Prince William's traditional wedding feast

Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton are expected to serve traditional British food at their April 29 wedding reception.

Former royal chef Darren McGrady - who has previously cooked for the prince when he lived at Kensington Palace with his mother Princess Diana - revealed he thinks the prince's wedding feast will be a simpler affair than previous royal weddings but he expects plenty of traditional English dishes.

After the 11am ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Darren expects a wedding breakfast of champagne, canapes and h'ors d'oeuvres, such as smoked salmon, pate and mini sausage rolls which he noted were "always popular at the Palace - one of the first to go."

He added to People magazine: "The royal family will not want to be seen as going backwards and actually having a big, seven-course meal with a soup course and a fish course.

"They will want to make it more modern. They like to showcase British food, so there might be Gaelic steaks with braised rice. But I wouldn't be surprised if Cottage Pie is somewhere on the menu."

Cottage pie - minced beef in a gravy with mashed potatoes and melted cheese - is one of William's favourite dishes.