British chef Rhys Bennett on the need for organization and preparation
I had heard about yachting many years ago whilst I was undertaking a winter season in France. I did little with the information at the time, as I had grand plans to move to Australia...which I did. Fast forward to 2020, I returned from Oz, and decided it was now time to seek out work on a superyacht. I became certified, got a flight down to Antibes and went about looking for work!
I've had the pleasure of working in some incredible establishments on land and boats at sea over the course of my career so far, and that has been my training ground too. For me, every day in the kitchen/galley is a learning day, whether through watching others and how they work or through yourself.
My sole chef role is incredibly demanding and thoroughly rewarding. Balancing cooking for the crew twice a day as well as three meals a day for guests/owners can be a challenge. You don't really have any support if something goes wrong, so really do have to be incredibly organized and well prepared for all eventualities.
One thing I’ve learned is always have a little bit of everything in your pantry/fridges/freezers that would allow you to produce a good amount of worldly cuisines.
The most important thing to remember for me is that each set of guests you cook for will have different tastes, likes, dislikes and requirements. My job is about trying to match what the client wants as quickly as possible after they have stepped on board, to the very best of my abilities. Therefore, my style of cooking can change massively from “family style” to “degustation.”
My favorite cuisine is Spanish; I love the way the Spanish cook and eat. Give me many small dishes so I can try more in a single sitting ANY day over a starter/main/dessert situation!
I haven’t received a terrifically silly request, but I have been woken up during the night to make my infamous toasties (according to one guest)!