As far as cooking goes, everyone at some time has fancied themselves a bit of a dab hand in the kitchen. But getting praise from your family and friends for whipping up a 'tasty bolognese' is a quite different to praise from a chef who has a few Michelin stars. The second instalment of Meghan Markle's With Love, Meghan airs on 26 August and one of the chef's who appears in the series has spilled the beans on the Duchess of Sussex's culinary skills.
Chef Clare Smyth, who cooked for royalty at Harry and Meghan’s 2018 private wedding reception in Frogmore House, Windsor, stars in the upcoming series, and has an impressive track record. She won two Michelin stars her debut solo restaurant, Core, in Notting Hill, west London, with a third added in 2021. She also previously became the first British woman to run a restaurant with three stars, when she was heading Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Previously awarded an MBE, Northern Irish chef Smyth worked at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck and The Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire.
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Speaking to The Sunday Times ahead of the second series of With Love, Meghan airing, Smyth, 46, said: "She's pretty good at filleting a fish." In the upcoming series, Smyth reportedly teaches Meghan how to make a 'very healthy poached halibut with seasonal vegetables and bone broth', and said: "Meghan is actually really good at cooking and she's creative, with a good palate."
Also among the celebrity guests joining the former Suits star during the eight episodes will be US model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen (who is also a keen foodie) and Queer Eye star Tan France, as well as podcaster Jay Shetty and his cookbook author wife Radhi Devlukia. Also appearing will be chefs including Samin Nosrat, Christina Tosi, Jose Andres and David Chang, and Meghan’s close friends, pilates instructor Heather Dorak and make up artist Daniel Martin.
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The trailer for the second series, to the soundtrack of Bobby Day’s upbeat Rockin’ Robin, showed Meghan cooking, baking and crafting with her celebrity friends and saying: “I love the idea of just spending time together … and finding new ways to show people you care.”
She adds while being shown wrapping a gift: “There are easy ways to show up, lovingly.”
Meghan also reveals her husband, the Duke of Sussex, is not a fan of lobster.
She tells Andres as they prepare a dish together: “Do you know who doesn’t like lobster? My husband,” with the chef replying, prompting laughter from Meghan: “And you marry (sic) him?”
Harry and Meghan recently announced the 'multi-year, first-look deal for film and television projects', in contrast to their reported 100 million dollar (£74 million) contract five years ago.
The duchess officially launched her lifestyle brand As Ever, in which Netflix is a partner, just hours after season one premiered in March.
She has gone on to sell jam, pre-made baking mixes, herbal tea and rose wine – as well as flower sprinkles, which she heavily promoted during the programme and which are also seen being used in the new trailer.
Featured Image Credit: Jake Rosenberg/NetflixTopics: Celebrity, TV and Film
Kerri-Ann Roper