Meet the London, Ont. pastry chef who cooked for Queen Elizabeth II
CBC
Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Wayne Gretzky have all tasted this London, Ont. chef's delicious culinary creations.
But one day seared in Roland Hofner's memory — is the time he cooked for Queen Elizabeth II.
He prepared dessert for Queen Elizabeth II during her 1984 royal tour of Canada while working as a pastry chef and baker at a hotel once known as Toronto Hilton Harbour Castle. A frozen parfait crafted with Niagara peaches in the shape of a crown was the confection of choice for the occasion, he said.
It was "quite an exciting event," said Hofner, who also prepared bite-size goodies, cookies and chocolates for after dinner. More than 2,000 guests attended the event almost 40 years ago.
The menu took six months of preparation and testing by government officials to make sure it was "suited" for her, said Hofner.
He managed to catch a glimpse of the Queen eating with Prince Philip by peeking through a door, he said. He vividly remembers the gratitude they showed.
"They enjoyed it very thoroughly," he said. "She wrote a thank-you letter to all of us and we all got a little commemorative coin given to us by her."
"I did not get to meet her, unfortunately one-on-one, but just cooking for her I think was just all a chef can dream of."
Pulling off the big day was a "nerve-wracking" experience that came with extra pressure.
"Everybody felt very special and very happy to cook and bake for her, but there was tremendous tension among the staff in the hotel that everything would go according to plan," he said. "Everybody was on their tip toes making sure everything was done to perfection."
Police checked their political backgrounds, and two health departments and police officers stood by as they cooked, he recalled.
"Policemen with one of those high-firing weapons standing right next to me in the bake shop fully armed, making sure everything took place the way it should be and there was no interference," he said.
Food was tested by the health departments throughout the day to ensure nothing was added that shouldn't be, he said.
The Queen's visit was one of many experiences Hofner has had cooking for high-profile royalty and celebrity guests throughout his career. He's had decades of experience in five-star hotels, exclusive cruise ships and running bakeries and catering businesses both in Canada and abroad.