Buckingham Palace is hiring full-time chef and the salary is less than you’d expect

Candidates must be ‘ambitious’ and ‘qualified’

Chef roles are hard to come by at the best of times, but ones that will have you literally cooking meals fit for a Queen are undoubtedly harder.

Buckingham Palace is hiring a full-time Chef de Partie who will be expected to prepare meals for state dinners and royal receptions.

However, the role might not entitle its occupant to the regal life with which it will become associated, as the salary is roughly £2,000 less than the average for similarly experienced chefs in London.

At a starting salary of £20,604.52, the offer includes live-in accommodation and complimentary meals - however, your wage will be lowered if you choose to take up the residential offering.

“This is no ordinary Demi Chef de Partie role,” the job description reads.

“In our state-of-the-art kitchens, you'll prepare classical and contemporary menus for a wide range of events, learning essential skills that will provide stepping stones for a great career.”

It goes on to explain that you’ll be expected to rotate through all four sections of the kitchen and may be required to travel to various other royal residences.

“As you'd expect, standards are exceptionally high here, and every day is busy, so you’ll need to be an ambitious and qualified chef,” it continues, adding that some experience in an high-end kitchen is desired but not essential.

It also lists teamwork, communication skills and attention to detail as desirable traits for applicants.

“Most importantly though, you have a clear passion for food and the catering industry, and will be eager to learn new skills,” it concludes.

If cooking isn’t quite your thing, there’s plenty of other vacancies within the royal household to suit your skill set, from a daily cleaner at the Palace of Holyroodhouse to a trainee butler at Buckingham Palace.

If you fancy something a little more directly-related to royal life, why not apply to be Princess Anne’s new private secretary?

The esteemed role will include managing a small team at HRH’s residence of Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire and accompanying the Princess on overseas trips, along with additional administrative duties.

If that doesn’t tickle your pickle, you could try flexing your horticultural muscles as Buckingham Palace’s new gardener, which will involve maintaining the herbaceous borders and regular mowing in addition to creating seasonal floral displays for high-profile events.

You’ll earn £17,000 per annum and also enjoy live-in accommodation.

“It's admiring your lawn before millions do the same,” reads the job description. No pressure.