I did a weekly food shop buying King Charles’ Duchy Organics – the meat’s cheaper than M&S & buys lasted a whole week
YOU may not have a private chef preparing your meals, but did you know you can still eat like royalty?
Aside from being monarch, King Charles runs his own food business – Duchy Organics – and you can do your whole weekly shop with it at Waitrose.
Founded in 1990 as a way to market produce from his farm, the business has boomed over the years, and in 2023 made £3.2million profit along with them giving away £200,000 in charitable donations.
But is the organic food range all it’s cracked up to be?
Fabulous decided to put the Duchy Organics range to the test to see how much it costs and if the food tastes fit for royalty…
PALACE PRICES
We decided to compare a weekly shop of Duchy Organics (formerly known as Duchy Originals) to an equivalent shop at M&S to see which was cheaper and what the weekly staple items will set you back.
I did both shops online on the same day, and added essentials such as milk, cheese, bread, eggs and meat into my basket.
Adding up the 16 items in my Duchy Organics collection came to £42.28, which was slightly higher than the M&S one at £41.55.
But with less than £1 difference, there wasn’t much in it.
However, a number of the Duchy items were actually cheaper than the M&S range.
Price comparison for Duchy Organics and M&S
- 4 pints of semi skimmed milk – Waitrose – £2.25 vs M&S – £2.20
- 6 large free range eggs – Waitrose – £3.50 vs M&S – £3.50
- Bread – Waitrose – £2.20 vs M&S – £1.30
- Cheese – Mature Cheddar (350g) – Waitrose – £4.75 vs M&S – £5.00
- Pasta – fusilli (500g) – Waitrose – £1.90 vs M&S – £2.25
- Pasta sauce – Waitrose – £2.65 vs M&S – £2.10
- Burger – Waitrose – £4.95 vs M&S – £3.90
- Baked beans – Waitrose – £1.00 vs M&S – £1.00
- Strawberry jam – Waitrose – £2.80 vs M&S – £2.60
- Bananas – Waitrose – £1.95 vs M&S – £1.60
- Tea bags – Waitrose – £2.00 vs M&S – £2.75
- Blueberries – Waitrose – £2.50 vs M&S – £3.00
- Carrots – Waitrose – £1.40 vs M&S – £1.154
- Apples – Gala – Waitrose – £2.25 vs M&S – £2.25
- Sausages – Waitrose – £3.93 vs M&S – £4.50
- Shortbread fingers – Waitrose – £2.25 vs M&S – £2.45
Total price:
Waitrose: £42.28
M&S: £41.55
CHARLES’ CHEAPER ITEMS
Out of the food shop, a number of surprising items cost less than their M&S equivalents, including their sausages.
For 12 pork chipolatas, the Duchy packet was £3.93, compared to £4.50 from M&S.
When I did a taste test, the difference was hardly noticeable, meaning you may wish to opt for the royal sausages to save some pennies.
Perfect for BBQ season, the burgers were also cheaper from the Duchy collection.
They cost £4.95 for a four-pack, compared to two large ones from M&S for £3.90, but per kg you got more at Waitrose.
However, if I had the choice, I probably would go for M&S offering as they seemed larger and more of a summer treat – but for families, the Duchy four-pack would be more practical.
Other items that were cheaper in the range was the Duchy cheese (£4.75 compared to £5) and the pasta (£1.90 compared to £2.25).
Cheaper items in the Duchy range compared to M&S organics
- Cheese – Mature Cheddar (350g) – Waitrose – £4.75 vs M&S – £5.00
- Pasta – fusilli (500g) – Waitrose – £1.90 vs M&S – £2.25
- Burger – Waitrose – £4.95 vs M&S – £3.90
- Apples – Gala – Waitrose – £2.25 vs M&S – £2.25
- Sausages – Waitrose – £3.93 vs M&S – £4.50
ROYAL TASTE TEST
Then it was time for the part I had really been looking forward to, trying the food.
Starting up with breakfast, I whipped up jam on toast in both ranges to see how they would fare, and it turns out the difference in quality was extremely noticable.
Although the Duchy Organic Wholemeal Seeded Half Bloomer was much more expensive (£2.20 compared to £1.30), you really are getting what you pay for.
The size was larger, the seeds were more generously added and the overall slice was more of a treat.
This was also true of the Duchy jam.
What is King Charles’ Duchy Organics range?
DUCHY Organics is a partnership between Waitrose and Duchy Originals Limited, a company set up in 1990 by King Charles III when he was Prince of Wales.
Duchy Originals products initially were stocked in farm shops and independent stores such as Harrods and Fortnum & Mason,
During the 2000s, a selected range of Duchy Originals products became widely available in major UK supermarkets, with Waitrose as the brand’s largest customer.
The now-Duchy Organic range includes everything from fruit, nuts, vegetables and pasta to dairy, meat, poultry and fish.
Royal fans can also try the King’s organic strawberry jam and wash down some biscuits with his own brand of tea.
The brand states: “We work with British organic farmers to source great tasting, high quality food as much as the weather allows.
“When that’s not possible, we work with dedicated organic growers around the world.”
Meghan Markle needs to take note for her American Riviera Orchard jam offerings – which she has so far sent to 50 high-profile pals, including Kris Jenner.
King Charles’ £2.80 offering did not disappoint, and with its rich colour and fruit chunks distributed generously inside, definitely beat M&S’ £2.60 jar – which was only 20p cheaper.
Britain prides itself on many things – aside from the royal family – with a cup of tea being the way millions start their days.
So you’d expect the Duchy tea to stand out from the crowd – but did it?
It was more expensive at £2 for 25 bags, compared to M&S’ £2.75 for 50, but it was more of a premium product, with each bag individually wrapped and with the bags on a string.
DUCHY DISHES
Next up was time for a hearty pasta dish, and while the pasta and cheese was cheaper from the Duchy collection, the tomato sauce was more expensive (£2.65 vs M&S’ £2.10).
Plating up, the dishes looked remarkably similar as you’d imagine – although the M&S pasta looked slightly thicker – but you could tell the difference when looking at the Duchy sauce.
Their Organic Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce, which has a majority of five-star rating on Waitrose’s website – was thick and herby and looked richer.
This translated to the taste too, with the sauce making all the difference to the dish.
ROYAL REVIEW
While the prices were fairly comparable between King Charles’ food range and M&S’ collection, I was pleasantly surprised at the items that were cheaper.
I’ll definitely be adding some of the royal chipolatas to my basket if I fancy a BBQ fit for the monarchy.
Even the royal tea bags felt more premium, with their string and tag, so will be displaying them for any guests who pop round to feel more posh.
The fruit and veg were good quality, with the apples still fresh a week on.
With the cost of living crisis, many people are seeking bargain items for their weekly shop so it’s tempting to go flock to supermarkets which price-match and compete for the lowest prices.
For staples such as milk and cheese, there wasn’t much difference in the taste to purse-friendly alternatives from Aldi and Tesco.
But if you are preparing for a fancy brunch at home or a slap-up BBQ, you won’t need to flog any royal jewels to pick up some delicious and stand-out items that will elevate your hosting.
That jam and toast may have been the nicest I’ve had – and that is saying something.