Ramsay restaurant team joins the navy

Verre by Gordon Ramsay executive chef Matt Pickop [centre] conducts a chocolatey cooking demonstration with two assistants from HMS Cumberland's compa

Pickop added that he had been keen for his kitchen team to gain an insight into a Royal Navy warship, especially with regards to its galley facilities.

“These guys onboard manage to cook out 400 meals every service,” he marvelled.

“They have so much against them; they’re facing all sorts of challenges, and holding their roles in the navy as well as being chefs — plus they have to work solely with the ingredients they’ve got when they’re at sea for long periods of time.

“As a chef I have so much respect for that,” continued Pickop.

“They really are incredible examples of working under pressure. It’s all down to team-work, passion and effort — and that’s really what being a chef is all about as well.”

Story continues below

HMS Cumblerland’s Lieutenant Commander Wayne Middleton said challenges for the kitchen team onboard were numerous.

“To start with there’s the sea state, the conditions, the weather and the heat.

"But the main issue is that we’re at sea for 30 days at a time, so it’s tough maintaining the variety of meals and decent ingredients, as well as maintaining some sense of normality through the weeks, like having fish and chips on a Friday and steak on a Saturday.

“We also do a theme night once a week as well,” he added. “You’ve got to try to have variety and appeal to everyone.”

Middleton said the cooking demonstration had been “great fun as well as a bit of an education”, and added that eight crew members had also arranged to attend a cooking class at Verre.

The on-site gourmet cooking classes at Verre by Gordon Ramsay, launched in February this year, are aimed at cooking enthusiasts who wish to learn the “tricks of the trade” from the outlet’s chefs themselves.