Tea, cereal, ketchup, chili sauce and gin: see the queen’s shopping list

Tea, cereal, ketchup, chili sauce and gin: see the queen’s shopping list

Twinings tea, Kellogg’s cereal, Heinz ketchup, Tabasco hot sauce and Tanqueray gin. It looks like a shopping list for the next trip to the supermarket, but this is a sample of how the British royal house stocked the palace pantry for Queen Elizabeth II.

All these brands received the seal of official suppliers for the monarch and proudly display the trust mark of the British royal house.

In all, 744 companies provide products and services to the British royal family and bear the seal of “Royal Warrant of Appointment” – something like the royal seal of appointment, in Portuguese.

It’s a tradition that started in the 15th century among companies that sell to royalty. For Elizabeth II, 620 suppliers ranged from gardening companies to medal and badge makers.

There were 18 different categories such as antiques and art, construction and maintenance of buildings or jewelers and watch makers. Many of them are small, traditional, specialized – and expensive – businesses that have worked for the royal family for generations.

The royal family’s cupboards and refrigerators, however, don’t just live off small businesses.

Among the companies with the royal seal, there are many well-known brands that fill the supermarket aisles. This is where royalty and subjects meet.

Among the 100 companies that supplied food and drink to the queen are well-known names in the British.

For breakfast, the royal household bought, for example, cereals from the Kellogg’s brand – owner of the cornflakes in Brazil – and Britvic juice – which makes Maguary here – and Wilkin & Sons jellies – which has the Tiptree brand.

For lunch, the royal table offered a seal to Heinz – which produces the ketchup of the same brand – and to the Tabasco pepper sauce, among others.

To accompany, perhaps a Schweppes tonic, since Coca-Cola is also an official supplier. A chocolate after lunch can be Cadbury – the most traditional British candy maker – or Swiss Nestlé.

When the clocks struck 5pm, tea was probably Twinings accompanied by the UK’s most traditional – and cheap – biscuit, McVitie’s Digestives. The package costs just over £1 in supermarkets there.

At night, when he entertained guests at the palaces, royal glasses and goblets might have Tanqueray or Gordon’s gin. Both bear the royal seal on the packaging.

In champagnes, the royal house is more diverse and 18 companies offer the drink to the Windsors. Among them, several French, such as Mumm, Moët & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot.

But if even with so many suppliers something was missing, there was no reason to panic. Who also has a royal seal is Waitrose, one of the largest British supermarkets. And one of the stores is a seven-minute walk from Buckingham Palace.

Source: CNN Brasil