CREW FOCUS: Galley Gossip
With Courtesy of Erica Lay & The Mallorca Bulletin. #25/1047.
Erica Lay owner of EL CREW International Yacht Crew Agency http://www.elcrewco.com/ erica@elcrewco.com
Galley Gossip: The Secrets Yacht Chefs Won’t Tell You
By Erica Lay
Step into the galley of a superyacht and you’ll find a culinary world far removed from the white-jacketed serenity of a Michelin-starred kitchen. Yes, the food is just as good—sometimes better—but the pressure? That’s turned up to eleven. Behind the pass, amid the clatter of knives and the hum of induction hobs, yacht chefs are quietly working miracles, often with one hand on a pan and the other gripping the counter to stay upright in rolling seas.
No Menu, No Mercy
What makes the life of a yacht chef so different? For starters, there’s rarely a fixed menu.
“You’re cooking blind half the time,” says one chef who’s worked aboard both private and charter yachts for over a decade. “You get a brief that says ‘light, fresh, Mediterranean’ and then someone asks for lobster mac and cheese at 2am.”
Guest whims are only part of the chaos. Add cramped quarters, long hours, and provisioning roulette (good luck sourcing sashimi-grade tuna in a Croatian village on a Sunday night), and it’s a wonder chefs don’t go full Gordon Ramsay every other hour.
Improvisation Nation
“You learn to improvise pretty quickly,” says another chef, who once had to recreate a wedding cake using only coconut flour, passionfruit jam, and sheer panic. “You also learn not to flinch when a guest tells you they’re now gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and ‘don’t really eat vegetables’ halfway through a crossing.”
Cooking underway? Think of The Great British Bake Off, if the tent were strapped to a rollercoaster.
“Try plating beef Wellington in a Force 7,” says Jack, a former restaurant chef turned yachtie. “I swear my sous-chef once held a soufflé steady with his forehead.”
Provisioning Woes
Meticulous provisioning plans often unravel once guests step on board with “new” dietary preferences.
“I had a charter once where the preference sheet stated: ‘strict vegan’—and they demanded steak every night,” sighs another.
Food trends on board are as fickle as the wind. Plant-based is in. Sushi’s always in. Fancy hydration? That’s the new obsession.
“I spend more on coconut water and aloe juice than on wine some weeks,” says Emily, a sous-chef on a 70m charter yacht. “And don’t get me started on alkaline water and personalised electrolyte sachets,” adds Harriet, their chief stew.
Crew Cuisine: Mutiny or Masterpiece
Crew food is either a point of pride or a recipe for rebellion.
“You can’t serve crew spaghetti three nights in a row unless you want a walkout,” laughs one chef. “The crew are just as important—maybe more—than the guests. No crew? No boat. No charter. No tip.”
The Brutal Brilliance
Despite the madness, most yacht chefs wouldn’t trade it for anything. The creativity, the challenge, the travel, and the satisfaction of impressing guests who usually dine at Nobu—it’s addictive.
“When it goes right, there’s nothing like it,” says Isabela, a seasoned charter chef. “But make no mistake. This isn’t some dreamy barefoot cooking gig. It’s brutal. And it’s brilliant.”
Chefs and stews build close bonds under pressure. Shared midnight snacks and galley therapy sessions are part of the job.
“I once cried because my avocado delivery had all gone off and I had to make breakfast for a Californian yoga group,” one chef admits. “The chief stew brought me tequila. That’s real solidarity.”
Tales from the Galley
And then there are the stories. The billionaire who demanded a ‘full English’ breakfast on a vegan yacht. The A-lister who wanted every meal shaped like a heart—including soup. The lobster ordered “fresh from the tender” in the Med, where lobsters don’t exactly roam free.
But the golden rule? Discretion.
“You’ll never hear a real chef naming names,” says Jack. “We work in the shadows. Delicious, demanding, and always just out of sight.”
So next time you hear about a billionaire stepping aboard and casually requesting a 12-course tasting menu with no gluten, sugar, or onions—remember: somewhere below deck, a sleep-deprived genius is crafting culinary magic with two burners, a blunt knife, and a fridge full of wilting rocket.
That Michelin-worthy meal? It came with a side of burns, bruises, and an emotional breakdown over microgreens.