Darren McGrady

Ever wonder what it would be like to be English Royalty? Having been the personal chef for Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Princes William and Harry for fifteen years; Darren McGrady knows firsthand! While he was the royal chef he also cooked for Presidents Clinton, Ford, Bush, and Reagan, as well as many other world leaders and heads of state. He traveled with the Royal family to Windsor Castle, Balmoral Castle, aboard the royal yacht Britannia on trips around the world, and of course, the magnificent Buckingham palace. Over the past couple of years he has been featured on CNN’s Larry King live, CBS’s Early Show, and he was also featured on CNN’s coverage of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Royal wedding in 2011. He was interviewed by The Telegraph and offered advice for the next royal chef.

In 2007 Chef McGrady released his first cookbook, “Eating Royally”, which gives readers an inside look into the everyday lives of the Royals, from sharing his own personal memories to recipes of the Queen’s favorite dessert. 100% of his book’s profits go to Princess Diana’s charity. In 2011 he was featured in “People” magazine to predict the menu for the royal wedding and on the Oprah Winfrey Show in one of her final episodes on the day of the wedding.

Darren now works as a private chef in Dallas and teaches personal cooking classes, although he spends a majority of his time working for charities that are supported by the royal family, including chronic childhood illnesses and breast cancer foundations. He is currently a board member for the non-profit organization Pink Ribbons Crusade, which spreads awareness for breast cancer.  He has been booked by many major corporations for motivational speeches, PR campaigns, and cooking demonstrations of some of the royal family’s favorite dishes! Darren recently became the first private chef invited to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York and was featured on American Airlines on first and business class in-flight meals between Europe and the USA with a lightheartedly humorous and warm personality, Darren McGrady is sure to make any event a smashing success.