Anton said: “It’s unusual for Navy and civilian chefs to work side by side and I felt privileged to be a part of this important event in the Naval calendar. It was tremendous fun and the camaraderie and banter among the team was great. The chefs were versatile and certainly knew what they were doing but were still interested to learn some new techniques.”

Peter added: “The experience was an eye opener for both sides – we all learnt something that day. Navy chefs rarely have the opportunity to see how civilian chefs work, particularly in contract catering. We wanted to show them what we can do – after all, they may wish to work on our side of the fence one day.”

Hosted by The Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Jonathan Woodcock OBE, the Trafalgar Night Dinner was attended by 23 VIP guests including senior naval dignitaries and business leaders.

Elior UK has managed the catering contract at Portsmouth Naval Base since April 2014.