An Army chef from Moray has been tasked with feeding an entire detachment of soldiers on a Nato mission in Poland, serving up to 5,000 meals a day.
Sergeant Richard Lumsden, from Elgin, is the man in charge of a team of dozens of cooks comprising local crews and two other British personnel.
Together they will be responsible for feeding the personnel at the Operation Cabrit camp in eastern Poland, whose number includes troops from the UK as well as America, Romania and Croatia.
When serving up thousands of meals, seven days a week, to meet a range of dietary and belief options, it may be tempting to focus on quantity over quality.
However the 32-year-old, who is attached to the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, insists nutrition is always his primary focus.
He said: “The food for each day is only delivered at 4am, an arrangement that is only usually practised by top restaurants as it provides the freshest ingredients for the diners.
“As an Army chef I understand the responsibility and take seriously the effect of food on soldiers.
“I learned this in Afghanistan, where I spent four months in a forward operating base working 18-hour shifts to provide for the soldiers. Morale is key.”
While deployed on the Nato mission, tasked with securing the boundary of Eastern Europe, Sgt Lumsden has created dishes to celebrate national celebrations.
A memorial curry was served to mark the predecessor regiment’s participation in the Battle of Balaklava in Crimea in 1854, where 1,200 on both sides lost their lives.
However, sourcing haggis to celebrate Burns Night in January proved one of the most tricky tasks, with Polish butchers not stocking the delicacy.
Sgt Lumsden, who plans to open a restaurant in Pitlochry after leaving the Army, and his team were eventually able to source the necessary ingredients from local farms.
The father-of-two believes his career in the armed forces has prepared him well for life in business.
He added: “The qualifications the Army has given me and the management experience that I am developing have set me up well for this.”
