King Charles III was in good spirits today in Manchester, wearing a white lab coat and joking with staff at the Kellogg's factory as he toured the plant of Queen Elizabeth's favourite breakfast cereal.
King Charles III was all smiles in Manchester on Friday as he visited the Kellogg's factory in Bolton, which just so happens to be the maker of the late Queen Elizabeth's favourite breakfast cereal.
His Majesty took the royal train to Manchester Victoria Station from Balmoral this morning, marking his first visit to the region since ascending the throne in September 2022. He has been joined by Camilla, Queen Consort, for the historic trip.
👋 🐝 Hello Manchester!The King is welcomed to the city at Manchester Victoria Station for a day of engagements in Greater Manchester, including:🥣 Celebrating 100 years of @KelloggsUKI 🎊 Joining The Queen Consort at a reception for the local community at Bolton Town Hall pic.twitter.com/Z4j51vWCIVJanuary 20, 2023
The King, 74, made a detour stop at the Kellogg's factory this morning in Stretford, where he was greeted by the breakfast company's staff, before heading to Bolton Town Hall to unveil a plaque in honor of its 150th anniversary.
According to Buckingham Palace, Kellogg's products have been a well-loved staple in the Royal Family's headquarters for decades.
"The Manchester site of Kellogg’s is the largest cereal factory in Europe and biggest Corn Flake factory in the world," the palace said in a statement. "Kellogg’s has been a holder of the Royal Warrant since the reign of King George VI and cereal from the business was historically delivered to Buckingham Palace in a small van called Genevieve."
The King was given a warm welcome at the Kellogg's factory from its director, Tim McKnight, before receiving a tour of its impressive layout. His Majesty was reportedly keen to know all about the company's environmental mission, chatting with staff about sustainability and food innovation.
The King also spoke to factory workers about how they achieve the 'sweet spot' in its sweeter cereals without using too much sugar.
“Do you just reduce the sugar until they say yes?” he joked during the brief conversation, according to Manchester Evening News. At another point of the tour, the King put on a white safety coat to view the cereals' production in action on the factory floor.
The late Queen Elizabeth was known to be a lover of Kellogg's, with her private cook once revealing that she would usually enjoy a bowl of Special K for breakfast.
According to Darren McGrady, who served as the personal chef to Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana, and Princes William and Harry for fifteen years, Her Majesty would eat the barley cereal with fruit.
He also said that the "Queen loved scrambled eggs with smoked salmon and a grating of truffle" but was "too frugal to ever order fresh truffles." Instead, she would wait until Christmastime to enjoy the indulgent spores, when she would often be gifted them as presents.
The Queen's favourite sandwich and afternoon tea bites were revealed by McGrady last year, and like her humble breakfast, the late monarch's go-to chocies may well surprise you.
