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New Beginning for MCS LTD

We can and do supply honest, hard working, experienced, competent and talented Culinary Training Managers. Who are available with very good references. I myself am the head Consultant / Development Chef and have many references from Masters of vessels I have sailed on.

We as a Company can help you build your Culinary staff competency ensuring that your business complies with laws and maritime ILO regulations.

View the current newsletter – Volume 1 – Issue 2

Successfully set up the onboard Catering department of the newly delivered LNG carrier

As a start to 2015, MCS successfully set up the onboard Catering department of the newly delivered LNG carrier – Cool Explorer, the third high-specification LNG carrier for Thenamaris LNG Inc.

As part of their consistently high standards in safety and quality throughout their integrated ship management services, Thenamaris LNG Inc. commissioned MCS to provide its services and requisite training to ensure compliance onboard the LNG Cool Explorer within current ILO/MLC 2006 regulations and to implement recommended policies and practices, including catering standards, safety, HACCP. Pollution, health and hygiene, risk assessment and menu planning and cooking for different cultures within its Catering Department, to obtain and maintain the high levels of services required onboard by Thenamaris LNG Inc.

Voyonic Marine Catering Services: Menu budgeting

Voyonic Marine Catering Services: Menu budgeting

Aberdeen: Master chef Henry Anderson is adamant that food at sea can be better and cheaper. The founder of the UK’s Marine Catering Services (MCS) says owners are scrutinizing every aspect of a ship’s day-to-day budget and his team can help cut costs. MCS achieves this by preventing unnecessary food wastage, preventing overstocking and food produce being out of date by correct training of chief cooks and Masters, and the training of staff to ensure structure, quality of food and the standard of menu is correct for nutritional value to come in line with clients’ budget.

MCS has a new victualing program. As well MCS trains catering staff, masters, Shipmanagement teams to the required level of ILO/LMC 2006 onboard merchant vessels. There’s also an onshore course to aid fleet directors and superintendents to achieve the required level of ILO/LMC 2006. On top of that MCS has onshore culinary training courses in Manila in the Philippines,

Anderson, 53, worked for large catering companies both on and offshore from 1976 until 2000. He then became a training development chef for a large catering company on merchant sea going vessels.

He founded MCS in 2004 because, he says, “I saw where I could make improvements in training and across the board.

Raising standards and cutting costs by Amanda Roberts, Jeanius Consulting

The introduction of the ILO and MLC regulations has not only resulted in a higher standard of requirements for accommodation, cleanliness and hygiene, but highlighted the importance of food quality and the qualifications of the staff producing it.  While this presents a daily challenge to ship owners and operators, engaging the services of  industry experts, Marine Catering Services, has enabled a number of shipping companies to make real cost savings while raising on-board standards.

Marine Catering Services (MCS) has provided hands-on catering and housekeeping training since it was founded in 2004 by industry renowned chef, Henry Anderson. A rapidly growing company with worldwide experience, MCS prides itself on providing face-to-face training enabling greater engagement with crew and breaking down language barriers, unlike competitors who use distance learning training techniques.

Focusing on HACCP food safety management, stock rotation, menu planning and eliminating waste, MCS looks closely at diet on-board ship, ensuring a balanced diet to suit all ethinic minorities. Chefs are taught what they should be cutting and how to do so correctly to avoid wastage. First and foremost Chef’s are taught safety first, and hygiene practices are in place at all times.  Staff are fully trained to understand both their own responsibilities and those of their colleagues, with a system built and documentation fully implemented by MCS. On completion of each course catering staff will be assessed on the standard of their work through an appraisal and development plan, to work towards until the next onboard training session, enabling continual improvement of skills and knowledge onboard ship.

Henry says: ” The way MCS differs from other companies is that we educate ship management teams from the Master right back.  When we leave the ship they have a package in place they can control and work with until my next visit. It’s not a one hit wonder, my team visit, visit and visit, to build a continuing relationship.”

The focus on more structured audits – covering everything from the standard of fridges, to the working hours of staff, usage of correct cleaning products, quality of machinery plus much more – is a contributing factor for audit failure for some vessels.

Henry believes the key to success lies in education. “We strive for perfection, MCS don’t do failure. We look at failure and we bring it up to our standards.  No matter what you throw at us we will take it on board, we will work with it; we will get it right for your company.  We will take the unworkable and make it workable.”

Over the last few years, Henry has restructured and resourced MCS to be well placed for it’s worldwide clientele and has been working with a wide range of ship owners and operators to achieved ILO/MLC compliance both pre and post ILO/MLC implementation.

With the introduction of higher standards, Henry and MCS’ services have never been more in demand especially with owners and operators keen to see cost savings and greater efficiency.

Marine Catering Services to train Rio Tinto catering staff to ILO/MLC standard

Long working hours and even longer periods away from home make for a tough life for seafarers and the standard of conditions onboard ship can impact hugely on a crew’s overall well being.

ILO and MLC 2006 3.2 regulations, which came into force in August, address many of the issues surrounding living conditions for seafarers and ensure they are provided with nutritious, well structured meals and a safe and clean environment to live in.

Henry Anderson, Consultant Chef and Founder of Marine Catering Services, is leading the way in training catering staff both onboard vessels and offshore at a top catering school in Manila, the Philippines to comply with latest industry standards.

Due to set sail onboard Anglo-Eastern’s Rio Tinto fleet in China this week until mid-December, Henry says the MCS team is sought after for this type of training due to their uncompromising attitude and approach to breaking down communication issues.

He says: “I never turn my back if I see someone doing something wrong. I will stop them, tell them why I am stopping them and demonstrate how things should be done in order to nullify that behaviour immediately. My team and I will break that habit because we need to close that door behind ourselves in order for catering staff to be trained to the best standard they can reach.”

Henry believes the success of MLC is due to the support of a team who share his diligent work ethic and who persist until they get the best out of the catering staff they are training. Henry is also proud to acknowledge he has never received negative feedback regarding any of the vast number of training courses he has provided throughout his years as a marine chef.

Each onboard course starts with Henry or a member of his team conducting an audit to work out what they are dealing with. This includes looking at the galley and food preparation areas, checking for compliance, quality of food onboard, its storage, overall cleanliness, and the hygiene standards of the catering staff.

The next part of the audit is focused on living conditions; checking mattresses, pillows, standard of cabins, cleanliness of bathrooms and sanitisation of showerheads, followed by a look at the standard of recreation spaces and equipment.

The findings of the audit are used to assess where training is most needed and on completion of the visit and training program, Henry reports back to the ship’s Master and the Ship Management Company on what training has been given and if catering staff, Masters and SMT have reached the correct level of standards required to conform with ILO/ MLC 2006 regulations.

“We have to build trust quickly so we can make staff aware of their own responsibilities and build good communication. I usually find, when I go onboard a ship, catering staff aren’t sure of me to begin with. Quickly they realise what I’m teaching them is in their own interests – they’re being given the correct tools to do their job and it’s more cost-effective for the shipmanagement company too,” he adds.

Onshore Catering Staff Training

Onshore Catering Staff Training

Company Hospitality Presentation for Clients
Marine Catering Services can arrange Company Hospitality Presentation for Clients. The presentation could include the following:

a welcome coffee morning
a buffet lunch, followed by a Company presentation
and a seven course degustation menu in the evening, created and presented by Master Chef, Henry Anderson.
Please see sample menus (these can be structured to Clients’ requirements). MCS would be pleased to receive any clients’ or Companies’ requests.

Click here to download the menus.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements.