Prince’s story – a journey from prestigious global hotel kitchens to flexing culinary muscles for the ADF with Serco

Meet the man who feeds the Australian Defence Force (ADF) at their main operating base in the Middle East: Prince Pullapalli. Starting his culinary journey working in India’s Royal Orchid Hotels and the Hyatt Regency Mumbai, Prince’s career soon went global with Carnival Cruise Line (USA). On his trajectory from Commis Chef in India to Executive Chef in Dubai, Prince joined Serco in October 2011. He quickly became an integral member of Serco’s Middle East Logistics and Base Support Services (MELABS) team, which has been supporting ADF operations in the Middle East for over 13 years.

Being promoted within Serco from Sous Chef to Assistant Hospitality Manager, Prince’s role has evolved from the kitchen to strategic planning, now leveraging his operational expertise and passion for mentoring junior chefs to manage the entirety of MELABS’ hospitality function. Prince says the crux of his leadership is “safety first and foremost, and balancing quality, efficiency, and morale, all while working in a dynamic, high-performance environment.”

Sharing what first drew him to Serco, Prince said it “was the unique opportunity to combine my culinary skills with a larger purpose – serving those who serve. Working with the ADF in a high-standard, mission-critical environment gave deeper meaning to my role as a chef. It wasn’t just about food – it was about morale, teamwork, and reliability under pressure. Serco’s values aligned with mine: commitment, respect, and delivering quality service no matter the challenge.”

Prince has received numerous personal accolades from senior ADF members for his exceptional service, dedication, and consistent delivery of high-quality meals in high-pressure environments. Thanks to Prince and his team’s unrelenting focus on food safety and standards, MELABS is ISO 9001, ISO 22000 and HACCP accredited, with a zero major food safety incident track record for the past 13 years.