Life As A Superyacht Chef

Biography Brief

Superyacht Chef Jayson Parker

I am an Australian Qualified Chef with over fifteen years of land based and restaurant experience - including running my own Italian bistro "The Olive Tree" for six years. In 2013 I decided to pursue a career in the superyacht industry, and I have now completed two full Mediterranean seasons.

I have previously been employed as Sole Chef on 40m and 50m motor yachts, as well as temping as Sous Chef on a 63m motor yacht in the Caribbean last year.

1. What got you into this fabulous industry?

I have long enjoyed the feeling of being my own boss, and the Superyacht industry allows you to showcase your skills without the restraints of conventional restaurants. Generous budgets and guests that seek a true dining experience make the excitement of cooking aboard so rewarding for the Chef who is genuinely passionate about producing the best.

2. What is your favourite style of cooking?

Lamb and Lobster

Well to put it simply, I am a Carnivore and I am an Italian, which sums up the kind of food I like to cook and eat. So I have never been shy of “slow roasted belly pork with freshly reduced home-made Vincotto”.

But the beauty of ‘Modern Australian’ cuisine is that with Asia on our doorstep we are constantly exposed to the delicate fresh touches, the subtleties of flavour, and the abundance of fresh ingredients. Australia gives us an appreciation for dishes that are not ‘overworked’…letting beautiful ingredients speak for themselves. I think that is important.

3. Have you ever been put on the spot by yacht guests and had to pull something incredible out of the bag that you have never made before?

Of course! I've never met a Yacht Chef who hasn't. Typically yacht guests aren't sure what they feel like. They want options, and they want to decide at the last minute, or change their mind at the last minute. I will typically have a plan B, C and D ready, just in case. But any time I’m asked to cook something on the spot that I’m unsure about, I rely on my old friend the internet.

4. When did you find your interest in cooking?

I grew up with an Italian grandmother as a babysitter, and so ever day after school I would help Nonna make pasta or gnocchis, plant something new in the garden, or pick something fresh from it. So cooking was a natural choice for me once I got into the work force.

5. Where did you study?

I came up through restaurants in Sydney, Australia, with my apprenticeship. I gained my Certificate III in Commercial Cookery through the ‘Restaurant and Catering Association of New South Wales’.

6. What is your favourite meal to eat in/and out?

Spaghetti Marinara

Eat in: fresh pasta, Eat out: fresh seafood

7. Do you enjoy cooking for yourself, or would you rather a night out to a restaurant more?

Good question. Despite the obvious ease of ordering up at a great local restaurant, I honestly have to say that I prefer cooking for myself.

After working in restaurants all my life, and running my own restaurant for six ears, I don’t actually enjoy them that much. I find myself preoccupied with how many tickets the kitchen is doing right now, whether that half empty glass of wine on the table next door will be topped up anytime soon, and why is that apprentice laughing (too loudly) about in the back corner of the kitchen, etcetera…

8. Do you like watching reality TV chefs?

I’m afraid not. There’s nothing ‘real’ about them. Put any of those so-called ‘Chefs’ in the production kitchen of a high end busy restaurant and they would sink straight away.

Being a Chef is not just about creating a dish for the judges – It’s also about having the physical and mental endurance to pump out a hundred of them in an hour, with your Head Chef screaming at you to ‘hurry the hell up!’ There’s a good reason why it takes years to become a qualified Chef and there’s a good reason why only a handful of us actually make it.

9. How exactly is it different working on board a yacht to a land based restaurant kitchen?

Petite Fours

The biggest difference is that the menu on board, is determined by your guests… whereas a restaurant menu is, determined by the Head Chef.

The Superyacht Chef cannot afford to create what he or she likes. Dishes must be designed specifically to suit the style and tastes of your guests - and every group of guests is different.

So the biggest piece of advice I can give a Chef looking to cook on the boats is BE VERSATILE!

10. Do you have any tips for any new crew starting out on the chef route in the industry?

• As much as you can, cook for your crew as if they were guests.
• Be prepared… Sort out menus for various different occasions and dietary restrictions, and establish a relationship with potential provisioners.
• Don’t be afraid of the guests, to them you are a part of the on-board entertainment and they want to engage with you – especially on a charter.
• Again, you need to BE VERSATILE. If you’re not good at baking then practice it day and night until you are.
• And most importantly always remember - “GOOGLE is your friend”!

Life As A Superyacht Chef - Jayson Parker