Ship's Cook Certificate
Tante Marie Culinary Academy is pleased to announce that we are now providing the Assessment in Marine Cookery – the Ship’s Cook Assessment – a vital step in achieving the Ship’s Cook Certificate of Competency.
This course is ideally suited to experienced chefs who are already working on-board and need to update their certification, or to chefs who have solid industry experience and wish to begin a career on-board a vessel.
We are located within easy reach of Heathrow and Gatwick airports, central London and the south coast and have a range of local accommodation solutions. Our state-of-the-art facilities combined with our online 'Virtual Learning Environment' (VLE) means we are the ideal place to gain the accreditation you and your crew need, as quickly and simply as possible, to ensure compliance with MLC 2006.
What is the SCC and do I need it?
All chefs on UK-registered commercial vessels which operate more than 60 miles offshore with 10 or more seafarers on board must hold a Ship’s Cook Certificate. This qualification replaces the previous Merchant Shipping (Certificate of Ship’s Cooks) Regulations 1981.
Ship’s cooks may qualify from the age of 18 and minimum sea time has now been reduced from 5 years to one month. Additionally, to be eligible applicants will also need to have completed Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) basic safety courses and hold a current Medical Fitness Certificate. Therefore this qualification is part of the overall certification process.
The new culinary training will additionally encompass cultural, religious and shift worker catering and dietary requirements, and Food Safety in catering. Additionally ALL crew who handle food will also require the minimum of Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering. (Supervisors and Head Chefs are strongly recommended to hold a Level 3 Certificate in Supervising Food Safety).
Please note that the MCA will now NOT accept on-line or ‘in-house’ Food Safety Certification. These qualifications must be attained through an accredited provider, with a physical supervised examination. Tante Marie will provide Food Safety Levels 2/3 and HACCP training as part of the course, with online access in advance to our Virtual Learning Experience (VLE), after registration.
Accredited Prior Learning If you already hold a valid UK Ship’s Cook Certificate under the Merchant Shipping (Certificate of Ship’s Cooks) Regulations 1981 or hold professional chef qualifications, the MCA may accept these as evidence of Accredited Prior Learning and you may only need to complete certain elements in order to apply for your SCC.
This table gives you an example of which course would be suitable for you depending on your existing experience and qualifications, and the fee structure of the courses we are offering:
The above is a guideline only and for more detailed information or advice please refer to MCA MSN 1846 or contact Tante Marie.
The preparation and assessment is run over 4/5 days and we offer flexibility to omit elements where Accredited Prior Learning applies.
This assessment forms part of the application to the Maritime Coastguard Agency for full Ship’s Cook Certification. Applicants will additionally need to complete the other requirements as specified under MSN1846.
The Course is primarily an assessment of skills in a practical kitchen. There are elements of theory that are covered using pre-course learning through access to our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) including online support from the Course Leader.
Eligibility and Application Process
In order to be eligible to complete this assessment candidates must:
- be aged 18 years or over
- have a proven track record of work experience in a professional kitchen
- hold a professional cookery qualification at Level 2 for UK (Tante Marie can advise OR see MCA MSN 1846 for a list of acceptable prior qualifications)
- have a proven track record/portfolio of skills that can be cross-referenced to course requirements
- have competent spoken and written English and numeracy skills, including using a calculator
Tante Marie also requires Candidates to produce a short current CV and covering letter outlining the reasons for wishing to undertake this qualification and to provide us with an insight into your professional cooking competencies and aspirations. This will better enable us to factor the Assessment Days to your specific needs, and therefore these must be submitted to us as part of the initial application process, along with scanned copies of any relevant qualifications or documentation.
How to Prepare for this Course – The Tante Marie Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
Candidates should recognise that this is an assessment of skills not a teaching course. It is advised that candidates carefully read the Learning Outcomes and Assessment criteria within the MCA document, MCA MSN 1846, as outlined in Annex 1 & 2.It is important that you identify any areas or skill sets of which you are unsure. This is necessary as any one of the Assessment Criteria may come up either in the written Food Safety or Theoretical Examinations or on the days of Practical Kitchen Assessments.
At Tante Marie Culinary Academy we recognise the fact that some subject areas are new, and some skills may not be familiar, even to experienced chefs. Therefore we have created a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which, after registration, will allow Ship’s Cook Certificate candidates online access to many useful videos, tutorials, etc., in order to refresh skills and gain knowledge. Access to the VLE is available for 6 months when the course fee is paid, and is an invaluable resource for prospective candidates.
To further facilitate your qualification requirements, there will be compulsory elements of offsite VLE assessments and tests by the Tante Marie Course Leader, before you can sit the examination or complete the practical assessments in the Culinary Academy in Woking. These elements will further help you to identify any areas with which you are unsure and help you with valuable feedback.
Areas which will be covered will include the relevant MCA requirements, namely:
- Health and Safety
- Kitchen Operations, costs and menu planning
- Dietary Requirements of Shift Workers
- Applying work place skills
- Cultural and Religious Requirements
- Healthier Foods and Special Diets
What does the Tante Marie Culinary Academy Assessment involve?
(Please note that this is an indicative timetable ONLY as each course is individually tailored to the candidate’s particular requirements and pre-existing levels of Certification).
Typically, the course will consist of:
For the Kitchen-based assessments candidates will be expected to present themselves in suitable clean Chef Uniform, with own knives etc. Personal presentation and working practices will be factored into the overall Assessment.
What subjects are covered?
The following learning outcomes will be covered within the Kitchen Practical Assessment and, in addition, some of the criteria will have been be covered in the theoretical examination. Full details of criteria detailed in MCA MSN 1846 Annex 2.
In short the Key Food Knowledge and preparation areas to be covered in both theoretical written examination and practical assessment will be:
- Prepare and cook soups and sauces- Prepare and cook fruits and vegetables
- Prepare and cook meat and offal
- Prepare and cook poultry
- Prepare and cook fish and shellfish
- Prepare and cook rice, pasta, grains and egg dishes
- Prepare and cook desserts and puddings
- Prepare and cook bakery products
The Practical Assessments:
The 2 days of Practical Assessment are designed to assess a range of skills encompassed in the learning outcomes.
Full details of the range under each Learning Outcome (L.O.) are detailed within MCA MSN 1846 Document, Annex 1 & 2.
The whole range will not be covered under this assessment, however candidates must be prepared for all Learning Outcomes (L.O’s) as details of the required food preparation and presentation will not be released until the day of assessment. Furthermore, learning outcomes may be combined holistically into one required dish - for example a starter using shellfish with a velouté sauce would cover three L.O.’s: (Starter, shellfish and sauces). Likewise a dessert using fruits either as part of the recipe or as a garnish will combine two L.O.’s: (dessert and fruit).
1st Practical Assessment: Soups, starters, meats, fish, poultry and vegetables
Candidates will be provided the day before, with a menu for assessment. In the first 30 minutes candidates will produce a time plan outlining the order of dishes to be prepared, timings for presentation of each dish and how they will ensure food safety based on HACCP.
They will prepare, cook, finish, serve and evaluate each dish under assessment conditions. The assessor will confirm the ranges covered and if competency has been demonstrated. The Chef Assessor may ask additional verbal questions to ensure knowledge and competency in the skills assessment module.
Candidates will be allowed to take breaks during the assessment according to their own time management skills. Any breach of safe food practices or health and safety working practices will result in failure of the assessment.
2nd Practical Assessment: Pastry, bakery and dessert
Candidates will be provided the day before, with a menu for assessment. In the first 30 minutes, candidates will produce a time plan outlining the order of dishes to be prepared, timings for presentation of each dish and how they will ensure food safety based on HACCP.
Candidates will be assessed on hot and cold desserts, fermented goods, bread and pastry.
All competencies and food preparation requirements for assessment can be found in MCA MSN 1846 Document, Annex 2.
On Completion
Tante Marie will provide successful candidates with a recognized Assessment Award (and Level 2 Food Safety Certification, if applicable,) to submit to the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA). Candidates must complete the Application for UK (MLC) Ship’s Cook Certificate of Competency (SCC) using application form MSF4395 (available on our VLE). Please note that this Certificate of Competency and Level 2 Food Safety Certification will constitute part of the MCA certification and applicants will also need to comply with the additional requirements as outlined in MCA MSN1846 Section3.
Qualifications Gained:
Ship's Cook Certificate of Competency
FAQ's:
The Ship’s Cook Certificate Assessment verifies that a candidate has been assessed by an accredited organisation and proves competency in the learning outcomes in Annexes 1 and 2 of MCA MSN 1846. It replaces the Merchant Shipping (Certificate of Ship’s Cooks) Regulations 1981, which have been revoked. It sets out the minimum training requirements for all ship’s cooks and catering staff. New training prerequisites take religious requirements and practices into account as they pertain to food as well as duration and nature of the voyage. The requirements relating to ship’s cooks do not apply to ships which:
– only operate within 60 miles of a safe haven, and
– ordinarily operate with fewer than 10 seafarers on board.
How do I get a Ship’s Cook Certificate?
If you want your Ship’s Cook Certificate of Competency, you will need to:
– undergo the Ship’s Cook Assessment with Tante Marie Culinary Academy (or another MCA approved training organisation).
– be at least 18 years old
– have completed a minimum of one-month sea going service
– have completed the Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Firefighting, Elementary First Aid, Personal Safety as well as the Social Responsibility and Security Awareness STCW courses
– hold a current Seafarer Medical Fitness Certificate (ENG 1) or equivalent
After completing all of the above you can apply for your certificate of competency from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
To book a place on the Ship's Cook Assessment, please email us. Tante Marie Culinary Academy is also able to cater for commercial and group bookings.
The simple answer is, you can’t.
Whilst the Maritime and Coastguard Agency will accept certain qualifications as Accredited Prior Learning (see below or refer to MCA MSN 1846 these qualifications do not meet the required learning outcomes in their entirety. All chefs will have to be assessed in person to ensure all learning outcomes are met and that they meet the minimum standards.
In addition, the MCA do not accept any online qualifications (including Food Safety Level 2). Any chef and crew involved in the processing, preparation and handling of food for others need to hold a valid Level 2 Food Safety Certificate. At Tante Marie, the Level 2 Food Safety is incorporated within the Ship’s Cook Assessment.If you already hold a professional chef qualification, you may not need to do the full Ship’s Cook Certificate training course. The MCA accepts certain qualifications as Accredited Prior Learning. To read more about what your Accredited Prior Learning means about your Ship’s Cook Assessment, please refer to MCA MSN 1846 (M) and MCA MIN531 (M) or email us.
This course is ideal for anyone working in a food handling role. Anyone working on board or about to start a career on board should hold a Food Safety Level 2 award. This 1-day, MCA-required, and approved course can be delivered in our Woking base.
- Duration: 1 day.
- Assessment: 1 hour multiple-choice test (20/30 required).
- Pre-requisites: None.
- Progression: Level 3 Food Safety and Level 3 HACCP.
- Cost: £105+VAT for UK based training.
Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety in Catering (QCF)
This course is well-suited to anyone working in a supervisory, leadership or management position where food is handled. The Level 3 Award is required for the Cayman Island Flagged Vessels’ Ship’s Cook Certificate.
- Duration: 3-day’s tuition or distance learning and 1-day tuition.
- Assessment: 60-question multiple-choice question examination 2 Hours (40 correct to pass).
- Pre-requisites: None. However, it is strongly advised that candidates hold the Level 2 Award and a reasonable level of numeracy and literacy.
- Cost: £395+VAT.
Please read carefully the MCA MSN 1846 (M) and MCA MIN531 (M) documents which list the requirements for eligibility, and previous accreditation and qualifications. Then contact Tante Marie and we can give you further advice on course availability as well as the fee structure for the elements of the course that you will need to attend and pass in order to complete the Ship’s Cook Certificate of Competence.
As part of the application process we will need an online copy of your CV and covering letter, outlining your past experience and reasons for undertaking the course as well as scanned copies of your previous qualifications. We can also advise you on which day/s of the Course you will need to attend, and, once the fees are paid, give you online access to the Tante Marie Virtual Learning Experience (VLE).You will need to provide:
- valid photographic proof of identity, such as your passport
- original certificates of previous qualifications, if these are to be taken as exemption from some of the assessments
- your own clean chef’s uniform, apron, protective head/beard covering
- your own knives for the day(s) of the kitchen-based assessments
- pens and notebook
Lunch will not be provided, however as Tante Marie is centrally located in the main shopping area of Woking, there are several places to obtain food within a very short distance.
Tante Marie will provide all the recipes and ingredients needed to complete the cooking elements and will also provide you with any advice and online help prior to in-house assessments.