Life in the galley: Feeding thousands, ready for anything

I’m a chief cook, but I’m also trained as a first responder. At BC Ferries, catering staff don’t just serve meals, we’re ready for emergencies too.

If there’s an evacuation, a fire, a man overboard, or a security incident, we’re expected to respond with precision. That’s part of the marine industry. It’s not if those skills will be needed, it’s when. Some things are predictable: a fire or taking on water. But the behavior of passengers isn’t. Some will hold it together and some won’t, because people react in different ways. So, we always have to be ready.

Almost every day, something happens that swells my heart with a bit of pride. Helping someone navigate serious food allergy concern or guiding a first-time traveler through emergency procedural questions. Whatever the issue is, our crew steps up and helps. If we don’t know an answer, we find it.  I just want to get passengers across safely, and if they want a hot meal, that’s part of keeping them comfortable.

There are challenges though. Cost of living is one. When I started, it was possible to cover rent, groceries, and utilities on part-time wages. That’s no longer the case. Times are tough, and sometimes you see how passengers behave. We try to keep an even keel and do our jobs the best we can.

Cooking on a ship also brings unique challenges. Let’s say there was a fire in the kitchen in a pub on shore. You pull the fire alarm, and you just leave. On ship, you must handle the emergency yourself.

Space is limited and the work is high volume.  We make thousands of meals daily with a crew of up to just six. There’s also the rest of the team that serves outside the galley, taking orders and clearing tables. They’re all important, just like in any restaurant. Without each of them it would all fall apart.

On these relatively short runs, like Route 1 and 2, we have about an hour and 40 minutes to two hours to serve everyone. That means moving a huge volume of passengers through the cafeteria quickly. On longer sailings, such as the Inside Passage, crews face different challenges. They serve the same group of passengers multiple meals over the course of a day, with a broader menu for both passengers and live-aboard crew. Both settings demand teamwork, but the pace and style of service are very different depending on the ship and the route.

If I could change anything, it would be nice to have more menu. I’ve been a cook longer than I’ve worked at BC Ferries. As cooks, we have skills beyond making large volumes of food. A little more room for creativity and new menu ideas would go a long way.

As a supervisor, I have the ability and obligation to direct crew in a respectful way. Real leadership means going first, showing the way, and standing up for our members when their rights are at risk.

As a shop steward, my role is protecting the rights of my crew. Part of that is helping people understand the difference between a complaint and a contract breach. If there’s a complaint, I’ll hear it, but if there’s a breach, then let’s explore that because we want to make sure that our members’ rights are upheld.

That’s what unions are here for, to protect the people who protect you on the water, and it’s at the heart of what I believe in.

Peter Kelly, Shop Steward, Local 2 Nanaimo Chief Cook