All over the country, bakers have been getting creative in a bid to try and find a brand new pudding to celebrate the Queen’s 70 years on the throne. Mary Berry judged the competition for The Jubilee Pudding and crowned the Lemon Swiss roll and amaretti trifle the winner.
And a Platinum Jubilee Cookbook has been released with 70 recipes from different British embassies and across the world.
So it is only natural that Swindon’s favourite Indian restaurant has put its own spin on the Jubilee celebrations.
The Jewel in the Crown is serving a Jubilee-inspired set menu fit for the Queen so - of course - we gave it a try.
I was a first-timer at the popular curry house but my expectations were high. Everyone I speak to gives the 35-year-old restaurant rave reviews and owner Muzammil Ali has won numerous awards over the years, including the national Newbury Teas Tiffin Cup judged by Ainsley Harriott.
The restaurant certainly lives up to its name. The grand interior, with the gold and red décor and sparkling chandeliers, really puts you in the royal mood.
We were ushered to a table in the prime position right by the window and, almost before I could ask for a drink, we were served with delicious poppadoms and the usual array of dips.
Luckily, before I could eat my weight in poppadoms, our friendly waiter wheeled out a trolley filled with delightful dishes.
The spectacle before us was impressive. For a group of four, we had a whole chicken - fittingly red coloured in line with the royal theme - which was dished with vegetables carved into flower-shapes. The presentation was beautiful and had clearly been carefully put together by the chefs.
The generous portion of rice was specked with different colours and surrounded with eggs (also dyed red). We were given also given smaller dishes including lamb mince bhuna and mixed vegetables, and, to top it all off, a huge peshwari naan to share.
The chicken was the stand-out part of the meal; the meat was delightfully fresh and the ginger, garlic and coriander seasoning resulted in an exciting blend of flavours. It was not surprising to hear that the chef had left the chicken to marinate for 24 hours to generate that exact explosion of tastes.
The lamb mince bhuna was a saucy delight and the four of us ended up fighting over the in-demand dish; in fact, if I could alter anything from this delicious set menu, I would make this serving slightly larger to make sure everyone gets their fair share.
The naan bread was flavoursome; the extra mango, sultanas and coconut really added to the overall effect. We all agreed the effort put into the entire meal by the chefs made it even more special.
When the dessert menus were brought out, I decided that attempting to eat anything else might ruin an otherwise perfect meal so opted for a quick Baileys instead.
I didn’t quite expect the waiters to bring out a glass bigger than my head - but I wasn’t complaining. We definitely received the royalty treatment at Jewel in the Crown!
The whole set menu for four is available for £60 until the end of the Jubilee period. Vegetarian options are available. Bookings for the set menu need to be made in advance.
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