Mervyn Stewart & Her Majesty
Tuesday 10 May 2011
Having ‘Met the Middletons’ in all their glory in recent weeks, and with the Queen coming to grips with new additions to the family tree, it occurred to me that she might care to meet her long lost cousins, the Stewarts, when she comes to Ireland next week! Not only would she get a chance to visit the beautiful Heritage town of Dalkey where, in Dalkey Castle, they hold an interactive Living History ‘Tudor Experience’ Tour, she would also be very well fed at Mervyn Stewart’s legendary Guinea Pig Restaurant where he has an original menu from the dinner celebrating her Coronation on the 2nd June, 1953 at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London.
Queen Elizabeth 11 is not only a direct descendant of the first Tudor, Henry V11, but of the first Stuart, James 1, the first Hanover, George 1, and the first Windsor, George V. While the names of the Royal Household might change down through the centuries, the succession has its own integrity. King James VI of Scotland was the first cousin twice removed of Elizabeth I, whom he succeeded in 1603 as King James I of England. The Stuarts reigned until 1714, when Queen Anne died and was succeeded by her distant cousins the Hanovers. George I, the first Hanovarian King of England, was the grandson of King James I' s youngest daughter, Elizabeth. The Hanovers reigned until Victoria's eldest son came to the throne in 1901 as King Edward VII. He was the first King of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, because that is the Duchy in Germany of which his father, Albert, was a Prince. Edward VII was succeeded by his son as George V. However, anti-German feeling was running very high in England because of World War I, so in 1917 the name of the Royal House was changed to that of Windsor. The granddaughter of George V is today's Queen Elizabeth II, head of the House of Windsor.
The Stuart/Stewarts originated in Brittany in the 11thC before moving to Scotland where they ruled through the centuries. In 1745/46 the grandson of James 11, Prince Charles Edward Stuart, ‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ led the last attempt to restore the Stuart dynasty to the British Crown and the slaughter of his army at the Battle of Culloden. Many of the Stewarts emigrated from Scotland to Ulster. It is from this family line or Clan that Mervyn Stewart’s family are descended.
Mervyn Stewart was born in Millicent, Clane, Co. Kildare in 1944. In the mid 19th C the Cooke –Trench family, who resided in Millicent House, built the lovely St. Michael & All Angels Church, which contains stunning art work including examples of Cloissone and Scraffito and many fine examples of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Mervyn has many happy memories of time here and of singing in the choir. He was originally destined to go to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin to sing in the Church Choir there, ultimately with the prospect of becoming a Minister. However, as Mervyn says “like all best laid plans that didn’t work out.” Mrs. Handy, the then Minister’s wife, knew the legendary Ken Besson of the old Hibernian Hotel on Dawson Street in Dublin and in 1956 the very young Mervyn, when but a chap, was indentured into the Hibernian Hotel for five years to train as a chef. This was the time, after the war, Mervyn recalls, when “Dublin was the Mecca for eating as there was no real rationing in Ireland to the extent there was in England.” The big Hotels of the time. the Russell, the Hibernian, and the Gresham, were hotspots of good food. Post war The Hibernian and The Russell brought over French chefs, whilst The Gresham brought German chefs. Hector Fabron was the General Manager of the Hibernian, whilst Roger Noblet was Head Chef, both had been in The Russell before moving to the Hibernian. “Wealthy people used to fly in to Dublin, including American senior officials from Europe specially to dine and enjoy themselves.” On the dining scene there was also Jammet’s Restaurant in Nassau Street and the Red Bank in D’Olier Street which he wealthy frequented. Ordinary English people used to come to Bray in droves and enjoy the lack of restrictions on cigarettes or drink in Ireland. Having completed his Indentures, Mervyn then went to work at the Metropole on O’Connell Street where one day the Head Chef, who had worked in Grosvenor House Hotel in London, was doing a clearout of his desk, including the Coronation Night Menu, and Mervyn asked him for it. “I have kept it carefully now for 47 years.” Says Mervyn. In 1965 Mervyn got married and eventually became Head Chef in the Clarence Hotel – now owned by one of Mervyn’s favourite customers at the Guinea Pig – Bono.
The Guinea Pig, famous for its fabulous shellfish and seafood, was founded originally in 1957 and was the haunt of all the movie stars who were working in Ardmore Studios, “the busiest Film Studios in Europe at the time, including Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, Peter Ustinov and Princess Grace.” Mervyn and his wife Florence bought the restaurant in 1977 and it is a favourite spot today for many regulars and famous people who still have to ring at the doorbell to gain access – this has been a tradition for over 50 years. Mervyn has seen everyone through his doors including “Sharon Stone, Hugh Leonard, Maeve Binchy, Enya – who has sung in the restaurant many a time, the late Natasha Richardson and her husband Liam Neeson, Chris and Diane de Burgh, Meryl Streep……and Bono whose favourite dish is a fillet steak, medium rare, soft onions and mash potatoes – he likes simple food.”
Mervyn will not feel one bit out of place meeting Her Majesty as being a bit of a blue blood himself and in 1987 having been crowned King Mervyn 1 of the ancient Kingdom of Dalkey. To celebrate the Guinea Pig Restaurant’s 54 years in business they have a superb value Celebration Menu at €80 per couple which includes a bottle of wine. So the Queen might think maybe of kicking off with calamari and Tartare sauce, Dublin Bay Seafood chowder, and follow up with Mervyn’s 4 Fish Mixed Grill with lemon or garlic butter, or maybe Baked Dalkey crab meat with cream and cheese, or even crisp honey roast half duck, sliced, with apricot sauce. Oh, and if she fancies a real Lobster Thermidor, this is the place for it. “Chefs nowadays don’t know what a real Lobster Thermidor is!” says Mervyn. So, she should go and ring Mervyn’s doorbell for the real thing!
The Coronation Night Menu at the Grosvenor House Hotel on the 2nd June, 1953 was as below:
Coronation Night Menu
Le Melon Frappe
Perles Ambrees de Sterlet
Le Zephir de Foie Gras
Le Saumon Fume d’Ecosse
La Couple de Madrilene
Les Paillettes Dorees
Filets de Sole Prince Charles
Le Friand d’Agnelet Duc d’Edinburgh
La Timbale de Petits Pois Frais a la Menthe
Les Pommes Nouvelle de Jersey Dorees
Le Sorbet au Cliquot
Le Delice de Volaille Reine Elizabeth
Les Asperges d’Evesham Sauce Vinaigrette
Les Reines des Jardins du Kent
Le Parfait Glaces Princess Anne
Les Excellence Royales
Grosvenor House
Tuesday
June 2nd, 1953.
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THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON MAY 8TH, 2011.