Dean Harrison

The Yacht Chef

Read the Blog
Scroll

Private & Charter Yacht Chef

Fine dining, anywhere in the world

Over 8 years in kitchens and 13 years at sea — from the French Alps and the Greek Islands to yachts from 15 to 88 metres private and charter. Creative, locally-driven cuisine plated with care, wherever the water takes us.

Private yacht chef, superyacht chef, boat chef — guests and captains have called it all three, and it’s the same brief every time: provisioning in a port I’ve never seen before, service for twelve without warning, and restaurant-level food out of a galley the size of a closet. I’ve done that on 15-metre weekend charters and 88-metre superyachts, sail and motor, private owners and charter guests alike.

My Story

From the blog

Becoming a Yacht Chef

Read All Posts

Common questions

Private chef, boat chef, superyacht chef?

Is a private yacht chef the same as a superyacht chef?

Pretty much. “Superyacht chef” usually just signals the size of the boat — generally 24 metres and up — while “private yacht chef” points to who you’re cooking for: one owner and their guests, rather than rotating charter clients. I’ve worked both private and charter contracts on yachts from 15 to 88 metres, so in practice the kitchen, the provisioning and the standard expected are the same job under different labels.

What’s the difference between a “boat chef” and a “yacht chef”?

Mostly just the word someone reaches for. “Boat chef” and “yacht chef” describe the same role — cooking for guests and crew aboard a private or charter vessel — though in the industry “yacht chef” is the more common term once a boat is a few metres past dinghy size.

Do you cook on both sailing and motor yachts?

Yes — sail and motor, private and charter, from 15-metre weekend boats up to the 88-metre superyachts I’ve spent seasons on. The galley changes size and the sea state changes the plating, but the standard doesn’t.

Before you commit

Want to become a yacht chef?

Not “can you cook” — you can cook. That was never the question. It’s whether you can plate in a swell, live in a tin can with eleven people you didn’t choose, and still be someone the captain wants back next season. Seven videos on what this job actually is, filmed onboard the 68m and 88m I worked — my whole career, the pros, and the cons I don’t put on Instagram. Then six questions. Answer yes to most and you’ve got this. If not, I’ve just saved you thousands.

Want to become a yacht chef?