Chef for Prince William’s awards show refused to prepare ‘disrespectful’ menu

A chef who was invited to prepare a spread for Prince William's annual Earthshot Prize banquet refused to cook the 'disrespectful' menu he was instructed to rustle up.

Next week (5 November), the heir to the throne will jet over to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to host the fifth annual award ceremony, which will see 15 finalists competing for five £1 million prizes across different categories to further develop their ideas to help tackle various issues on the planet.

Now, the programming had called on the likes of chef Saulo Jennings to cater to the 700 attendees, and he seemed buzzing at first, eager to create canapés for the guests using sustainable ingredients from the Amazon rainforest, according to The Telegraph.

The proposed menu included a pirarucu, a large river fish that has become a symbol of environmental recovery in the Amazon in the face of deforestation, the outlet noted.

Prince William is set to host the fifth annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Rio de Janeiro next week (5 November) (Samir Hussein / Contributor / Getty Images)

But Jennings' vision didn't exactly come to fruition after he was told that he'd have to change his plans, given that the Earthshot Prize 2025 menu couldn't include fish, as the ceremony only wanted to offer vegetarian food.

It's understood that William has no involvement in menu decisions.

Sharing his annoyance, the decorated culinary expert told the New York Times: "It’s like asking Iron Maiden to play jazz."

Continuing to discuss the meat and fish-free menu, Jennings declared: "It was a lack of respect for our culinary traditions.

"I have nothing against vegans or British people. But I don’t want to abandon my culinary mission.

"We eat whatever the forests give us, whatever the rivers give us. Some days, we eat fish. Other days, we eat nuts and açai. This is also sustainable."

Chef Saulo Jennings said the request to create a fish-free menu is like asking heavy metal band Iron Maiden 'to play jazz’ (Instagram/@casadosaul)

After all that, however, Jennings did eventually agree to create a new menu that better suited the vegetarian requirements, including native ingredients such as cassava root, jambu leaf, and Brazil nut.

But unfortunately, the menu was over budget for the event, sources close to the discussions told the Telegraph, leading to organisers opting for another supplier instead of Jennings.

However, Jennings will be catering for Prince William, among other important figures and heads of state, at the COP30 summit in Belem, Brazil on 10 November.

Kensington Palace told FOODbible in a statement: "He has been clear that he had no concerns in putting forward a vegetarian-based menu.

"He understands the decision was based on budget alone and is delighted there will be another opportunity for His Royal Highness to try his menu in Belem."

Tyla has also reached out to the Earthshot Prize representatives for comment.