Top 10 tips for yacht chefs

An accomplished yacht chef is an important ingredient to a successful yacht charter. At times yacht chefs can lead a charmed life, enjoying all the benefits of charters in exotic destinations in their spare time and cooking amazing food while in the galley. Leading yacht chef supplies company Gourmet Deliveries offered some tips for yacht chefs, giving expert advice on how to stand out from the crowd.

• The most valuable source of information are the guests

Be attentive to their demands and preferences and treat it as gospel. Whether the wife likes her fruits blended or stewed, whether the children like their cookies soft or crumbly and whether the father prefers farfalle to penne; these are all cooking nuances to be duly noted and affected in the food.

• The children are as important as the adults

Some of the greatest critics will be children. Being notoriously difficult to please, if you manage to satisfy their taste buds you will find a way to their hearts and their parents’ hearts. As kids’ meals are often selected by parents, why not organise a night devoted to what the kids want to eat (with parents’ approval, of course).

• A happier crew is a happier yacht charter experience for all

One way to keep the rest of the crew happy is by providing meals from their home country. Imagine the joy a British crewmember will feel when confronted by a classic roast dinner, or how an American may enjoy a burger. Such a gesture will not go unnoticed and you will score points with those who surround you every day.

• Cater the same quality and choice to guests with intolerances and allergies

  Sharing a meal is typically a moment to be shared by friends and family alike. A great chef will bring everyone together; a bad chef will exclude people. Try to adapt your charter menu also to those with dietary restrictions, at least partially. Obviously, adapting the entire menu may be too big a task with all the workload the yacht chefs have, but if you provide an option to gluten intolerant, diabetic, or guests with other restrictions, they will be grateful to you.

• Extra touches make an extra good chef

Asking the guests if they enjoyed their meal is a small gesture with big implications. Providing special-made chocolate in gift bags or offering a cold glass of wine on a hot day can make the difference on a yacht charter holiday.

• Celebrate holidays

Make sure you are aware of religious festivals, national holidays and the guests’ personal celebrations and prepare something special for the occasion. Guests will surely be appreciative of such a treat.

• A yacht charter holiday is for privacy

Offer to keep the guests fed in private with breakfast in bed, some fancy appetizers or midnight snacks so they don’t feel the need to travel to the kitchen or common areas for food.

• If you fail to plan, you plan to fail

Good planning is important and can help ensure a balanced and varied diet for your guests - a surefire way to please any health and sport enthusiasts on board. Make sure that the yacht charter agency had every guest fill out a preference sheet and if one of those sheets has arrived incomplete, ask the agency to follow it up. If this doesn’t work, ask a guest directly about his/her favourite food and cooking suggestions. A personable service is very important in the gastronomy industry.

• Be adaptable

So you put together a perfect menu for the entire duration of the yachting holidays and stocked up on all the necessary ingredients, but then all of a sudden the guests want to try the local delicacies and opt out of the original menu. The best thing to do is to adapt. Flexibility is an important virtue in the greatest chefs.

• Be prepared for the unexpected

Be prepared to cater for challenging/unexpected wishes guest may have. Chefs often find themselves cruising in remote locations and often yacht guests unexpectedly want food that not only do chefs not have in stock, but is hard to source in the area. To avoid failing the guest, find a reputable yacht provisioning agent that delivers food worldwide and keep their number handy to be able to get in touch with them as soon as you receive a challenging order.

For more information, visit Gourmet Deliveries.