Campaign launched to celebrate seafarers’ cooking skills

Global maritime charity Stella Maris has launched a novel campaign which celebrates seafarers’ cooking skills and resourcefulness to prepare nourishing meals at sea. 
 


The charity is asking seafarers to share their recipes for food that gives them sustenance on board - from breakfasts that fuel the day ahead, to comforting main meals that bring crews together, to energy-giving quick snacks for a busy watch. 
 


At the end of the campaign, Stella Maris will produce a new seafarers’ cookbook dedicated to seafarers, filled with chosen recipes from crews around the world. Recipes featured in the cookbook will win a US $50 prize each. 
 


“Access to nutritious, healthy food on board can be a challenge for many crews. Long stretches away from port, limited supplies, tight budgets and unpredictable schedules 
can make it difficult to provide balanced meals,” said Tim Hill CEO and National Director of Stella Maris UK. 

“Meals can become repetitive, yet seafarers show remarkable skill and resourcefulness in turning whatever is available into nourishing dishes that keep people going on long voyages.” 
 


The cookbook celebrates those skills and will provide a variety of delicious and wholesome meals that can be easily put together by any crews at sea. It aims to show the creative and practical ways crews manage to cook healthy food with a limited budget and access to a variety of ingredients. 
 


Tim said: “At sea, there is a story behind every meal, and we want to hear it. For example, it might be family dishes seafarers have adapted for life on board or meals 
made from store cupboard staples. 
 


“We’d like seafarers to tell us why the recipe matters to them: does it remind them of home, make a simple ingredient go further, or lift the mood of the crew when times are hard? Whether simple or elaborate, we want to see their recipes,” he added. “Write them down, add the stories, and send them to us.”
 


The stories will sit alongside the recipes in the cookbook, making it not just a guide to healthy eating but a celebration of life at sea. It is a nod to the originality and resourcefulness of seafarers who make the best of whatever they have at hand to create tasty, wholesome and comforting meals on board that in turn help them stay healthy and focused, supporting their wellbeing on long voyages. 
 


For more information visit: https://stellamaris.org.uk/recipes/