French chef Raymond Blanc on his new ITV show about Royal Kitchen Gardens

That’s exactly what Blanc is taking a look at in his latest ITV series, Raymond Blanc’s Royal Kitchen Gardens.

The chef and author has travelled across the UK, visiting five of the most incredible kitchen gardens in the nation – at the Castle of Mey and Dumfries House in Scotland, Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland, and Highgrove House and Hampton Court Palace in England.

This gave him a look at Charles’ passion for sustainability in action – meeting the knowledgeable gardeners and experts who work on the royal estates.

As this is Blanc – a man who has two Michelin stars under his belt – there’s also a lot of cooking involved. Using either produce from the gardens or taking inspiration from what he experienced there, the chef demonstrates some fresh and tasty dishes on the show including a quick-cook ratatouille, baked peaches and the French dish poule au pot – chicken in a pot.

So what made him want to cover royal kitchen gardens?

"First, it was not my decision,” says Blanc. “I wanted to, but obviously it was the decision of the King, because they’re his gardens – and thank God he allowed us to film in these beautiful walled gardens.

“For me who loves gardens, who loves history, I was able to discover [so much]. I already knew Highgrove and I definitely knew Hampton Court well enough, but I didn’t know about Hillsborough Castle, I didn’t know about Dumfries, I had no idea about the Castle of Mey. I discovered some little gems – you would walk somewhere and suddenly you would see a space with so much serenity, so much beauty.

“I remember the first castle I visited was the Castle of Mey. I started to get to know the history and I was really touched by it, even before seeing this castle, and when I saw it, everything came alive, everything became very emotional."

What did he learn about the king?

“I already knew about his devotion for all things we love – about sustainability, about management of waste, management of energy, no waste, about where the world is going, how can we create a better world through sustainability. I knew that he made it as a deed – he didn’t just say it, he created his Prince’s Trust which now works across the continents – not just England, all over. That charity will grow and it is a marvellous deed to help communities.”

Raymond Blanc’s Royal Kitchen Gardens launches on ITV1 & ITVX from Sunday February 18 at 11.30am.