Laura Shaughnessy is the former managing editor at Dockwalk.
Chef Corinne Gregory Sharpe, aka TheShipboardChef, would like to give yachting a good name and prove that experiencing luxury life aboard a yacht isn’t just for the wealthy. This is one of the many things she hopes to showcase with her TV show, which she’s currently shopping at various networks.
“I participated in a ‘Pitchfest’ where you meet with producers and agents in varying genres. [It’s kind of] like ‘speed dating’ for your show/movie concept. The first pitch I did was with the BGM Group and they loved what they heard and asked for more materials. They continued to love it and we signed a deal last December!” Sharpe says.
Now that she has a production company in Brian Graden Media (BGM Group), they are continuing to shop the show to find the right fit.
What Sets The ShipboardChef Apart
“So many cooking shows feature competitions and their talented chefs, but we’ve had our fill of that. It’s time for a taste of something new...,” says Sharpe, who started her yachting career almost a decade ago. “In each episode, I’ll take on a new charter with a fresh destination and a delicious meal to serve to my guests. From the Caribbean to the Pacific Northwest up to Alaska and beyond, we’ll cruise open waters and gather artisanal goods locally to add into our recipes.”
For instance, she asks, “How many restaurant chefs do you know that have to have professional first-level firefighting and first aid training? Nobody realizes that we don’t have 9-1-1 out there; we are 9-1-1. So, you know, I’m probably one of a few chefs I know, ‘in a restaurant’ that can don actual firefighting gear and know how to put out one of three types of fires.”
One thing Sharpe really wants to do is highlight what’s good about the industry.
“There’s been too much negative play up — and we won’t go into details about how and where — but too much shade thrown on the industry,” says Chef Sharpe. “And the reality is the industry is not necessarily what’s portrayed on so-called reality. And I want to show what it’s really like, show that we are great professional people who do a great, professional job and show our owners [and] guests an awesome time. But then it’s also for the people who are interested in travel. Maybe they have a boat, maybe they want a boat, maybe they like the idea of a luxury lifestyle but don’t know how they can do it. It’s all those things.”
Furthermore, she wants to appeal to the layman with a regular income. “You don’t have to be Beyoncé to charter a boat,” says Chef Sharpe. “This is approachable for people at any level. …You can take a small boat out somewhere,” she says.
Another thing she wants to bring to the show is the challenges and uniqueness of being a yacht chef.
For Sharpe, TV exposure would be no new venture. She’s appeared as a contestant on The Nate Berkus Show with Guy Fieri as a judge, as well as on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Time Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and more.
To follow along as she makes her television show dreams become reality, go to www.shipboardchef.com.