Five Top Tips to Level Up Your Yacht Chef Game

As a Yacht Galley Consultant, I speak with hundreds of Head Chefs and Captains each month. I ran a survey recently, which involved speaking with Head Chefs whose experience ranged from 2 to 20 years. Many of them are candidates I’ve placed or clients I recruit for. Through these conversations, I gathered fascinating insights into what they wish they had known or done before stepping into their Head Chef Galley role.

The results from my survey showed common themes but also some stark differences. The results were so eye-opening that I thought I’d share them in this blog, anonymously of course.

Every Head Chef has their own style, go-to dishes, and ways of working. While doing my survey, I found it so valuable to hear what does and doesn’t work for different people. I wanted to put something together to help you grow as people and professionals. I’ve called it Five Top Tips to Level Up Your Yacht Chef Game, so enjoy the read and feel free to give me your thoughts or views later. I love a conversation!

Tip 1: Cook for the guest, not your ego

Many Chefs have an extensive and impressive repertoire in diverse cuisines, and it’s natural to want to impress the guests on board. However, not all guests want a showstopper at every mealtime. Sometimes they just want something simple, e.g. a Pizza, Caesar salad, or even a burger.

During my survey, one piece of feedback was frequently cited, with one chef mentioning: “The most common mistake new yacht chefs make is cooking to impress rather than cooking what the owner and guests actually want.” Around 54% of the chefs I spoke to also raised this as a piece of advice without hesitation.

This wasn’t just aimed at new chefs transitioning from high-end land-based backgrounds. These head chefs have seen this as a common mistake made by crew chefs, sous chefs, and their past rotational opposites.

A key question I asked was: What do you tell a restaurant chef making the move to yachts?

Feedback I got included:

• “Don’t cook for your ego, cook for the guests.” (Head Chef, 60m)
• “Michelin and high-end restaurant chefs often arrive wanting technical, elaborate dishes for an owner who wants simple, healthy, family-style food.” (Head Chef, 100m)
• “Guests have asked for chicken wings and burgers; doing them well every time beats trying to impress.” (Head Chef, 60m)
• “If a guest doesn’t want onions, you don’t add them because you think the dish needs them.” (Head Chef, 110m)

Every chef is always keen to showcase their skills and ability! Although a key thing here is to just leave your ego at the dock and listen to the guests’ preferences!

Tip 2: Manage dietary requirements without losing your creativity

Dietary requirements are nothing new to an experienced Chef. From the days of creating perfect menus in their restaurant career, guests have always asked to substitute or remove certain items from dishes because of their personal requirements.

Nowadays, people are much more conscious of what they put into their bodies, and that reflects on the chef’s ability to deliver flavour without compromising creativity. This means they can’t always fall back on classical French enhancers like BUTTER and CREAM.

When discussing dietary requirements, I asked: “How have dietary requests changed in the briefs you’re seeing from captains? And where’s the creativity in it, in your view?”

Some of the responses:

• “Around 90% of clients have some kind of dietary requirement.” (Head Chef, 100m)
• “The guest should never feel like they are eating the ‘special version’.” (Head Chef, 80m)
• One chef said that they make their whole menu gluten-free rather than serving one guest something different. Another uses dairy-free cream so everyone gets the same Chocolate Mousse.
• “A freezer of stocks and purées in standard and dairy-free versions means a dish can be adapted in minutes.” (Head Chef, 75m)
• “Be honest about your limits; never claim specialist knowledge you don’t have, kosher being the obvious example.” (Head Chef, 50m)

There were many varied answers, which were all valid, as it came down to their personal experience of how they’ve grown as chefs over the years. These slices of advice prove that it is more than possible to cater for a wide variety of dietary requirements without compromising on quality.

Tip 3: Being a Head Chef is a Management Job

Let’s be honest, most chefs stepping up can already cook. What catches them out is budgets, stock control, admin and leading a team; cooking is the easy part!

Conversation on this was easy! I asked everyone about the areas they would advise aspiring head chefs to develop away from the galley. A whopping 77% listed Management or Budgeting as essential training for those with progression ambitions. Another common suggestion was to do a dedicated Leadership course.

Some of the responses:

• “On a yacht, you aren’t just cooking. You are running a department.” (Head Chef, 70m)
• “A lot of chefs are promoted because they’re good at cooking, but being a good head chef requires a completely different set of skills.” (Head Chef, 110m)
• “New head chefs who try to change everything in week one can create conflicts that nobody needs.” (Head Chef, 85m)
• “Be kind to your second chef, and if they’re good, spoil them.” (Head Chef, 65m)
• “Do 2 or 3 Sous Chef roles first and get at least a year under an experienced yacht head chef, even if you’re coming straight from a Michelin kitchen.” (Head Chef, 80m)

From conversations with dozens of candidates each week, a common thing I hear is:

“The yacht was great, but the head chef was hard to get along with.”

There are always two sides to every story, but approachability, communication, and respect are key attributes for any leader in the galley.

When collecting references, I frequently get feedback along the lines of:

“He/she was an amazing chef, but he/she was horrible with the admin.”

A lot of chefs talk about wanting to keep developing; that doesn’t just mean in your cooking. Being approachable, organised, and on top of administration are also key ingredients for thriving in any kind of yacht head chef role.

Tip 4: Spend your training money wisely

I speak to chefs from around the world, and they’ve all had different training throughout their careers that sets them up for the yachting industry, but no one is perfect.

When speaking to my panel of chefs, I wanted to get to know which training courses they would recommend for someone starting their yachting career:

• 85% recommended taking pastry or baking courses, with many wishing they’d learned it sooner. It’s the gap they see most in chefs coming from restaurants.

A great quote I heard was: “A chef is not a baker or a pastry chef just because they can make a dessert and a Focaccia.” (Head Chef, 90m).

When it came to asking them about specific cuisines:

• 69% highlighted Asian cuisine (Sushi, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai) as worth learning.
• Interestingly, only 8% recommended learning plant-based cooking, despite Veganism being very much still on the rise.

Something which really resonated with me was:

• “Learn whatever sits furthest from what you already know.” (Head Chef, 100m)

It’s important to note that continuous training doesn’t simply mean doing more training courses. It can also take many other forms. When pressing into this subject, I found that:

• 76% rated working under a great chef as more important than formal training.
• A great quote from one of the chefs I spoke to was: “Formal training gives you technique and structure, but a great mentor teaches you judgement.” (Head Chef, 75m)

I also asked about training budgets and gave them an imaginary £5,000 to spend on their own development. I quizzed them on how they’d spend this; the answers were wide and varied and included:

• 54% would choose against taking a cooking course.
• Investing in a Day Skipper ticket
• Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) course
• Management training
• Travelling to eat street food

Development matters throughout your career as a chef, especially in the demanding environment of a yacht galley. Learning new technical skills can bring fresh ideas and excitement to your cooking. However, some of the best development comes from opportunities on land, particularly through stages.

Spending time in different kitchens, both at sea and on land, allows chefs to experiment with different cooking styles, learn from new teams, and pick up techniques they can bring back to the galley. It’s all about spending your training money in the best possible way to broaden your horizons. Having a strategy for your training budget will pay dividends.

Tip 5: Look after yourself and avoid burnout

I have worked with chefs for the last 16 years, from my time in restaurants & hotels, and working closely with them in recruitment. One thing I can say is that it’s not an easy profession, and expectations are high. A long galley career depends on managing your energy and not just your next course or boat.

I touched on the topic of avoiding burnout by asking these questions:

• What do you see happen to chefs who don’t manage their rest appropriately?
• What support is available for chefs who struggle with burnout?

A few responses on this were:

• “A long charter is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t give everything on day one and burn out by week two.” (Head Chef, 50m)
• “One of the biggest lessons of a chef’s career was finishing a summer season mentally exhausted and learning how to properly recover.” (Head Chef, 80m)

Other advice here is to make use of the on-board gym for mental clarity or try meditation to help you stay calm under pressure. It feels good to look like a hero, but is it worth your health?

From the 2026 Quay Crew Salary & Leave Report, we identified that only 26% of yachts offer mental health support as standard.

At Quay Group, we are proud to support the likes of Mental Health Support Solutions as one of our charity partners. Another great website to look at is The Burnt Chef Project.

Thinking about your next move?

The yachting industry is incredibly rewarding for chefs, offering career development opportunities and the chance to see the world. It is also a chance to build your own brand through the power of networking.

If you’re thinking about transitioning into the industry or looking for a yacht role that better suits your skills, please email me at matt@quaycrew.com. It would be great to set up a call.