I'm a professional chef in Antarctica, and let me tell you, it's an adventure like no other. Just getting there is a journey in itself, involving multiple planes and a three to five-day trek. It was a childhood dream come true, a challenge to test my mettle against the vastness of the continent. I almost joined the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) 30 years ago, but life intervened with the arrival of my first child. Instead, I've cooked my way through Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and London, hotels in Kuala Lumpur and St Moritz, and even a school in Oxfordshire. But in 2016, I took a sabbatical and finally joined BAS as a chef for the summer. Five years later, I returned for the winter, and last year, I became the organization's full-time catering manager. I was ready for the adventure that awaited me.
At our main hub, Rothera, we have four chefs in the summer. Each day begins with baking bread, and we go through around 12kg of bread mix during peak season. We serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a traditional 'smoko' at 10 am. It's a hearty meal featuring bacon rolls, beans, sausages, tomatoes, and soups, totaling 5,000 calories per day, twice the usual intake for a grown man. The staff are often outside in the cold, being highly active.
Our kitchen is a canteen, not a Michelin-starred restaurant, but we take pride in our meals. Since the staff are mostly British, we cook familiar dishes like toad in the hole, shepherd's pie, fish and chips, curries, and a roast every Sunday. On Saturdays, we indulge in a restaurant-style experience with tablecloths and candles, often with a themed menu. For a 1970s dinner party, we served franks and mash with pineapple and glace cherries.
Despite the limited options, we have a good range of products. The food is frozen upon arrival, requiring thawing, which affects taste. Meat, fish, and dairy maintain their quality, but fruits and vegetables lose their texture and crunch. We must carefully manage our supplies, as there's only one food delivery per year at Rothera. I order bacon and sausages by the tonne, stocking up on chopped tomatoes, tins of potatoes, and other essentials. Dry food fills up to four 20ft-long shipping containers, while frozen goods occupy one or two similar-sized freezers.
Our kitchen is professional, and you'd never guess you're in Antarctica unless you looked out the window. The view of icebergs, sea, and mountains is breathtaking. The continent is barren, with only emperor penguins in sight. However, on the peninsula, you'll find a diverse range of wildlife, including various penguin species, seals, and whales. And let's not forget the birds: skuas, albatrosses, and petrels.
Antarctica's temperatures can be a shock, reaching -40C in the winter on the ice shelf. When you join BAS, you receive a kit bag with essential gear, and you're trained in self-care in the cold. The key is to wear the right clothing, avoid getting wet, eat fatty and sugary foods, and stay active.
Being in Antarctica changes your perspective. You realize, as Jean Bodin said, that 'there is no wealth but in men.' Material possessions become less valuable when you must recycle, package, and ship all your waste back home. It makes you aware of the wastefulness of rich Western societies.
Returning to the real world can be challenging. I often question if I fit into that world anymore. When you're in Antarctica, you must remember how fortunate you are. It's a privilege, and I remind myself to enjoy it to the fullest. As told to Emma Magnus. Do you have an experience to share? Email experience@theguardian.com.
