For Owners, Captains & Management
Hire a Yacht Chef
Looking for a yacht chef? Private and charter galleys ask for very different people. Every chef is reference-checked and matched to how your boat actually runs.
A yacht chef plans, provisions and cooks all meals aboard, usually for both guests and crew, within a small galley and a fixed budget. The role combines high-end cooking with provisioning logistics in ports where availability changes constantly.
What a yacht chef does on board
- Daily guest and crew menus within provisioning budgets
- Dietary requirements, allergies and guest preferences
- Galley hygiene, HACCP and food safety records
- Provisioning in port and passage planning for stores
What separates a good yacht chef from a qualified one
Ask how they handle a last-minute dietary restriction mid-charter, and what they cook for crew on day fourteen. Crew food is the single most reliable predictor of morale on board, and it is the first thing a stretched chef drops. Menu photographs tell you far less than a straight conversation about budgets.
Certification and experience
Every yacht chef we put forward has current certification checked before you see them, and references taken directly with previous captains or owners rather than read off a page.
- STCW
- ENG1
- Food Safety Level 2
- Ship’s Cook Certificate
Typical experience sought: 3+ years · Reports to Yacht Captain
The mistake we see most often
Recruiting on restaurant pedigree alone. A Michelin background is no guarantee someone can cook for twenty crew and eight guests from a galley the size of a bathroom, in a swell, without a team.
How we find the right yacht chef for your boat
- Understand the yacht. Programme, crew structure and owner style, and how the yacht chef will work with your yacht captain.
- Search and screen. A small number of genuine candidates, each spoken to individually, with STCW and ENG1 confirmed before you see them.
- Reference in person. Direct conversations with previous yacht captains and captains, not a form sent by email.
- Introduce and follow through. Introductions, then contact once they are aboard — the first eight weeks are when a placement either settles or does not.
Frequently asked
Hiring a yacht chef: common questions
What is the difference between a private and a charter yacht chef?
A private chef cooks for the same family repeatedly and builds around their preferences over time. A charter chef produces a high standard for changing guests every week under constant pressure. Very different temperaments suit each.
What qualifications should a yacht chef have?
Formal culinary training, STCW basic safety training, an ENG1 medical and Food Safety Level 2. A Ship’s Cook Certificate is required on some flags. Provisioning experience is often the real differentiator.
Should I hire a sole chef or a chef and sous?
A sole chef is usual up to around 45m. Above that, or on charter yachts with large guest numbers, a sous chef or crew chef prevents the galley becoming a bottleneck during heavy weeks.
How do you assess a yacht chef?
Through references from previous captains and chief stewardesses about consistency under pressure, dietary handling and galley hygiene. A trial where possible, since plating and provisioning discipline show quickly.
Why do yacht chefs turn over so often?
It is one of the most isolating roles on board — long hours, a small workspace and little downtime during charter. Realistic scheduling and a defined break structure do more for retention than salary alone.
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Looking for a yacht chef?
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