When you walk into the Trident Galley, you may feel like you’re in a museum at first.
That’s because the entry way is filled with accommodations and awards that the galley has received.
Recently, the Trident Inn Galley at Naval Base Kitsap – Bangor won the prestigious Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Award in the Small General Mess category.
The annual awards for outstanding food service were established in 1958 and are co-sponsored by the International Food Service Executives Association.
“This is the most prestigious award a food service team could ever win in their career, and we can now say we are one of the best military and civilian teams in the Navy,” said Chief Warrant Officer Eric van Hofwegen, NBK food services officer. “I am very proud of all of them. It is huge win for each and every one of them.”
Captain Ney was head of the subsistence division of the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts between 1940 and 1945, and the awards encourage excellence in Navy Food Service programs with the objective of improving the quality of life for Navy personnel.
“When you win it, everyone wins and shares the moment with you,” said van Hofwegen. “It gives my team a tremendous sense of accomplishment knowing the Sailors and Marines who we support every day are getting the best food and customer service possible. That means more than anything to us, and it is our part of our command mission.”
The Trident has won the Ney award four time prior to winning this year, van Hofwegen said. The competition is tight and it is a co-effort of the civilian and Navy employees at the galley.
This year’s judge was a commander with 32 years in food service. His visit was planned within a week, but the staff at the galley didn’t know the exact day he would arrive.
The galley is judged on all foods prepared that day.
“He takes a bite of everything,” van Hofwegen said. “He was really impressed.”
Van Hofwegen said he kept waiting for the chef-judge to ask questions, but he didn’t. He kept waiting for him to mark them down on items, but he didn’t.
But it wasn’t until weeks later, after other places in the round-robin competition had been judged that they got the news.
“I was out getting ready for the Supply Corp Ball and my phone was on fire,” he said. “I kept getting texts, ‘We won.’”
At the galley, all the Navy and civilian employees were cheering and yelling, said Heather Larson, a civilian manager.
“It’s a big deal,” she said. “And we are just so proud.”