"It is now 14 years since I first suggested that organic farming might have some benefits, and ought to be taken seriously. I shall never forget the vehemence of the reaction - much of it coming from the sort of people who regard agriculture as an industrial process, with production as the sole yardstick of success. The only difference today is that they see genetically modified crops as the means of achieving their aims... Organic farming delivers the highest-quality, best-tasting food, produced without artificial chemicals or genetic modification and with respect for animal welfare and the environment, while helping to maintain the landscape and rural communities." The Prince of Wales, the Organic Food Awards, October 1998.
Laughing with the Two Fat Ladies (aka Clarissa Dickson Wright and the late Jennifer Paterson) as they presented him with a larger-than-life hamper of organic goodies, the Prince of Wales was clearly having fun. Their thank-you gesture, recognising his involvement in last year's Organic Food Awards, came in stark contrast to the seriousness of the address that Prince Charles made that day.
The audience, full of the movers and shakers of the food world, was all ears to hear his views on organic food and farming: "The demand for organic food is growing at a remarkable rate. Consumers have made it clear that they want organic produce and every sector of the food chain is responding- Our large supermarket chains, with their extraordinary ability to monitor and respond to the views of their customers, are devoting an ever-increasing shelf space to organic produce."
Prince Charles has long been an advocate of organic farming. In 1986, he started converting Home Farm, part of the Highgrove Estate, to organic systems. The prince once professed: "I have put my heart and soul into Highgrove. All the things I've tried to do in this small corner of Gloucestershire have been a physical expression of a personal philosophy."
Today, even the prince's most vocal detractors cannot criticise Home Farm's organic credentials. The 1,083-acre mixed farm is run as a wholly commercial enterprise. Manager David Wilson insists that it is not simply an indulgence. "Just because we're farming organically, it doesn't mean we can be any less commercial about it," he asserts. For arable crops, read wheat and oats (which make their way into Duchy Originals biscuits), plus old-fashioned, long-strawed wheat for thatching, and rye. A flock of 550 breeding ewes, 130 Ayrshire dairy cows and a herd of Aberdeen Angus beef cattle share the land, and a box scheme using Home Farm vegetables has recently taken off.
The final link in the organic food chain at Highgrove - from farm to dining table - is the chef's commitment to using organic ingredients. Carolyn Robb, Prince Charles's executive chef, has been charged with the kitchen's organic conversion. "The switch isn't happening overnight," she says. "We've spent the past few years researching organics. We bottle plums and pears, and freeze soft fruit picked from the garden in summer months. Organic meat and milk come from the farm."
Prince Charles has again brought his vision to life with the restoration of Highgrove's organic kitchen garden. The quarter-acre walled garden provides the majority of the fresh produce for the household. What's more, as much as possible of the food served at the dinners and receptions held at Highgrove is sourced from organic suppliers. Such functions to support the organisations with which the prince is connected are held in the Orchard Room, designed by Charles Morris in an architectural style sympathetic to the main house. Inside, it has a lived-in feel, with oriental rugs draping the walls and antique furntiure dotted with presents given to Prince Charles on his travels.
Carolyn's style of cooking has a lightness of touch, and the food she serves is unpretentious and honest. She uses ingredients carefully, so that the flavours speak for themselves. For example, by using little added sugar in her recipe for crunchy topped blackberry and apple slice, a neat twist on a crumble, the fruit flavours shine through. And blackcurrants add zing to her take on a classic crème br�lée. Carolyn agrees there's a homeliness to her recipes - Highgrove is, after all, a home, albeit to the Prince of Wales. "Plated meals and restaurant-style dishes are just not in keeping with the ambience here. The Boss (as the prince's staff affectionately call him) has always taken a keen interest in the food served at Highgrove functions. He sees all the menus, and we have served most of these recipes at some time to guests.
"The prince is strict about using seasonal produce," she adds. "Being served asparagus out of season is one of his pet hates. Going organic forces to you to conform to the rhythm of nature, which is a good thing. Produce always tastes best in season."
Drawing on her knowledge of ingredients and food production, Carolyn has helped develop new lines for Duchy Originals, the food brand set up by Prince Charles in 1992. The company has recently converted most of its products to organic status. However, a shortage of UK-produced organic pork will mean Duchy Originals fully organic sausages are likely to be a little way off. That said, the pioneering development of a 130-sow pig unit at Home Farm will allow Duchy Originals to launch an organic dry-cured bacon this autumn. This is another case of the prince's philosophy being put into practice: influencing farmers, the food chain, and the way our environment is managed.
For information about the Prince of Wales and his interests in agriculture and the environment, visit the website www.princeofwales.gov.uk. The 1999 Organic Food Awards are being held this month. For details, contact the Soil Association on 0117 929 0661.