Hire a Yacht Chef

Why hiring a yacht chef is different

Plenty of superb restaurant chefs fail at sea, and their CVs give you almost no warning. A yacht galley is compact and moving. Storage is a fraction of what a land kitchen has. Provisioning ports change weekly, sometimes daily in peak season. The chef is expected to produce fine dining underway, in a swell, for guests whose dietary requirements may only be disclosed the evening before they board.

Then add the parts nobody interviews for: living aboard with the people you cook for, no separation between work and home, and a season where a bad week has nowhere to hide. A Michelin line on a CV tells you what someone can cook. It tells you nothing about whether they can do it in nine square metres, forty days in a row, sharing a cabin.

This is the core problem with conventional crew recruitment. Most agencies are staffed by recruiters who have never worked a galley, so they screen on the only things they can assess — pedigree, availability, presentation — and pass the real risk on to you.

It is also why a failed placement is so expensive. The salary is the smallest part of it: a chef who leaves mid-season costs you the recruitment again at short notice, in peak season when availability is worst, plus crew disruption and guest experience during the weeks that actually generate revenue.

Two ways to pay — you choose per role

• Fixed fee: €2,500 flat, all-in. A €500 deposit is credited in full against the fee; if no hire results it stays valid as a credit for 12 months.
• Success fee: nothing upfront — one month of the chef's salary plus VAT, payable only when you hire.
• Short-term / charter (90 days or fewer): 33.3% of total salary paid, minimum €500.

Every search includes 7 days of exclusive, dedicated attention and a 60-day replacement guarantee. Full terms are provided before any engagement.

Matching the chef to your programme

There is no universally best yacht chef. There is a chef who suits your boat. The most common cause of a mismatch is hiring for prestige rather than for the actual workload.

Tell us which of these describes your season and the shortlist changes accordingly. That is most of what a brief is for.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to hire a yacht chef?

You choose per position: a fixed €2,500 all-in fee (with a €500 deposit credited in full), or a success fee of one month's salary payable only when you hire. Short-term and charter placements are charged at 33.3% of the total salary paid, minimum €500.

How quickly can you find a yacht chef?

You receive a shortlist of vetted, pre-screened chefs within 48 hours of sending your brief. Every search includes 7 days of dedicated, exclusive attention.

Do you charge the chefs a fee?

No. In accordance with MLC 2006, chefs are never charged for placement. Our fee is paid by the client only.

What if the chef doesn't work out?

A 60-day replacement guarantee applies when the fee is paid on time: if a placed chef voluntarily resigns within 60 days of starting, we source a replacement at no additional cost.

Are the chefs vetted and certified?

Yes. We verify qualifications, STCW and medical certificates, and complete reference checks before a candidate reaches your shortlist.

Which regions do you recruit in?

We place chefs across the Mediterranean and Caribbean and worldwide, with the heaviest concentration around Antibes and the French Riviera, Monaco, Palma de Mallorca and Fort Lauderdale. Dean is based in the industry and works the same season you do.

Do you recruit for private and charter yachts?

Both, plus private households and travelling positions. Briefs range from sole chef on a 37m private motor yacht to full galley teams on 150m-plus vessels.

Can you find a chef at short notice for a charter?

Yes. Short-notice and temporary charter cover is a core part of what we do — recent briefs have been filled with days of notice. Short-term placements of 90 days or fewer are charged at 33.3% of total salary paid, minimum €500.

Is a fixed fee or a success fee better value?

The fixed fee is usually cheaper on senior roles, because a success fee scales with salary while the work does not. On a €9,000-a-month head chef position the difference is roughly €6,500 in your favour. The success fee suits situations where you want no outlay at all until a chef is aboard. We let you choose per position rather than assigning you one.

What information should my brief include?

Vessel size and type, private or charter, guest and crew numbers, itinerary and season, cuisine standard, any known dietary requirements, rotation or permanent, start date and the package. Being specific about workload matters more than length — see our job description template.

Do you place rotational chefs?

Yes. Rotation is increasingly standard on larger vessels and heavy charter programmes, typically 2:2. It costs more in total salary but substantially reduces burnout and mid-season resignations, which is usually the cheaper outcome overall.

Do you place full galley teams?

Yes. Briefs have ranged from a sole chef on a 37m private motor yacht to five positions on a 150m-plus vessel. Where two or more chefs are placed under one engagement on the success-fee model, the fee is 100% of the highest salary plus 75% for each additional chef.

What happens if I already know a chef you introduce?

Tell us and we will take them off the shortlist. Introduction protection runs for 12 months and applies to chefs we introduced to you — it exists so introductions are not used and then routed around, and it should never come as a surprise.

Guides for captains and owners

Written by a working superyacht chef, for the people doing the hiring. No sign-up required.