Royal Navy Visit

Brooklands College welcomed serving members of the Royal Navy on Wednesday, giving students an insight into life in the Navy and hosting a practical cooking session with our Catering students.

The Royal Navy forms part of the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence and goes far and beyond in providing physical defences at sea, deterring the smuggling of drugs and looting, and providing humanitarian aid and logistical support in times of crisis.

Our Uniformed Public Services students first enjoyed an insightful talk into the life of a serving member of the Royal Navy. It was stressed about it being far from a regular day job, allowing you to travel the world whilst making a difference.

With over 60 different jobs to choose from in the Navy, it can be a highly rewarding career that is shaped by training, travel and adventure. The role of a chef is arguably just as crucial as those running the ships when it comes to the day-to-day operations and smooth running of the Naval fleet.

The three Navy chefs – Nick, Jason and Mattie – have served in far-flung countries as far as Iraq and Afghanistan for a combined total of 30 years. They explained to our Catering students about the requirement of becoming a trained firefighter as part of their training.

With a set of ingredients placed in front of them, students were tasked with dishing up a delicious main course and dessert. The ingredients consisted of essential foods such as chicken, potatoes, tinned chopped tomatoes and eggs. Both time management and presentation were highlighted as key to this task. Splitting into groups, one group produced a tasty chicken stir-fry followed by a divine chocolate pudding. Another group served up another chicken dish, with our pallets sweetened by Churros that was complemented by chocolate orange sauce.

The sessions provided a useful insight into the various career options available in the Royal Navy and gave students the opportunity to have their questions answered.