What to Consider When Buying Provisions for Your Fleet

Date: 20 August 2025

Ensuring that your fleet is well-stocked with quality food provisions is essential for maintaining crew health and operational efficiency. However, provisioning requires careful planning and attention to certain key factors.

Nutritional Requirements

A well-balanced diet helps maintain the health and productivity of your crew. Consider dietary guidelines that provide adequate protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Take into account any special dietary needs such as vegetarian, vegan, halal or gluten-free options including national preferences to ensure inclusivity.

Variety and Menu Planning

A monotonous menu can lead to dissatisfaction. Introduce variety by sourcing diverse ingredients that allow for creative meal planning. Rotating menus and using fresh produce whenever possible can enhance the on-board dining experience.

At Garrets, we train and guide vessel cooks and galley crew in menu planning and cooking. We offer customized training programmes and access to our digital cookbook with a diverse collection of menu ideas for any nationality including nutritional facts and best practice on food safety.

Quantity Planning and Consumption Rates

Understanding the duration of each voyage and the number of crew members on board helps in estimating the appropriate quantity of provisions. Overstocking can lead to unnecessary food waste, while understocking may result in supply shortages and dissatisfaction among the crew.

Through our Provision Management services, we guide you to calculate the appropriate provision quantities to ensure crew health and wellbeing while staying within budget and avoid food waste.   

Storage and Shelf Life

Space constraints and refrigeration capabilities on board influences the types and quantities of food you can store. Opt for provisions with a long shelf life, such as canned goods, frozen meats and dried foods. Vacuum-sealed products can also help extend freshness.

Consider the nature of your voyage, including expected weather conditions and potential delays. Long journeys across rough seas may necessitate additional non-perishable items, while short trips might allow for more fresh produce.

Budget

Balancing quality and cost efficiency weighs heavily when provisioning for a fleet. Bulk purchasing may offer savings, but it is important to ensure that the food remains consumable throughout the voyage.

At Garrets, we benchmark local suppliers and product at each port to ensure that vessels get the best product value possible. We also guide vessels to source seasonally to benefit from lower prices, the great taste and high nutritional value that come with fresh, seasonal produce.

Quality and Safety Standards

Ensure that all food products comply with food safety regulations by purchasing from accredited, compliant suppliers who adhere to food safety standards such as HACCP to prevent contamination and spoilage.

Garrets works with a global network of accredited and compliant suppliers – all who are audited by NSF, an independent and industry leader in food safety.

All You Need is One Reliable Supply Chain Partner

Garrets is experienced in marine provisioning. We understand the unique challenges of delivering food to ports worldwide and handling customs regulations. With our global network of accredited suppliers, we ensure timely and consistent delivery of quality food provisions.

But we do more than manage and deliver fresh food provisions to vessels. We focus on crew welfare through nutrition, storage, safety, variety, and budget, so fleet managers can ensure a well-fed and satisfied crew, ultimately enhancing operational success.

Let’s work together! Reach out to us here.