James Martin reveals the sad regret he has about meeting the Queen

James Martin has revealed the sad regret he has about meeting the Queen.

The iconic TV chef was picked at random to enjoy lunch the Her Majesty recently.

However, the epic occasion was tinged with sadness for foodie pro James because a special someone was missing from his life.

"Apparently once a month they do it. They pick random people, some in the public eye, some not. There was only eight of us for lunch; it was magical," James said, recalling the special day.

"I have total respect for the Queen and the royal family.

"The only thing I regret is that my grandmother wasn't alive to witness it because she was a huge fan," he explained, in an interview with Hello! magazine.

Admitting that he had imagined his day with the monarch would be a little less intimate than it was in reality.

"I thought I was going over there for one of those garden parties or 300 people in a room but when I got there the (Queen's) corgis walked in and in came her Majesty, and sat opposite me. It's one of those pinch-yourself moments you'll never forget for the rest of your life."

Sharing details of what he the Queen likes to natter about over lunch, James added, "We chatted about dogs, about life. She's very polite, it was great. You don't remember what you said because you were so nervous – you can't believe you're having a one on one conversation with the Queen for 45 minutes."

James recently wowed his fans with an old school photo of himself back from where his career in food all started.

Posting the image of himself as a young boy, James explained it was taken while he was working at a pot wash.

'Where did it all start? It was here on the pot wash as a young kid (I think I was 11 or 12) wanting to work in the kitchen and this was the way in...always looking back and always grateful to everyone that made the journey what it has been so far,' he penne beside the sweet upload.