HMAS Sydney's Able Seaman Isabella Anderson has been selected to represent the Royal Australian Navy at a two-day international military culinary competition in New Zealand this September.

Since 1977, the Roy Smith Memorial Trophy competition has brought together Defence Force chefs and stewards from New Zealand and Australia to display their skills in a series of team-based challenges.

Able Seaman Anderson, who joined the Navy as a chef in 2021, said she was excited to compete, albeit a little nervous.

"There's a different focus each day," Able Seaman Anderson said.

"One day we'll do a quiz covering general food knowledge, another day is all about prep work. Then there's the main competition, where we'll be preparing six to eight appetisers, some kind of beef main course, and dessert."

One of those desserts will be the complex opera cake – a French pastry named for its layers resembling the levels of an opera house.

"It's like a six-layered chocolate, coffee, sponge, buttercream cake. I haven't made one before, but I get the gist of it," she said.

Able Seaman Anderson is the only Navy chef selected to attend, joining a mixed-service team comprising one Army and one Air Force chef, several stewards and a team leader. It will be the first time she will be working alongside her teammates, but she said she looks forward to the challenge.

"I'm just here to have a go, really, and to give it my best shot," Able Seaman Anderson said.

Originally from Cairns, Able Seaman Anderson's passion for cooking started with baking cakes – scrumptious New York-style baked cheesecakes were her first success.

'Achievements like hers reflect the high standard we strive for in Navy and it's great to see her culinary skills celebrated on an international stage.'

Now, she is part of a nine-person team of Navy chefs on HMAS Sydney, responsible for feeding a ship's company of around 240 personnel. 

The team works around the clock on a 24-hour rotating roster to ensure everyone on board is well-fed, even when the rest of the ship is off duty. But the chefs are a close crew and often blow off steam together.

"It can be tough sometimes when you're working and everyone else is relaxing, but we've got a tight-knit team and we look out for each other," Able Seaman Anderson said.

"It can be rewarding when someone thanks you for a delicious meal.”

Able Seaman Anderson said she wasn’t sure what dish she enjoys cooking the most.

"Everyone always raves about my shepherd's pie, and I like making a chicken risotto – sometimes I add in a little truffle," Able Seaman Anderson said.

Commanding Officer HMAS Sydney Commander Ben Weller praised the chef's hard work.

"We're incredibly proud of Bella. Achievements like hers reflect the high standard we strive for in Navy and it's great to see her culinary skills celebrated on an international stage," Commander Weller said.

Outside the galley, Able Seaman Anderson said she enjoys exploring new places during port visits and unwinding with friends in the junior sailors' mess.

With the competition set to kick off next month, Able Seaman Anderson has been honing her skills in the ship’s galley for the past four months.

Now that her ship has returned to its home port, she’s continuing her preparations in her own kitchen and using the nearby Sydney Opera House as inspiration for her own opera cake dessert.