Eleven station chefs who cook for the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service's 800 full-time firefighters are living with the threat of redundancy as the catering operation comes under review.
A spokesman for the service said changes in food hygiene standards had prompted the review. The chefs have been warned by letter that one option would be to axe their roles.
Although the service has 52 fire stations, only 11 are manned around the clock.
The outcome of the review will be known by Christmas. If the chefs do lose their jobs, the spokesman said firefighters in each of the 11 stations would have to be trained in food hygiene.
In early 2001, 100 station chefs in London faced the chop under Conservative plans to save £1m from the London Fire Authority's £300m budget, but the proposals were rejected by Mayor Ken Livingstone.