And what's worse, the "guy" told Humphries that it was The Queen herself that made the discovery!
He added that the staff member "tore me off a strip," for the cheesy debacle.
"At least I can say, yes I’ve been inside Buckingham Palace!" he joked.
The Queen flips out after she’s served rotten cheese
One is not amused!
- by
Amy Sinclair
A new documentary, Inside Fortnum and Mason: The Queen's Grocer, has lifted the lid on the Her Majesty's unwavering love for a blue cheese.
Just don't confuse a a rotten wheel of cheese for a stilton's mouldy blue marbeling, as one shop worker found out.
Derek Humphries, who worked at Fortnum and Mason between 1969 and 1973, remembered the moment The Queen's stilton cheese delivery went pear-shaped.
"I remember getting told by my boss that I needed to go to Buckingham Palace to pick up a stilton cheese," he explained.
"I was met by this guy who gave me this jar of stilton – I took the top off and it really was rotten."
Amy Sinclair
Amy Sinclair is the editor of New Idea Food. She is a former weekly magazine editor who loves all things food, cooking and eating - especially the eating! When she's not looking after her three children, you'll find her in the kitchen or busily hiding online shopping purchases from her husband.