Army

Exercise Lion Star: Testing Combat And Cooking Skills In Cyprus

British Army chefs have been testing their cooking and combat skills in Cyprus.

Around 100 personnel from 167 Catering Support Regiment, a reserve unit of the Royal Logistic Corps, have been on Exercise Lion Star for the past few weeks.

They have been mixing low-level infantry training with what they know best: providing food to keep the military fighting.

Peeling potatoes as 167 Regiment cooks in Cyprus. — Preparing lunch inside the field kitchen in Dhekelia, where temperatures can reach more than 40 degrees.

British Army chefs are world-renowned, cooking up nutritious meals in the most difficult of environments.

167 is a national regiment, with members drawn from across the UK.

Among the reserves on exercise are bus drivers, bin men and even a banker.

Pressing garlic as 167 Regiment cooks in Cyprus. — For reservist chefs whose primary role is keeping the Army fed, there are plenty of lessons to be learnt.

Barry Sharp is a chef on civvy street and joined the regiment nine years ago.

He says he joined because of the "sense of adventure, and fun": "With the reserves and the Army, you never know what's going to be thrown at you each day."

Since then, he has won gold medals in several Inter Services cooking competitions.

Operations as 167 Regiment cooks in Cyprus. — It is the fuel that keeps any army fighting.

Ant Curtis used to serve in the Pioneer Corps and joined the reserves seven years ago.

Cooking for the Army is very different to his day job in construction.

"I always wanted to join the Army as a kid, was never allowed," he says.

"The age restriction changed, and I did it."

The exercise planners have thrown in a few scenarios to test their soldiering, including a surprise hit-and-run attack.

For this unit, like every other, exercises like this are a chance to practice and learn, to combine their cooking with occasional combat, and become not just great chefs, but competent soldiers too.