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A day in the life: Sara Sipek

I became a chef at sea because…
I’ve always enjoyed cooking and experimenting with food and I was brought up by the sea, so I think it has always been in my blood. I tried for quite some time to get a company to employ me; however, after writing to 50 companies over a few years, only one offered me a job – most wrote back to say they did not employ females in the galley.

The most rewarding part of my job is…
Guests’ positive comments regarding my team and getting to travel and see the world.

The most challenging part is…
Serving hot food during a busy dinner service of 400 or more main courses at one time!

The most common dining request from guests…
Most people ask for steak.

The worst kitchen disaster to happen at sea was…
Running out of turkey, brussel sprouts and roast potatoes during a Christmas dinner. I won’t say which ship I was on or what year it was, as I hope we covered it up well and the guests did not notice!

My favourite food is…
Mushrooms. I can eat them with everything and I really love wild mushrooms cooked in crème fraiche on toast.

My favourite destination is…
Barbados, mainly because there is everything on one island – shopping, beaches, nightlife and good food.

To relax I like to…
Dare I say it, I do a lot of cooking and baking as I find it very relaxing. I also really enjoy walking and spend a lot of my time on country walks in the Kent Downs.

If I was allowed to take only one possession to a desert island…
If I can’t have my phone, it would be a machete!

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