Very few chefs in the yachting industry started their careers on boats. For most yacht chefs, the journey has involved hours spent in the kitchen refining their skills, then taking the step to embark on the culinary odyssey of cooking at sea. It’s not an easy transition, and it takes quite a bit of adjusting. No longer are products and produce available with the ease of a phone call or a trip to the market. If you have come from a restaurant or hotel background, you would have had someone to do the dishes and clean up, and maybe even the orders would be put away by the porters or junior staff. It couldn’t be any more different working as a chef on a yacht.
Working as a land-based chef confines you to the routine of day-to-day living and generally following set menus and more limited cooking criteria. It has its advantages, like the ability to spend time with family and friends and make plans knowing where you will be on any given day. You also get to leave your work and colleagues behind at the end of each day. It almost seems like a luxury, and you wonder why anyone would want to give that up for the organized chaos of being a yacht chef.
Tips for an easier life in the galley:
- Try to keep one hand free when carrying items. If the yacht rolls, you will have a hand free to hold on.
- If you suffer from sea sickness, have pre-prepared crew food available that can be served if you're feeling a bit green.
- Have a menu board for the crew meals; it's a small detail, but the crew always appreciate it.
- Start work 15 minutes earlier, it gives you the jump on the day and takes the pressure off when those unexpected moments arise.
- Prepare menus for crew and guests the day before. It’s a good feeling to walk into the galley in the morning with an action plan.
- Always have a backup plan for meals in case guests change their eating out plans and decide to invite friends.
It will help with the adjustment if you already have a good knowledge of international cuisines, pastries, and special diets. If you are a specialized chef, you will quickly discover that crew don’t want to eat pasta every day — let alone the guests. So whatever you can do to increase your knowledge and confidence will only benefit you. Being a yacht chef will make you a good all-around chef across multiple cuisines. It’s better if you start the learning process before you hit the galley.
The off-season without guests will be the lull before the storm and you should use this time to organize yourself well. Try new recipes and techniques, do courses, focus on building your skills for what’s ahead. Planning and preparation can take a lot of stress out of a schedule that leaves little room for error. As with some services on board, you don’t get a second chance to fix mistakes. It has to be right the first time. It’s a big difference to working in a restaurant where you get to practice and refine recipes over and over again.
Yacht chef life is adventurous, demanding, and unique. It will change you as a chef and as a person. You’ll access world-class produce, visit dream destinations, and discover new places. The lifestyle is rewarding, and you’ll be fortunate to join this amazing industry.