No Kitchen Nightmares with Ships' Cooks training book
(Posted on 26/05/21)
Ships’ cooks have a unique role on board a vessel and it is widely known that a well fed crew is essential to the effective running of a ship. Ensuring every ship has a properly trained and experienced cook on board is vital. To support both employers and ships’ cooks, the International Chamber of Shipping has produced a brand new record book to enable ships’ cooks to track their career progression and communicate their expertise and experience to employers and colleagues. This is the first global resource to help cooks on board demonstrate competency and record their training and experience as they develop their careers at sea.
The new Training Record Book for Ships’ Cooks can be used by an individual to demonstrate that they have followed a structured training programme and have an understanding of the core competencies required to safely prepare nutritious and appropriate food during a voyage. It will also act as a record of their experience and career progression and can be used at any level and in any country, both on board and at maritime catering academies.
The new record book has been written based on the competence requirements of the ILO Guidelines on the training of ships’ cooks, enabling evidence of competency to be recorded in all key areas identified by the ILO. It covers both practical and safety skills such as specific cooking techniques and dealing with allergies and food intolerances.
Natalie Shaw, Director of Employment Affairs for the International Chamber of Shipping says: “Seafarers live and work on board ship and mealtimes serve to influence attitudes regarding long periods at sea. Ships’ cooks are essential to the efficient and safe running of any vessel. It is difficult to overestimate how important food and nutrition are to seafarers. Not only does good food enable the seafarer to perform duties effectively, it is also crucial to maintaining the health and morale of crews.
“Indeed the quality of food on board is so essential to crew welfare that it is documented in the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which recognises how important it is to have and serve sufficient food and drinking water of appropriate quality on board by qualified and trained catering personnel.”
The Training Record Book for Ships’ Cooks is the first global resource available to the industry and is an essential companion to the formal training undertaken by ships’ cooks both on board and onshore. Ships’ cooks have very varied backgrounds ranging from the professional chef on a cruise ship through to the reserve ship’s cook covering the mess when the ship’s cook is on shore leave, and this new record book supports those at all levels.
The Training Record Book for Ships’ Cooks is available to purchase from ICS Publications.
Latest News
Positive results for Pacific Basin despite weaker freight market
(Posted on 15/08/25)Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, one of the world’s leading dry bulk shipping companies, has announced... Read more
Swedish Club: Geopolitical volatility is new normal for marine insurance
(Posted on 14/08/25)The shipping industry must accept that geopolitical instability is now a permanent part of the operating... Read more
Diverse vessel and market portfolio provides resilience for Algoma
(Posted on 11/08/25)Algoma Central Corporation has reported its results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025... Read more
Columbia: Compliance must be more than box-ticking exercise
(Posted on 11/08/25)The International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) has sent a clear message... Read more
DNV and RSI complete study on decarbonising short sea dry bulk fleet
(Posted on 07/08/25)Amid increasing pressure on shipping to achieve the IMO 2050 decarbonization targets, the Responsible... Read more
London P&I Club warns industry over incorrect FIBC loading
(Posted on 04/08/25)The London P&I Club has renewed calls on ship owners, operators and charterers to address potential... Read more
Columbia Group calls for overhaul of maritime training
(Posted on 04/08/25)Columbia Group is calling for urgent reforms in maritime education to address a growing shortage of... Read more
MIS launches as new global media platform
(Posted on 30/07/25)Maritime Information Services (MIS) has officially launched as a global media platform delivering daily... Read more
Russian and Ukrainian seafarers continue struggle with psychiatric fallout of war
(Posted on 30/07/25)Russian and Ukrainian seafarers continue to experience significant psychological strain following the... Read more
Noatum expands global footprint with inauguration of Shanghai office
(Posted on 30/07/25)Noatum Maritime, part of AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, announced the official... Read more
