Chief Petty Officer Cook · Instructor · Shipmate
From Royal Navy cooks, chefs, caterers, instructors, friends, and shipmates: a salute to a true branch legend, remembered for his craft, standards, humour, kindness, and the generations he helped train.
It is with great sadness that Dave Avery has crossed the bar. Dave was a proud member of the Royal Navy White Mafia, served as a Royal Navy cook, and later taught at the Royal Naval Cookery School. Many will remember his part in creating Charles and Diana's wedding cake, an achievement he carried with quiet pride.
To his family he was a devoted husband, dad, grandad, and great-grandad. To the branch he was Chief, chef, instructor, mentor, oppo, and friend.
I first met Dave on Eagle Officers cooks we both Dave he was my killick And such a smashing bloke He took me under his wing And he looked after me He taught me things I had to know Before we went to sea We went ashore a couple of times To bars that weren’t too choice And everyone would take to him when they heard his singing voice The years they passed and bloody hell We saw Dave on TV He was the chef who made a cake for all the world to see He talked of his love for Blackburn That was his football team The premiership won in 95’ And that fulfilled his dream twas years and years later until we met again At a reunion of the boys in white With our wives both Jenny Wrens We spoke of all the years gone past and tales of long ago We joined old mates and rambled on - the Guinness it did flow This year we’re back in Scouseland A meeting of the brave But it will never be the same Without our shipmate Dave RIP ShipmateBy Buster Brown
Former students remembered Dave at Chatham, HMS Pembroke, Raleigh, and the Cookery School as firm, fair, calm, and generous with his knowledge.
Shipmates recalled bread, rolls, sticky buns, competition work, and the famous royal wedding cake: proof of a craftsman whose reputation travelled far beyond one galley.
Again and again, the words returned: true gent, brilliant instructor, top man, great chef, branch legend, and a lovely human being.
Messages and tributes from the White Mafia and the wider Royal Navy family capture the love, respect, and pride felt by so many.
RIP Dave.
Rest easy Dave, fair winds and safe seas, your watch is done. RIP and condolences to all his family.
Rest in peace chef, thanks for the training and the memory.
RIP. Fair winds and calm seas.
RIP Dave, a great instructor and person.
R.I.P. Dave. Great instructor, glad to have known you and will miss you at the reunions.
RIP Dave.
Sad news.
Great bloke. RIP.
RIP Dave. I forever will remember our chat of cake and cooking xx.
Xxx.
RIP Dave.
Deepest condolences to all the family. RIP Dave, a true legend. Fair winds and calm seas, matey.
RIP Dave.
RIP.
RIP Dave. Condolences to all the family. Duty finished, sleep tight shipmate, always be remembered.
RIP chef and condolences to his family.
RIP chef.
So sorry for your loss. Condolences to you and all your family and friends.
Fond memories at Raleigh.
RIP.
RIP. Nothing but respect for a great man. Deepest condolences to family and friends.
Sad news indeed, condolences to the family. Calm seas and safe anchorage.
So sorry to hear this news, thinking of you and your family with love and respect. RIP Sir.
RIP Chef. Condolences to the family and loved ones.
Knew him at Chatham, brilliant instructor and great bloke. RIP.
I remember the wedding cake, Wedgewood blue and white. Top man Dave.
RIP Chef.
RIP Dave.
Shock. RIP Dave.
RIP Dave, a class act, proud to have served with you.
RIP.
RIP. A great chef.
A legend in our branch. RIP chef.
RIP Dave, instructor when I was a baby chef at Pembroke in 1980. Keep baking Dave, they need you up there.
Sad news, was at the Cookery School with Dave in 1981. RIP sir.
RIP Dave. Always be part of the White Mafia and cookery school legend.
RIP, a true legend and such a lovely guy.
RIP cookie boy.
Sorry to hear this.
RIP Dave, condolences to all his family.
RIP Dave.
Top man. RIP chef.
RIP legend, proud to have known you. Condolences to the family.
RIP Sir.
RIP Dave.
R.I.P. Great memories of pick the bits dried fruit, I’m sure it helped our killick’s course. A pleasure to know you over the years I was in HMS Pembroke.
RIP chef.
RIP Dave, so sorry to hear this news. My condolences to the family.
RIP Dave.
Sad news, remembered with great memories of Pembroke and training days. Always remember the trip to the Lake District climbing up Scafell Pike.
RIP.
Fair winds, calm seas and safe anchorage Chief. It was a pleasure to have been taught by the best of the best. Condolences to you and your family. RIP Dave, from one of your many baby cooky boys.
RIP Dave.
RIP Dave, regards from one of the many of us White Mafia that you taught. Fair winds and calm seas.
RIP shipmate, till we meet in the crew bar in the sky.
RIP Dave.
RIP Chief, always a pleasure to speak with you and your wife at reunions.
RIP Dave.
RIP Dave. Absent friends.
My sincere condolences to you and your family at this very sad time. RIP Chef.
RIP.
RIP shippers.
Condolences to you and your family.
My sincere condolences to you and your family at this sad time. RIP Dave, fair winds and a following sea to your final anchorage.
RIP Dave.
So very sorry to read this, sending condolences to all your family. Xxx.
R.I.P. Dave.
RIP Dave. Condolences and prayers are with the family.
RIP Chef, on your final draft. Condolences to the family.
RIP Dave.
Sad news. RIP Dave, great bloke.
RIP. Duty done, stand easy cooky.
I’ve told a lot of people over the years: the man who made Charles and Diana’s wedding cake also made mine. I was a caterer at Pembroke when Dave was at the cookery school. A brilliant baker. A gentleman, firm but fair. Rest in peace, and calm seas.
RIP Dave. Lots of great memories at Chatham and loved meeting you at the reunions. Love to Hannah and the family x.
Never really knew Dave, but he was at the school when I was. A Pembroke legend. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.
Sad news. RIP Dave.
RIP Chief, my instructor to finally get me through Chatham after being backclassed twice because of my knee. A genuinely great guy.
RIP Dave.
RIP sea brother, fair winds.
RIP Dave, condolences to your family and friends. It was great to catch up at the reunions. Peace and love.
RIP Dave. Fair winds. Great bloke, fondly remembered.
R.I.P. Dave, God bless you.
So sorry for your loss. Condolences to you and all your family. RIP Dave.
RIP Dave.
In happier times, been a privilege.
R.I.P. Dave and my condolences to all his family.
RIP Dave, condolences to all of the family.
Fair winds and calm seas Chief. Thank you.
RIP top man, remember him from Pembroke. Legend within the chefs’ branch and all remember his wedding cake for the royals. Condolences to the family.
Very sad to hear. RIP Dave, such a great instructor and a really good guy.
RIP Dave, condolences to your family.
Legend. RIP Shipmate.
RIP Dave. Sad news.
Sorry for your loss, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Dave was the Chief Cook Instructor for my Leading Cooks Course and I have great memories, especially helping with drawings of the proposed wedding cake design.
RIP Dave.
From my wife and I, thoughts are with the family in these sad times. My wife Morag was at Chatham with him when he was an instructor. Your watch is done. RIP.
RIP Dave.
RIP Dave. So sorry for your loss. Dave was my instructor at Pembroke. A true legend and a very nice guy. He inspired so many young chefs and will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him. Fair winds and calm seas to your final anchorage shipmate.
So sorry for your loss. Dave was a true White Mafia legend and respected by all. My love and thoughts are with you and the family.
RIP Dave.
Fantastic instructor, and an even nicer person.
RIP Chef.
RIP.
Such sad news; he was a thoroughly decent man x.
Sorry for your loss.
RIP. Condolences to family and friends.
Sorry to hear.
I never met Dave, but I knew of his impeccable reputation. RIP Shippers.
Pembroke 81, a genuine inspiration and a gentleman. RIP Chief, it was an honour learning from you.
RIP Chef.
RIP Dave.
R.I.P. Dave, a very nice guy who I met at Pembroke.
Sad news. RIP Chief, condolences to all the family.
RIP shipmate. Fair winds and following seas. See you at the green.
Condolences to the family. Fair winds and calm seas chef.
So sorry to hear about your and our loss, White Mafia. Please accept my condolences to you and the family. Dave taught me back in 76, as my Supply Officer said that my Killick Cook and us three cooks couldn’t bake. First morning Dave put us in each corner of the galley and got us all to bake a loaf of bread and six rolls. Dave critiqued them, then wrote to our S.O. explaining he didn’t know what he was talking about as each of us produced excellent bread and rolls. Then a week of sports M&M and learning about sticky buns etc. R.I.P. Dave, you will be sorely missed.
RIP Dave, condolences to family.
RIP. Proper legend and nice guy.
RIP Dave.
A very sad day for you, your family, your friends and all of us White Mafia. Dave was my instructor at Pembroke. He was such a top man. I loved sitting down and talking to him at the reunions; he had so many stories to tell. A legend amongst us. RIP Dave, and thank you.
RIP Chef.
Very sad news. RIP chef. Condolences to the family. Lots of happy times at Aldershot.
So sad to hear this news, Dave was an absolute gentleman.
R.I.P. Condolences to the family.
RIP Chef.
RIP.
Egg on legs, my teacher was a legend.
RIP Dave. Condolences to your family and friends.
So sad, was at Pembroke school 81/82 with him. RIP, a gentleman.
So very sad to hear this. He was an inspiration to so many. RIP chef.
Heartfelt condolences to you and the family, Hannah. We have met at the last few reunions with yourself and Dave. I also instructed at Chatham the same time as Dave. He was a true gentleman and an excellent chef and baker. RIP Dave my friend, fair winds and calm seas to your final anchorage. S’lante’ M’Haith.
RIP Dave.
RIP shipmate, fair winds.
So sorry Hannah to hear the news, such a shock. We send all our love to you and the family.
Yep, my Cookery School instructor, such a funny and entertaining guy. RIP.
RIP Dave, a sad loss.
A pleasure to have been taught by you Dave. Sleep well and enjoy the White Mafia bar across the bar.
So sad to hear this. Dave was my instructor at Pembroke. Lovely man. RIP Chief.
RIP Dave.
RIP Chief, fair winds and following seas.
RIP.
RIP Chef. An absolute pleasure to have been at Pembroke whilst the cake was being made. I didn’t really get to know him back then, but on my few chats with him at our reunions, you get to realise the impact he made to many young cookie boys and girls. What a legend and what a sad loss to our branch. My sincere thoughts and condolences are with all the family at this very sad time.
Such terrible news, so sorry for your loss. Thoughts and prayers to you and all your family.
Sad news. So sorry for your loss. R.I.P. chef.
RIP Dave.
Never worked with him but I know of him. Great chef, popular, well respected guy. RIP oppo.
RIP Dave. I had the pleasure of being in the school when you were making said cake. A really nice guy who will be sadly missed by all. Deepest sympathy to the family.
RIP.
RIP Dave.
RIP.
So sorry for your loss, my condolences to you and your family. RIP Dave.
He trained me at Chatham in 1980, brilliant man. Sending love to all his family.
RIP Chef.
RIP Dave. I remember babysitting for him in Cunningham Road, 72–73. Great chef and a good egg.
A lovely man. Condolences to your family. Calm seas Sir.
R.I.P. Dave.
RIP chef.
RIP Dave. Deepest condolences to family and friends.
RIP Dave, fair winds.
RIP Chief.
RIP Dave. Fair winds and calm seas.
RIP Shippers, calm seas and fair winds.
Condolences to the family. RIP. Fair winds and calm seas.
RIP Dave.
RIP Chief, thoughts out to friends and family. A true legend.
Please accept my deepest sympathy to you all at this very sad time. We served together on Bulwark 1978/80.
RIP Dave, fair winds. You will be remembered with fondness. Sleep in peace and rise in glory.
RIP.
RIP Chief, huge respect. Calm seas and fair winds. Condolences to all the family and friends.
What a great loss. Only met Dave once while on PO’s course. My condolences to your family. Sure we will meet again at the big bar.
R.I.P. chef.
RIP Dave, a great instructor and all-round nice guy.
Absolutely gutted to hear this sad news. Big impact on my career and will always remember the great time we had judging in Malta and Turkey together. Lovely man and I know he will be sadly missed throughout the Corps as well as the Royal Navy. My best wishes go out to all his family and the many friends he made throughout his massive career. What a privilege to have known you Dave. You will be sadly missed my friend.
RIP Dave.
RIP Chief. Rest easy.
RIP David. Condolences to all the generations of his family.
May the memories of his life bring you peace and comfort. RIP Dave, a life well lived.
Rest in peace, fair winds and following seas.
Sending healing strength to you all. RIP Dave, a fine gentleman x.
RIP Dave.
RIP Dave, also my instructor who got me through Pembroke, and a great friend to all of us cooks. Was a massive help to me at the last reunion, will never forget him. A very sad loss. My condolences to all his family.
RIP Chief, one of the best, a gent.
Sorry for your loss.
RIP Dave, a true gent and exceptional chef.
RIP Chef.
RIP. Another legend lost.
Deepest sympathy and respects from NZ. I knew Dave from the 60s, then again when I was in Pembroke 74/75. A top man on every front. I feel extremely privileged to have known you Dave. RIP Shipmate.
RIP Dave, time to teach a new class of chefs “up top” how to bake bread and stickies. We will all raise a tot in your honour.
RIP Dave, so sad to hear. He was a true gent. My condolences to his family and friends.
A great loss. A truly lovely man. R.I.P. Chef.
How very sad. The word legend is often used, but Dave really was a true legend in the cooks’ branch. A real gentleman too. He was my instructor for killicks course, which kickstarted my career. Sending my deepest condolences to the Avery family. Rest in peace Dave. Slainte.
R.I.P.
RIP Chef, pleasure to have known you. May his recipes live on in our hearts and bellies.
Very sad. Served in Pembroke cookery school with him. RIP Dave.
RIP Chef.
Sad news. I knew Dave, Chief Avery, from courses at HMS Pembroke. He told me the Royal Wedding cake story in late 1982 and I try to retell it as faithfully as I can remember. Great bloke, great chef, great instructor and a great friend.
Very sad news. He was a great and talented man. Condolences to you all.
Cracking bloke. Fair winds Shippers.
RIP. So sorry for your loss, condolences to all family and friends.
RIP Chef.
RIP Dave.
RIP Chef.
Fair winds and calm seas to one of the very best. Condolences to all the family.
Heartfelt condolences. Chefs forever.
Deepest condolences to you and the family. A true gentleman and inspiration to many. RIP.
RIP Dave. Great chef. Sad news, condolences to the family.
He was truly one of a kind, blessed to have known him.
Fair wind Dave, watch now complete. Go and bake upstairs. RIP chef.
RIP Dave, fair winds and calm seas.
Sorry to hear this sad news. Friends and family are in my thoughts.
R.I.P. Chef.
RIP Dave, condolences to your family.
Fair winds to Dave. My condolences to your family. RIP.
RIP cookie.
Sorry for your loss. Thoughts with you and your family. Another legend gone.
Sending love for a lovely shipmate. RIP.
RIP chef.
R.I.P. Dave. Great guy and fantastic baker. Fond memories of a White Mafia legend. Fair winds over the bar Dave.
The last reunion, Dave, Vicky Todd and me.
R.I.P. Chef.
Wow, another legend crosses the bar. There’s not many that were held in such high regard, but Dave was definitely one of those. Just a genuinely nice guy and a font of knowledge, a true legend from Chatham cookery school. RIP Chief.
RIP Chef, my thoughts are with your family.
So sorry to hear. RIP Dave.
RIP Dave, condolences to your family and friends.
RIP chef. Best wishes to the family.
A sad day for a true gentleman. So many of the cooks branch will have been taught by this man and respect him for that. Rest in peace, your memory has travelled far and wide on ships, boats and shore bases of the fleet. RIP. The Hermes Chefs.
RIP Dave. A true gent. Condolences to the family.
Thoughts with you and your family at this sad time.
RIP.
RIP Dave. I remember you well at Pembroke making “the” cake. A real gent. Sending my heartfelt condolences to all the family and friends. Your heart must be filled with pride reading these posts.
R.I.P.
RIP Chef.
RIP Chief, a fine chap. Condolences.
R.I.P. Dave. As your final journey begins, may you have fair winds and calm seas until your destination is reached. Condolences to all the family at this difficult time.
My heartfelt condolences to you and your family. RIP. Fair winds and calm seas, thank you for your service.
So sorry for your loss. RIP Chef.
My instructor, a great guy and great chef. RIP Chief.
Great man. R.I.P. chef.
I served with Dave, Lossiemouth 1963/64, Eagle 1964/65/66. One of life’s nice guys. Rest in peace Dave.
So sorry for your loss, a legend of a man. Sincere condolences to you all.
My deepest condolences. RIP Chef.
So sorry to hear about Dave, an amazing chef, brilliant baker and superb doing cakes etc. Will be sorely missed, lovely man.
Sad news, great bloke and legend. Thoughts and condolences to the family. RIP Dave.
RIP Shippers.
RIP Dave. Fair winds.
My sincere condolences Hannah and family. I served with Dave, Lossiemouth 1963/64, then Eagle 1964/65/66. One of life’s nice guys. R.I.P.
R.I.P. Dave. Condolences to family and friends.
Very sad news. RIP.
Knew Dave on the Triumph, great guy. Sad news.
RIP shipmate.
Condolences to family, friends and all that met him. RIP. A sad loss.
RIP chef, fair winds and calm seas. Ben Gunn.
RIP Dave.
Rest in peace Chief.
RIP Chief legend.
RIP Dave.
RIP Dave.
RIP cooky xx.
RIP Dave. The instructor everybody looked up to. Peace Chief.
R.I.P. Dave and condolences. I remember him and the infamous cake well.
RIP Dave.
Blessed to have known such an incredible person.
Very sorry to hear this very sad news. Remember Dave very well as a fellow instructor at Chatham and near neighbour in St Mary’s Ave, also seeing him in the shop he had in Rochester when he left the mob. Heartfelt condolences to Hannah and the family, wishing Dave fair winds and calm seas on his final journey.
RIP Dave. Condolences to the whole family. So many of us remember you fondly from the cookery school Pembroke.
Sad news, condolences to all. Fair winds cookie buoy.
Deepest condolences. Was a good shipmate of my instructor CPO Gordon Luke Joe during our day at HMS Pembroke. Up spirits Sir. Proud to have served with you.
Sad to hear this news, although I never served with Dave, his reputation was legendary. RIP chef.
RIP Dave, and my sincere condolences to his family. Absolute top man.
RIP. Condolences to all family and friends. I was given the role of Honour Guard when the Royal Wedding cake was displayed to the press. In the big man’s words: “I need a big bugger like you in the front.”
RIP chef, sleep tight.
So sorry to hear this. Legend in the branch. RIP.
Gone to the great cookery school in the sky. These were the men that taught me when I was a baby chef. Rest in peace buddy.
RIP Dave. Such a lovely, clever and talented man. Cake genius. Heartfelt condolences to Dave’s family. Fair following winds and calm seas Chief, duty done.
That is such sad news. A wonderful human being. I respected Dave very much. He was at Pembroke when I joined the RN and it was fantastic to see him again at our reunions. I will miss you Dave. Fair winds and following seas in your final journey.
RIP chef. Fair winds and calm seas.
So sorry Hannah, my condolences to you and all. This has been a great shock to so many and he will be sadly missed by all. RIP Dave. Safe journey. X.
RIP Dave. Condolences to the family. Glad to have met him at the reunions.
Condolences.
Sorry to hear of Dave’s passing. Glad to have known him. RIP.
Rest in peace shipmate. A great chef and instructor.
RIP Dave, condolences to the family.
Absolutely lovely human being. I have fond memories of my time in HMS Pembroke where he helped me to become a chef. RIP x.
So sorry to hear of your loss. Irene and I remember you very well from Princess Mary Avenue and Dave from the school. RIP Dave Avery.
RIP Dave Avery, a gentleman and great first-class instructor. Was there alongside Dave Scott and Jan Yeoman as our instructors on P.O.’s course and through so many competitions. Sincere condolences to Hannah and the family.
RIP.
RIP Dave. Lovely, lovely man. Was lucky to serve with him in the wardroom galley on HMS Diomede. Taught me everything.
Lucy Heard, RIP Dave.
Just back from Dave Avery’s funeral with big John Page. good send off for the Chief. See you all next weekend (if you are going to Liverpool)
The number of tributes speaks for itself. Dave Avery was more than a Royal Navy chef and instructor — he was a mentor, a friend, a gentleman and a legend within the cooks’ branch.
He taught generations, inspired countless careers, served proudly, and left behind stories that will continue to be told wherever his shipmates gather.
Rest easy, Dave.
Stand easy, Chief.
Fair winds and following seas.
Dave's legacy is not held in one story alone. It lives in the cooks he taught, the careers he helped shape, the reunions where he was greeted with affection, and the recipes and standards carried forward by those who learned from him.
Some remembered being young “baby chefs” under his guidance. Some remembered Killicks' courses, Leading Cooks' courses, P.O.'s courses, competitions, and long conversations at reunions. Others simply knew his name before they ever met him, because his reputation had already become part of branch history.
For the White Mafia, Dave remains one of their own: a cook, a Chief, a teacher, and a shipmate whose memory will travel on ships, boats, shore bases, kitchens, family tables, and reunions for years to come.
Fair winds and following seas, Dave. Your duty is done, your watch is complete, and your name will be spoken with gratitude wherever the White Mafia gathers.
Absent friends. ⚓