GROTON, Conn. - Cross Hall Galley has proven their commitment to excellence once again as the staff has achieved five-star excellence for the second year in a row. In addition to receiving this prestigious award, the galley at Naval Submarine Base New London is one of two galleys in the Navy Mid-Atlantic Region up for the coveted Captain Edward F. Ney Award.
Cleanliness, field knowledge, workplace safety, teamwork, record-keeping, presentation, and customer service are among the qualities graded by a four-person evaluation team from Norfolk. Cross Hall Galley's most recent inspection on June 8 led judges to declare its five-star status.
"I have discovered better teamwork here than at my last command," said Lt. j.g. Trisha LaBelle, Food Service Officer, who was formerly attached to a surface ship.
"This is not the normal shore duty," explained CSC (SS) Andrew Scott. "My Sailors maintain a high-paced schedule and work 14-hour days." Because of this demanding work load, Scott works with his LPO's to keep his team motivated to continually improve their quality of work.
"Customer service has been one of our greatest challenges in these competitions. To make improvements in this aspect, we are working to start a new menu next month." Scott said. The August menu will feature new healthier meals for the benefit of galley patrons.
Having already achieved new heights with their Ney Award nomination, the staff at the galley will continue their stellar performance as they wait for the competition results. The award winner will be named this fall between October and December.