Charles and Camilla take charge of the tongs at Sydney ‘sausage sizzle’ barbecue

The King and Queen flipped sausages on a barbecue when they joined locals in a park for a taste of suburban life in Sydney.

In New South Wales’ blistering sunshine, Charles and Camilla gave chefs a hand tending the snags – or sausages – grilling on the barbecue.

The King was handed some tongs and clicked them in anticipation and the Queen did the same before they set about making sure the “top tucker” cooked evenly, with Charles looking after the vegetarian option and his wife the beef bangers.

Restaurant manager Scott McCoy, 42, was looking after the barbecue and said it was an “honour” to have some royal helpers.

Known by his nickname Chop, he added: “They said the sausages were amazing, they didn’t try them but they could see.”

The 42-year-old who manages the BlackBear BBQ restaurant in Sydney said: “It’s amazing they’re here helping us to cook.”

In a speech to the guests, Charles said: “… I am so delighted to be here, in Parramatta – an excellent choice for a community barbecue, since Parramatta was a place where First Nations people from around the region also came together for generations to meet and to trade food.

“It is a particular delight to see and smell all the ‘top tucker’ here today, from Western Sydney’s vibrant and diverse community.”

He added: “As we are happily rediscovering today, New South Wales farmers continue to produce truly outstanding food and wine.

“It is no wonder, I think, that Sydney is world famous for its cuisine, whether it’s smashed avo, a pav, or a Cab Sav and that is what I hope has been on display!”

The King stumbled slightly during his four-minute long speech and said over the microphone: “Hang on, I picked up two pages of this bloody thing” before resuming his place.

During their tour of the stalls and displays at the community barbecue, the royal couple stopped to watch a sheepdog display and the King chuckled when Colt, an Australian Kelpie, appeared to struggle to herd the cattle towards the pen.

It took several minutes for the sheepdog to get them back into the right place and Charles, Camilla and the crowd burst into applause when they were successfully locked in their pen.

The King remarked: “That was brilliant.”

Nearby the Sydney Thunder cricket team were waiting to give Charles a gift, with player Chris Grant saying afterwards: “We gave him our First Nations jersey, our Indigenous playing jersey.”

He added: “It was pretty special to meet the King personally and it’s amazing to see the turnout today.”