On Saturday 6 May, the Coronation of King Charles III takes place at Westminster Abbey in London.
With an extra bank holiday on Monday 8 May, you can be sure that people across the UK, the Commonwealth and even all over the world will be celebrating King Charles III being crowned.
Whether you're planning a special spread for the Coronation Big Lunch, a tea party or picnic during the long weekend, we've got plenty of tasty ideas and recipes to help you make a banquet fit for a king.
Of course, many will remember the original Coronation Chicken dish created by Le Cordon Bleu London for the Coronation luncheon for Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. This recipe has stood the test of time being a firm favourite and has evolved too, with vegan and vegetarian adaptions featuring in many lunches and picnics. Our vegan version is rich and creamy with tangy flavours. Perfect served in sandwiches or a topping on pastry, tartlets or a baked potato: Coronation ‘Chicken’ Pastries.
Our new monarch has been outspoken about the environmental impact of meat consumption, revealing two years ago that he follows a vegetarian diet on two days of every week and vegan for a third. Therefore, the official Coronation Quiche can be made suitable for vegetarians by using butter instead of lard or ready-made pastry. This recipe is packed full of spinach and broad beans to give a mild nutty flavour.
For a vegan version why not try our Asparagus, Potato and Broccoli Quiche, making great use of seasonal vegetables?
Perhaps your party will be picnic or afternoon tea style? Our sandwich filling ideas and recipes are perfect for a sandwich platter. From the traditional classics to flavours of the world, there's something for everyone. No afternoon tea is complete without a scone, ideal to make ahead of time and can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. Will you spread the cream on first or the jam?
If you are celebrating family style around the dinner table and want to keep it seasonal, our Asparagus Pithiviers are perfect.
As a decadent dessert, a firm favourite at VfL is our Lemon Meringue Pie. This pie is packed with tangy citrus flavours and makes a great centrepiece to your celebration.
Many people will be hosting street parties as part of the Coronation celebrations with bunting and flags creating a splash of colour across UK streets. For that extra special touch why not try our flavoured rolls? These are perfect filled with our quick and simple Borlotti Bean and Dill Pate.
Muffins make a great option if you are new to baking: Banana, Apricot and Walnut Muffins. As well as sweet options, savoury flavours work well too: Savoury Rosemary and Rye Muffins.
For the more experienced bakers, a showstopper cake is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Classic Victoria sponge, originally named after Charles' great-great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, is traditionally filled with buttercream and strawberry jam – a real teatime treat. Our vegan version is light, fluffy and moist. For a modern twist simply add lemon juice and zest to the buttercream, and fill with vegan lemon curd instead of jam to make a tasty cake. Also, it wouldn't be a celebration without chocolate! Our decadent Chocolate Orange Cake is rich, tangy and packed with flavour.
Perhaps you are hosting an event within a care home and want to involve your residents? Our Lemon Shortbreads can be cut into any shape. You could make crowns and flags, getting residents to ice and decorate with bright toppings and union jack colours. These can be made ahead of time and will keep fresh for up to 5 days in an air-tight container. Other activities could be decorating paper crowns to wear, pin the crown on the king game and crafting red/white/blue paper chains.
For further tips and recipes our vegan baking guide has something for everybody, with cakes and bakes to make your mouth water.
However you choose to celebrate the Coronation, we would love to hear if you made our recipes. Please do share any photos of your Coronation spread and events.
Photo by Chris Boland www.chrisboland.com
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Recipes