Update for chefs with Secrets de Cuisine Marine Cookery Assessment

March 2024:

Update 1:

I recently had an email with an update from the UK MCA with regards to chefs sending them their marine cookery assessment in order to obtain the actual MCA issued Ships Cook Certificate.

They said that there are still around 20 chefs who sat the assessment in Antibes with Secrets de Cuisine before August 2019 who have not sent off to the MCA this certificate to apply for the MCA issued ships cook cert.

So if you have just the Secrets de Cuisine Marine Cookery Assessment issued before or around August 2019, the MCA ask that you complete the MCA Ships Cook application form and send to them!

They will then issue you with the MCA SCC book which looks a bit like a Seaman’s Book.

Update 2:

But very sad news for chefs who did the assessment with Secrets de Cuisine after Aug 2019 the MCA has told me they wont accept this as they were not an approved centre after this date.

Example: I recently spoke with an Italian yacht head chef who had invested in the assessment and food hygiene course in Feb 2020 with Secrets de Cuisine and passed it and got the marine cookery assessment cert from Secrets. He didnt realise he then had to send this to the MCA so when we chatted I told him I would check with the MCA if they would issue the MCA SCC to him.

Unfortunately the MCA wrote back and said they cant accept it and so he was out of pocket and very pissed off. He ended up applying to the Cayman Is for recognition as a ships cook which cost him just over USD300.

Note: I am just relaying the info I received from MCA to provide updates to yacht chefs.