Page 23 - Flaming Cauldron – Issue 54

ACC ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
Army Chef receives highest recognition
June was particularly special this year for an Army
chef who started out his career in the hotel scene
in London and the Home Counties. Warrant
Officer Class One Simon Griffiths has celebrated
his formal investiture into the Honourable and
Ancient Appointment of Conductor at The Royal
Logistic Corps Headquarters in Hampshire.
He is one of five Royal Logistic Corps (RLC)
Senior Soldiers to have been granted the posi-
tion of Conductor this year, which is enshrined in
Queens Regulations and endows those appointed
with seniority within the Army and in their trade
profession.
Perhaps the earliest recorded mention of
Conductors was in a Statute of Westminster of
1327 whereby Edward III enacted that wages
of Conductors (Conveyors) of soldiers from the Warrant Officer Class One
Simon Griffiths receives
Shires to the place of Assembly would no longer be
his formal investiture
a charge upon the Shire. As long ago as the Siege scroll into the Honourable
of Boulogne in 1544, there were Conductors of
Ordnance. There were also Conductors in the train of Conductor the world from Belize to Kenya and Germany to
of artillery assembled in 1618.
Today this proud heritage has been carried for-
ward into The RLC which formed on 5 April 1993.
The Corps was formed from the Royal Corps of
Transport, the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, the
Royal Pioneers, the Army Catering Corps and
Royal Engineers (Postal and Courier Service).
His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester,
who is the RLC Deputy Colonel in Chief, was the
guest of honour and had the privilege of present-
ing Simon with his Parchment. HRH The Duke
of Gloucester was accompanied by Lieutenant
General M W Poffley OBE, who said he was
delighted to welcome HRH to the Ceremony and
thanked him for taking the time to celebrate with
the Corps personnel in their achievement.
As a senior tradesman in the Army Simon, who
is based at Army Headquarters in Andover, leads
a team of over 2,400 Regular and Reserve military
chefs and has to demonstrate his technical knowl-
edge along with the drive to lead and develop his
trade group forward into an exciting and dynamic
place to work. With military chefs based all over
the world in some thirty countries, barracks located
the length and breadth of the United Kingdom and
Northern Ireland, along with two catering schools
in the UK and support to three international cater-
ing schools, he has his work cut out.
Simon said “Coming from a background in the
hospitality industry before joining the Army, work-
ing at Hanbury Manor, Claridge’s and the Savoy, I
was fully prepared for a career in the military. My
time working for John Williams at Claridge’s and
Paul Knight at Hanbury Manor gave me a strong
foundation to build upon and Rory Kennedy,
before he passed away at Rules in 1997, instilled
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a passion to succeed and discipline comparable to
even the hardest unit in the Army. I am so grateful
to these three chefs for their tutelage.”
and Ancient Appointment Joining the Army in 1998 he has served all over
Cyprus. During the early part of his career the
experience he gained before joining the Army
made him the best fit to support household staff
officer duties. He was subsequently selected to
conduct executive level roles where he worked for
the Chief of the General Staff and members of the
Royal Family.
Throughout his service he has been known
for his ability to support high class and sensitive
events, often in austere locations with a limited
budget. Regularly selected for roles where a prag-
matic and personable approach was required to get
the best support for soldiers on the ground, he was
deployed on operation to Afghanistan to support
collation special forces at the front line over a two-
year period. Frequently at the heart of the action
he would happily hang up his apron to join patrols
with those he served with or offer cookery classes
in front line bases to enhance the morale of the
troops. Passionate about his trade he has constantly
strived to enhance training and development
opportunities for his team.
Simon said “The Army has been a fantas-
tic adventure, far better than I could ever have
imagined; I would recommend it to anyone.
Michelin stars are an amazing achievement for
those who strive to attain them, but the rewards
gained for supporting those who selflessly serve to
protect our country is at the next level. I have never
had a dull day, the opportunities that are quite
literally thrown at you make it a truly unique envi-
ronment to work in. More importantly the chefs,
by their very nature, make every day full throttle
and exciting; I am very lucky.”
Reprinted by kind permission of Hospitality and Catering News –
8th July 2019
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