Galley Department
How to Become a Yacht Chef
How to become a yacht chef, what galleys are really like at sea, what the job pays, and the training that gets you a first season.
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 the job is actually like
Provisioning before dawn, then guest breakfast, crew lunch, canapes, guest dinner and crew dinner, often for very different tastes on the same day. The cooking is the straightforward part. The difficulty is doing it in a moving galley, with whatever the local market had, for people who did not tell you about the dietary requirement until this morning.
Certification and experience
These are the qualifications yachts ask for in a yacht chef. Most yachts also want around 3 years behind them, though a strong reference from a captain counts for more than an extra season on paper.
- STCW
- ENG1
- Food Safety Level 2
- Ship’s Cook Certificate
Typical experience sought: 3+ years · Reports to Yacht Captain
Getting into the role
Most yacht chefs come from shore kitchens rather than up through yachting. The adjustment is less about skill than about scale and isolation: no brigade, no supplier round the corner, and no separation between work and where you live. Ships cook certification is expected, and food safety qualifications are effectively mandatory.
What a yacht chef earns
| Vessel | Typical range |
|---|---|
| 100m+ head chef | €8,000+ per month |
| 100m+ sous chef | €4,000 – €7,000 per month |
| 100m+ third chef | €3,500+ per month |
| Under 30m head chef | €4,000 – €4,500 per month |
Figures published on this site since 2021. Pay varies with programme, rotation and whether the yacht is private or charter. More on what moves crew pay.
Frequently asked
Yacht Chef: common questions
How do I become a yacht chef?
Formal culinary training and solid shore experience first, then STCW basic safety training, an ENG1 medical and Food Safety Level 2. Provisioning skill and menu planning under constraint are what set yacht chefs apart.
What is it like cooking on a yacht?
Small galley, moving platform, limited storage and no ability to restock mid-passage. Guest and crew meals run simultaneously, and charter weeks are relentless. Planning matters more than technique.
Do I need yachting experience to get a chef job?
Not necessarily. Chefs transfer in from restaurants, private households and hotels more readily than most roles, because culinary skill is the harder thing to teach. Sea legs and provisioning are learned on board.
What does a yacht chef earn?
Pay varies with vessel size, private versus charter and guest numbers. We are compiling ranges from actual placements rather than repeating unsourced figures.
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