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Yacht Chef vs Restaurant Chef: What's Actually Different? becoming a yacht chef career q&a Jul 06, 2026

I spent 8 years in land kitchens before 14 at sea, so I've lived both sides of this properly. They share knives and heat — beyond that, they're different careers.

In a restaurant, you master one menu. On a yacht, you cook everything.

A restaurant chef refines the same dishes night after night unti...

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Private or Charter Yacht: Which Should a Chef Choose? becoming a yacht chef career q&a Jul 06, 2026

I get asked this constantly, and I've done years of both — three years private with the same family, then charter on boats up to 88 metres. Here's the honest comparison.

Private: you become part of the family

On a private boat you cook for the same owner, learn their tastes to the decimal point, a...

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Yacht Chef vs Stew: Which Crew Job Is Right for You? becoming a yacht chef career q&a Jul 06, 2026

Two of the most common ways into yachting, two very different daily lives. Having spent 14 years in the galley alongside some brilliant interior teams, here's the honest comparison.

Getting in

Stew is the more accessible entry: STCW, ENG1, a strong service attitude and ideally a silver-service or ...

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Is Becoming a Yacht Chef the Right Career Change for You? becoming a yacht chef career getting started q&a Jul 06, 2026

This is the question underneath all the others — so let's answer it properly. Not with a personality quiz, but with the honest questions I'd ask you over a coffee before you spent a cent on courses or flights.

Ask yourself these, honestly

Can you live in close confinement? Not "do you like people"...

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Can You Transition From Land Cooking to Yacht Cooking? becoming a yacht chef career q&a Jul 06, 2026

Yes — nearly every yacht chef I know started on land, including me. Eight years in land kitchens before I ever cooked at sea. But the transition has traps, so here's what actually transfers and what you'll need to build.

What transfers beautifully

Speed, organisation, working clean under pressure,...

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