace.
“I don’t really hold any nerves for the day because I’m just looking forward to enjoying it.
“Between myself and the chief chef, Iain Ramsay, we worked on the menu before sending them off to the palace for approval, and now we just can’t wait to get started.
“With it being a lunch menu, we had to make sure that we kept it as light as possible.”
“I hope that this is not the biggest service that I ever get to cook for because if I thought that then I would have nothing else to strive for.
“But maybe the Queen will poach me and try to get me to go and work in the palace.”
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