Captain's stewards as operational support

Do Royal Navy officers eat better than the rest of the crew?

Food quality is broadly comparable in this account, with chief petty officers often faring best. A captain's steward helps a busy commanding officer eat regularly.

Alex Clarke's experience aboard Royal Navy ships is that officers and sailors generally eat food of comparable quality, with chief petty officers often faring best. He recalls being told about a manning study in which removing captains' stewards left commanding officers missing one or two meals a day. Other officers and senior ratings then spent time checking whether the captain had eaten. Dedicated support kept a highly trained commanding officer fed and close to the bridge while handling continuous demands. According to this recollection, the Treasury review recommended sharing the work among three people supporting both the captain and first officer. The Navy reportedly declined the additional personnel cost.