The Late Queen's Beloved Jam Pennies
Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, had access to the world's most exquisite delicacies, yet her favourite treat remained a humble and quintessentially British snack: jam pennies. This simple sandwich of bread, butter, and jam was a daily indulgence she savoured for 90 years, from childhood until her passing.
Throughout her seven-decade reign, the Queen completed over 200 visits to Commonwealth nations, sampling countless exotic dishes at formal dinners. However, when it came to personal taste, she consistently chose a cherished English classic that millions of Britons also love.
Royal Chef Reveals the Tradition
Darren McGrady, who served as a chef to the Royal Family for 15 years, preparing meals for all senior members, disclosed the late monarch's favourite afternoon treat in a YouTube video. He discussed the annual summer garden parties, noting: "With 6,000 people at each garden party, that's a lot of food, and fortunately, the royal chefs only have to cater for the royal tea tent."
He added: "The Queen was served jam pennies in the nursery as a little girl; she's had them for afternoon tea ever since. Simple, just bread and jam with a little butter - usually strawberry jam. We'd make the jam at Balmoral Castle with the gorgeous Scottish strawberries from the gardens."
McGrady explained that the sandwiches were always cut into circular shapes, never triangles or squares, due to an age-old superstition that pointed food would bring misfortune upon the monarchy. A circular cutter was used to stamp out round portions from the centre of the bread, giving them the name "pennies" after the size of the old English penny.
Another Favourite: Tuna Mayo Sandwich
According to Owen Hodgson, another former royal chef, the Queen also had a great fondness for tuna mayonnaise sandwiches. He told The Telegraph that these were usually generously buttered and served with thin slices of cucumber and a sprinkle of pepper.
Jam Pennies Recipe
Ingredients
- Sliced bread, such as white, multi-grain, or wholemeal
- Softened unsalted butter, to spread
- Jam, such as homemade strawberry or raspberry jam; lemon curd also works for citrus lovers
Method
- Remove the crusts from the sliced bread and set aside for breadcrumbs or bread pudding.
- Stamp out small rounds of bread with a scone, biscuit, or pastry cutter.
- Spread the crust-less bread "pennies" with butter on one side only, as if preparing normal sandwiches.
- Spread the jam of your choice over one side of the buttered bread, then sandwich together with another buttered slice.
- Arrange on a nice plate and serve with a pot of tea.
