An unusual museum has put the Prince of Wales’ leftover crumbs, and other bizarre celebrity items, on sale.
The public are being offered a chance to buy a collection which features a chunk of bread pudding once nibbled by the Prince of Wales, a small piece of lemon drizzle cake left by the film director Michael Winner, and a crust from photographer David Bailey’s cheese sandwich.
These are just some of the highlights of the ‘Museum of Celebrity Leftovers’ created by Michael and Francesca Bennett at their Old Boatstore beachside café in the Cornish village of Kingsand.
In 2004 the couple was so delighted when Bailey dropped in that they kept the crust and displayed it. The museum was born, housed in the café, with entry free to all customers.
Now the Bennetts are selling the café – in a seaside spot popular with holidaymakers – and are open to offers in excess of £1,800 for the collection. Proceeds will go to the charity CLIC Sargent, for children with cancer.
Among more than 20 exhibits, stored in airtight jars, are cake crumbs from two members of the ‘prog-rock’ band Hawkwind, leftovers from retired newsreader Jan Leeming and actress Mia Wasikowska, and a chickpea left by an ex-staff member who appeared on The Weakest Link.
The price tag might be considered a good deal given the apparently-buoyant state of the celebrity leftovers market. A slice of French toast bitten into by the pop star Justin Timberlake has sold for $1,025 (£640), and a single tissue blown into by the actress Scarlett Johansson fetched £3,600 for charity.
Whilst the owners have put an estimated value on each exhibit, any prospective buyer must purchase the museum in its entirety: the Bennetts cannot bear to see such a historic collection split up.
Museum of Celebrity Leftovers puts Prince’s crumbs on sale
