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"People generally misunderstand the position of ‘head chef’ as just sitting on a chair or roaming around in the kitchen and merely giving instructions. But the reality is just the opposite,” states head chef of Shell Prelude, 33-year-old Abeeza Bhamgara who works for Sodexo on the world’s largest floating object. "A head chef does equal or more work than the line of chefs. As it’s not only cooking we look after, it includes cleaning duties, ordering, stock rotation, paper work, menu planning and stores’ deliveries.”
Menus are planned by the head chefs as also providing opportunity to the chefs to give their inputs on a daily basis. But if there are special events, then it is mostly the head chef who designs the menu. "At the moment, we have been serving 313 people on board. There is only one kitchen which runs 24 hours… There are hungry boys and girls out here and our food is the best you will see anywhere offshore. Prelude is not just a gas plant, it’s a floating hotel,” states the culinarian.
A floating liquefied natural gas facility, Prelude is the largest plant ever constructed and cost USD 10 billion (Rs 7,142 crores) to make. "Few environments are more complex than an offshore platform,” notes their website. The vessel is half a kilometer in length. Shell Australia awarded Sodexo the contract of offshore facilities management for Prelude on November 20, 2015. Sodexo operates in 72 countries and services 100 million consumers every day and is "a global leader in services that improves the quality of life” in corporate, education, government, health care, senior living, sports and leisure, and remote site segments.
"Life there is quite different to what it is on shore. We are encouraged to be alert and vigilant of our surroundings. Also, safety is the first priority. It’s a family away from family, where everyone looks after each other’s wellbeing.”
Prelude follows a Norwegian roster timetable where the employee gets equal or more time off than the hours they work. Bhamgara explains, "For example, I work for three weeks and get four weeks off. But the three weeks I am aboard I am on duty for 12 to 13 hours each day at an average, plus more, if required.” 
In her 12 years’ experience, she rose from a commis (apprentice) chef to being a head chef in different working environments such as hotels, resorts, restaurants and cafes. She has travelled to and visited almost all the states of Australia and explored the most beautiful and scenic remote areas there. She joined Sodexo as a FIFO (Fly On Fly Out) chef, in February 2013 in their Gap Ridge Village Camp. "I had to work myself up the chain again and was a head chef at Karrath Gas plant, after which I was also a part of the team to mobilize the first camp of the Rio Tinto contract for Sodexo where I became the head chef as well.” After working on this site just under a year she was part of a team which was sent from Australia to South Korea for the mobilization and habitation of Shell Prelude for almost seven weeks to learn about the facility. It took around four weeks for Prelude to arrive in Australian waters. The vessel is positioned 475 km north-east of Broome in western Australia.
Born in Nagpur, Abeeza had "always seen both my parents work and save towards a better future.” Sister Myra was born a few years later. Her mother Aban (née Kapadia) was a high school teacher and father Malcolm was working for Indian Tobacco Company Limited in sales and marketing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abeeza completed her Secondary School Certificate (SSC) from J. N. Tata Parsi Girls’ High School, Nagpur and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) from S.F.S. (Saint Francis de Sales) College, Nagpur. "My parents trusted me and my goals and sent me to Bombay for my Bachelors in Commerce from K. C. College. Both my grandmothers (Gaimai Pesi Kapadia and Daisy Eruch Bhamgara) were great at cooking, which piqued my interest in cooking since an early age.” While in Bombay she started developing an interest in continental cuisine, and then decided to take up commercial cookery. "My parents suggested that I go abroad to a renowned university and gain knowledge in cooking. Even though it was not easy financially for my parents at that time, they got me admission at Le Cordon Bleu, Sydney, where I specialized in French cuisine.”
Myra has completed her Masters in Professional Accounting from Edith Cowan University, Perth and is working as a finance officer now.
Aban had registered Abeeza’s name on a Parsi matrimony site through which her husband, Barzeen Afareen, "found me and soon after knowing each other we got married.”
When asked about her interests, she admits, "It would sound silly if I said my hobby is to cook, but that’s true. Even when I am at home I cannot think of something other than coming up with new dishes, experimenting with the existing ones.” Her father always called his mother-in-law "Cosmopolitan Master” by which he meant she could mix anything to make a new dish and "it mostly turned out great, and that’s what I like doing these days.”
Abeeza has been doing FIFO for over seven years now. When she is home in Perth, she likes to snuggle into a quilt and watch television and just relax. But this still does not stop her from getting up at 6 a.m. to have tea with Myra before she leaves for work. "Barzeen and I always try to spend as much time as possible with her when she is around.” During summers, they go to the beaches and leisureplex for a swim. "I still have a lot to explore in West Australia as I have only been working all this while; I try to visit places in and around Perth with my husband or my sister.” Like her late mother, Abeeza loves a great looking garden with lots of rose plants. Barzeen works extra hard on the garden to keep it "looking lush for me, which I should technically do, as it is also my hobby.”
Abeeza says her parents have "for sure given me the best upbringing anyone can ask for with high morals and values, respect for others, being humble towards everyone. The concept of good thoughts, good words and good deeds was instilled into us by our parents. Being a Parsi fills me with great pride.”