Four Royal Logistic Corps chefs from Ludgershall won the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division Improvised Field Cookery Competition at Bulford last week, beating a record 21 other teams. It was the first time any of them, all serving with 26 Engineer Regiment, had ever entered a culinary competition.

Their prize-winning meal, which included borscht soup, chicken stuffed with rabbit, partridge and liver pate, potato rosti, lemon straw carrots, and apple strudel with Sauce Anglaise, also won team member Sergeant Marcus Turner the Team Leader of the Day award.

"I have been an Army chef for 18 years," said Sgt Turner, "And if you can cook in the field you can cook anywhere. On operations you don't have luxury kitchens - in some cases you don't have a kitchen at all - but the soldiers always need food so we have to be able to provide it under any conditions."

The aim of the competition is for military cooks to practice and enhance their field cookery skills and techniques by producing a three-course meal for five in just two-and-a-half hours from fresh rations given to them on the day.

This year, the rations included partridge and wild rabbit as well as a supply of fresh vegetables and fruit. The cooks also had access to a "larder" of tomato puree, flour, herbs, salt, garlic and other items.

Before they started cooking, they had to build their own kitchens and cookers with equipment that they brought along, such as tents, tables, shovels, pickaxes, firewood and water. It took Lance Corporal Simon Wainwright, from the winning team, 45 minutes to hack through hard chalk to make an oven pit.

All the units taking part have been deployed on operations where the chefs have had to cook in field conditions - ranging from Arctic wastes in Norway, to the humidity of the jungle in Belize and the stifling heat of the Iraqi desert.

The teams, from Larkhill, Tidworth and Bulford, as well as other parts of the country, were judged on hygiene, food preparation, menu, timings, health and safety and use of materials. Speed, skill and imagination and, of course, taste were essential.

The Chef of the Day was Private Elliott Sekwele of 4th Battalion REME based in Bordon, whose drop scone and fruit tower contributed towards his team taking second place in the competition.

Third were 47 Regiment Royal Artillery from Thorney Island.

A special award was made to HQ 3 (UK) Div Logistics Support Branch, from Bulford, who did not have one qualified chef on the team - the team leader was a bomb disposal expert - but they still managed to come fifth overall.