The Men Who Feed the North Sea - Kev Geddes & Stephen Henry

Both started their careers as Army chefs before making the move offshore. Between them, they have spent more than two decades feeding crews across production platforms, drilling rigs and accommodation vessels. We spoke about what really goes on behind the scenes in an offshore galley. From feeding more than 550 people offshore, to dealing with food complaints, Christmas dinners away from home and the strange requests they receive on a daily basis, this was a brilliant conversation and one that highlights just how important catering is to morale offshore. Because if there is one thing every offshore worker looks forward to during the day, it is meal times. 00:00 Intro 00:20 Introduction to Kev and Stephen 01:32 How two Army chefs ended up offshore 04:21 What an offshore chef actually does 06:46 Feeding more than 550 people offshore 08:41 Why offshore workers eat so much 11:35 The biggest challenges of offshore catering 13:27 Delayed boats and running out of fresh food 15:43 Drilling rigs versus production platforms 19:42 Why food is so important for morale offshore 23:35 The funniest requests they've received offshore 25:01 When meals go badly wrong 29:55 Reusing leftovers and reducing waste 30:26 Dealing with complaints and negative feedback 36:35 The offshore workers who can never eat enough 38:26 Why offshore food costs more than people think 40:42 The new offshore weight policy 43:57 Healthy eating offshore and changing habits 49:43 The smoked mackerel curry story 52:08 Birthday cakes and special requests 54:06 Favourite meals to cook offshore 55:35 Christmas and New Year offshore 58:02 Their proudest offshore moments If you've worked offshore, I'd love to know: How important is food to morale on board? And what is the strangest meal combination you've ever seen someone put on a plate?