Hobbies: walking with my dog, keeping me busy with my children and husband, and sports
What makes Gwen smile: when I see my family happy.
What makes Gwen sad: the misery in the world.
Dream: that I can mean something for many who are struggling
1.00 AM: time for coffee
Today I have a long drive ahead of me to Germany. I always set my alarm clock on time because I like to take my time to drink some coffee before I begin my day. I take a refreshing shower. Today I don't have to make lunch because it’s provided on board of the vessel we’re going to audit.
2.00 AM: a long drive to Bremershaven
It's still dark and there are not a lot of people on the road. At 2 o'clock I meet my colleague Frank in Stabroek (Belgium) at a gas station. When we have to go far for an audit we usually drive together. We start our drive to Bremerhaven in Germany where they are expecting us on an offshore vessel for stock and audit.
6.00 AM: arrival Bremerhaven and talk with the captain
We report to the watchman, who in turn asks permission from the captain. We register in the logbook and go on board. We don't come unexpectedly. Yesterday we already contacted the captain by phone. We have to take more stringent measures because of the Covid-19-virus. We don't shake hands and keep enough distance. But luckily we can do our work as we are used to.We talk to the captain first. We like to know if there have been any problems. Was he satisfied with the cook and the mess man (assistant to the cook)? We also like to hear if he was satisfied with the quality of the food so that we can follow this up properly and make changes with suppliers if necessary. The captain tells us he was very satisfied. That’s always nice to hear!
6.30 AM: meet the cook
Next we go to the galley (cooking area on the vessel). There we meet the cook and the mess man. We have a talk and a coffee together.
7.00 AM: counting stock
Before we start our inventory we start by measuring the temperature of the freezer and refrigerator because the temperature will rise while we are working inside. We start counting all food that is left to know how much waste there is. By counting stock and importing these data in our system we get a better view on consumption and budget. We write everything down manually, because tablets sometimes stop working in cold temperatures. We have to move boxes around a lot, so we need to have our hands free quickly. That’s why pen and paper work more easily. We check if all racks are clean and if there’s no unpacked food lying around. All food has to be labelled with the date of freezing, expiration date... We repeat this audit in the freezer, refrigerator and dry room.
9.00 AM: hygiene and safety check
A well-deserved lunch with all of us together to enjoy what we have been cooking in the morning. Normally for lunch we serve bread and butter, soup, salad, main course, potato dish and fruits in season. After we’ve enjoyed our varied menu, we make sure the galley is spic and span.
12:00 AM: Lunch!
The client offers us to stay for lunch. We accept with pleasure because we know by now that the galley is in perfect condition. The food is tasty and varied with a choice between fish, meat and different vegetables. IFS chefs learn to take into account the nationalities of the crew in their training. Depending on the nationalities on board the cook for example serves more rice than fries or potatoes.
13:30 PM: discuss audit score with captain
After lunch we discuss the audit with the captain. We give him the end score and also talk about things that can be improved. The client will receive our final report with added pictures and data later this week. We sign out with the watchman and we are ready to go home where we prepare for a next audit.
