Reluctant to drop names, Leading Seaman Mitchell Constable cooked for Leonardo DiCaprio and Baz Luhrmann during the filming of The Great Gatsby as a civilian, but found cooking for sailors more rewarding.
After dreaming of becoming a chef since the age of seven, training at a leading culinary school and spending years working 60 to 70-hour weeks in Sydney, Leading Seaman Constable made a sea change.
It was the grind of living pay cheque to pay cheque and living in share houses that wore thin, leading him to join the Navy in 2020.
Posted to HMAS Ballarat, Leading Seaman Constable said it wasn't just the better pay and conditions, but the different roles and skills he gained along the way.
"Whether its flight deck training or a night-time man-overboard exercise in the middle of the ocean, tearing along in a rigid hull inflatable boat - there are plenty of cool experiences," he said.
At sea, food is morale.
"If the food's not good, people aren't happy. But if you're a good chef, the ship's got your back. The sailors really appreciate what you do for them," he said.
As to the quality of his team's food, Leading Seaman Constable said when he cooked for soldiers during Operation Resolute they "couldn't believe it".
"They were like, 'This is the best food I've had in my entire life'," Leading Seaman Constable said.
'If the food's not good, people aren't happy. But if you're a good chef, the ship's got your back. The sailors really appreciate what you do for them.'
One highlight of his duties was preparing menus for the commanding officer's lunches, where, upon arriving at a port, the commanding officer hosted a meal for local dignitaries.
This allowed him to scratch that 'chef's itch', with the chance to flex his skills in a more refined culinary setting.
Leading Seaman Constable also had a passion for teaching, having apprentices and turning people into good chefs.
"If someone wants to learn, I've got all the time in the world for them and I'll respect that about them," he said.
Leading Seaman Constable said the civilian culinary world often had a reputation for head chefs verbally abusing their staff, much like Gordon Ramsay in the show Boiling Point.
"You definitely have those personalities, and it can be quite a toxic culture of 'I was treated like this, so that's how I'm going to treat you'. My aim is to break that cycle," he said.
"There is no place for bullying and harassment."
Leading Seaman Constable said he loved the direct connection with the sailors he cooked for, not just cooking for customers, but for his mates.
