It’s not every day that you get a chance to cook and serve royalty. But on November 3rd 2006 we did. It was a great privilege to be part of the Queen's visit to Crawley, West Sussex.

Her Highness was planning a visit to West Sussex and a tour of Thomas Bennett Community College, when we were asked by the School & HBC Facilities Management to assist.

After several discreet meetings and discussions, we went along to the school and spent several sessions with the students teaching and coaching waiting skills and the proposed set-up and service of the royal lunch.

Together the students and a team from Dining By Design set out to transform a classroom into a dining room.

On the day of the visit our Service Staff and Chefs arrived at the school to prepare and cook a three course meal using the school canteen facilities and a classroom adjacent to the special designed dining area.

The students served the meal assisted by a team of our Service Staff & Event Managers whilst Thomas Bennett Head Cooks worked with the Dining By Design Chefs to produce the lunch.

We were all very honoured to be involved with the project and to be included in the formal line up. Some of us even got the opportunity of speaking personally to Her Royal Highness the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh during the occasion.