World-renowned chef shares strangest celeb requests
World-renowned and chef-to-the-stars Jeff Schroeter has had the privilege of catering for some of the world’s biggest names and deepest pockets, and it hasn’t come without its share of surprises.
While chatting on I’ve Got News For You, a news.com.au podcast, Schroeter has named some of the strangest requests to come through his kitchen, as well as the familiar faces behind them.
First up came Anna Wintour, who has served as Vogue’s editor-in-Chief since 1988 and harbours a not-so-secret craving for tuna in a tin.
“She used to dine at least once or twice a week and had a special table … but she’ll go through different phases [of eating],” Schroeter explained.
“And during one phase, we had a beautiful tuna niçoise - everyone ate it,” he continued, before noting that “she didn’t like fresh tuna, so she used to bring her own canned tuna and hand it to the waiter, who handed it to the busboy, and [he’d] bring it down to the kitchen.
“So I’d make this beautiful niçoise salad, and then open a tin of tuna, and just put it on top. And she loved it.”
In another bizarre move by the fashion elite, German designer Karl Lagerfeld once arrived at one of Schroeter’s restaurants with a group of “about 10 to 12” and a request that sent the kitchen scrambling.
According to Schroeter, Lagerfeld and his party had been in the mood for “an American hotdog with fries”. But there was just one problem - they didn’t “have any of that!”
All was not lost, of course, with the staff managing to come up with a solution. Before the clock struck midnight, a local street vendor saved them with a quick hot dog sale. And in a tale as old as time, McDonalds came to the rescue with the chips.
“We sent the other busboy to McDonald’s to buy the fries and come back,” Schroeter said, “we put it on plates, sent it out, and [Lagerfeld] said it was the best meal [he’d had] for a long time.”
In what is arguably Schroeter’s most notable diner, Queen Elizabeth often stopped by for her favourite dish. While not particularly unusual on its own, the order served as a clear sign to the kitchen that they had a very royal request on their hands.
Apparently, the “50 to 80” chefs who worked at London’s Savoy hotel alongside Schroeter could tell when they had a royal visitor, as “they’ve got heavily armed security guards coming through the kitchens with Alsatians.”
“[The royals] always dine in one of the seven private banquet rooms, but we’d know it was the Queen because she always loved the peach Melba,” he went on to explain. “So we knew when there were seven to 10 peach Melbas going to a private room, the Queen must be in the house.”
Schroeter also shared his experiences with pop royalty, opening up about the time he was hired - along with four other talented chefs - to cater for Madonna’s 37th birthday celebration.
“She booked out the place [the Delano Hotel in Miami] for her birthday, security all around, and she flew in four chefs from around the country,” Schroeter said, “and she picked each one for a particular dish that she loves to eat.
“And I was flown down for the one that I call ‘Madonna salmon’. It’s a particular type of salmon and we cut it as a butterfly, and we put it with crushed cucumber, dates, walnuts, shaved fennel, lemon juice, olive oil and sweet basil – then the whole dish just lightens the salmon.
“It’s healthy, it’s good for you … It was brilliant, three days down there and all I had to do was one dish. It was the best function I’ve had.”
Although he didn’t have the opportunity to properly chat to the music superstar, he came away with a good impression, telling I’ve Got News For You host Andrew Bucklow that she was a “lovely, lovely woman … especially when she knows you’re cooking her favourite dish.”
Images: Getty, @sallyb_sbco / Instagram