LONDON: The conditions stated in the job advertisement might not be that hot with a salary of £ 23,000 ($35,000) a year for 45 hours a week in the kitchen but there are perks: cooking dinner for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

The ad on the official palace website says that the applicant should if possible have a “good understanding of kitchen French.” It leaves no doubt too that the cuisine must be haute. “The post-holder has contact with members of the Royal family, their guests, all levels of household staff and employees at the private residences,” the advert warns. “From state banquets for 200 to lunches for two; and from canapé receptions for 800 to staff restaurant meals; our chefs prepare it all to the same exceptional standards.”

The job is primarily based at Buckingham Palace, the main residence of the 87-year-old monarch, but the successful applicant will also spend about three months a year away from the British capital at other royal residences.