Darren McGrady will cook three-course meal, attend an event at Picton Castle and share royal stories
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Former royal chef Darren McGrady is to host a Private Event on Windstar Cruises’ Idyllic British Isles itinerary this June.
McGrady will sail on the cruise as part of the complimentary Private Event programme, which will be rolled out on each Windstar itinerary across the world in 2015.
During the cruise, he will host an afternoon tea and Q&A session onboard the ship and join guests at Windstar’s complimentary Private Event at the 13th-century Picton Castle in Pembrokeshire to enjoy appetisers, sparkling wine and music from a Welsh choir.
After rejoining the ship, McGrady will prepare a three-course meal while explaining his techniques and menu choices. He will also share stories about the 15 years he served as the personal chef to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II; Diana, Princess of Wales; and Princes William and Harry.
“Having the ‘Royal Chef’ aboard our ‘Idyllic British Isles’ sailing is a perfect match,” said Hans Birkholz, Windstar Cruises’ CEO. “Our Private Events are about enhancing the guest experience and helping them more fully engage with the destination in a way that only small ship cruising can offer. We look forward to hearing Chef Darren’s stories from his time cooking for the royal family, and more importantly, tasting his creations.”
This January, former Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz hosted the line’s first Private Event on Prickly Pear Beach, an uninhabited nature refuge in the British Virgin Islands. Spitz conducted a series of swimming master classes for guests, gave an onboard lecture and joined guests for dinner and cocktail classes.
Other Private Events in 2015 include a wine-tasting tour in Italy with a traditional Sicilian lunch; tapas and folk dance lessons; and an equestrian ballet and sherry tasting. Additional celebrity hosts will be revealed over the coming months.