Kelani Valley’s Pedro Estate tea served to Queen at Jubilee

The Diamond Jubilee 2012 was held on 5 June to commemorate the Queen of England’s 60th year on the throne as monarch of Britain.  

Amongst a number of events and initiatives was an opulent lunch-time banquet at Westminster Hall. A euphoric fanfare guided her as she arrived at her Diamond Jubilee lunch hosted by the livery. Adoring crowds lined the streets 10-deep, waving and cheering, as the trumpeters played with pride.

Some 700 guests representing the companies’ abundant trades and professions greeted the monarch and joined her to dine on a menu of salmon, crab and lamb.

Guests dined on marinated Uist Island salmon with Lyme Bay crab, followed by saddle of Welsh Cambrian Mountain lamb with braised shoulder of lamb, grilled Isle of Wight asparagus, Jersey Royal potatoes and an aptly named Jubilee sauce.

The ‘Symphony of Dessert’ was Chocolate Delice, Bread and Butter pudding and Berry Compote with Sandringham Apple Sauce

A Ceylon tea was served made from Pedro Tea Plantation, Nuwara Eliya where a tea bush planted by the Duke of Edinburgh during a State visit to Sri Lanka in 1954 exists. Pedro Estate is owned by Kelani Valley Plantations which is a part of the Hayleys Group.

The Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry also attended the meal.