Sailors aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth are being fed around the clock rather than at fixed meal times, under a trial the Royal Navy has chosen the carrier to run on behalf of the whole fleet, according to the service.
The ship, currently training around the United Kingdom, is the testbed for what the Navy calls its Generational Change to Feeding programme. Fleet Caterer Warrant Officer 1 Wes Cain and Chief Petty Officer Chris Roberts of the Flag Officer Sea Training organisation have been working with nutritionists and scientists from the Institute of Naval Medicine on how the service feeds people at sea, and on what today’s sailors actually want to eat.
The carrier has two main galleys, and the forward one has been turned into what the ship’s company have taken to calling the grazing galley, serving food without a break from nine in the morning until six in the evening. Salmon bagels, fruit salad and toasted paninis are among the options, batch cooked to keep up with demand, while the aft galley carries on providing three traditional meals a day.
Warrant Officer 2 Barney Barnes, the ship’s catering warrant officer, said: “Everyone onboard is busy, so giving people a chance to eat at a time that suits them and their working pattern should be a big help to a lot of people.
“For example, we were finding many of our watchkeepers would skip breakfast to prioritise rest after a busy watch. This new way of feeding allows them to still be able to have something to eat, which in turn increases both their morale and operational effectiveness.”
He added: “Our golden rule is that we’re not taking anything away. There will still be meals served at set times; all-day feeding gives our sailors options to eat something else instead.”
Part of the purpose is easing the load on the catering department itself, which numbers 50 and faces a punishing schedule when the carrier has her squadrons embarked and around 1,600 people aboard. Spreading demand across the day rather than concentrating it into three rushes is intended to even out the shifts.
The ship’s logistics officer, Adam Cook, said: “A huge part of why we introduced this was to balance our caterers’ workload against the demands they’re facing.
“Our goal is to make catering easier in the long run. Spreading demand throughout the day will ease some of the pressure on those working regular galley shifts.”
Bagels and panini!! What about egg banjos and sausage sarnies?
Id have loved this when I was at sea.
As opposed to a wet with loads of sugar and maybe some biscuits, if there were any, to keep going!
I can still see it! – Haddock, sprouts, mash and gravy,,,,,,,,,,,, Or, there you are in full anti-flash and some tw*t gives you a bloody Dairylea to fight with!