Commis Chef / Fourth Chef
The commis chef, often called fourth chef, is the most junior cook in a yacht galley brigade. You prep, you cook crew meals, you keep the galley spotless and you learn guest service from chefs who have done it for years. The role only exists on bigger yachts, usually 70m and up, where the galley runs three or more chefs.
The jobWhat fills the day
Most of the work is mise en place. You peel, chop, portion, make stocks and sauces, and set up stations so the senior chefs can cook guest meals at speed. On many yachts the commis cooks for the crew, which can mean three meals a day for 30 to 60 people. You also handle deliveries, rotate stock in fridges and dry stores, label and date everything, and do a large share of the cleaning. Expect to scrub the galley down every night.
With guests aboard the days get long. Breakfast prep starts early, lunch and dinner service run late, and there is often a canapé round or a beach barbecue in between. You may be asked to plate desserts, run the crew mess alone, or help the pastry chef on a 120m yacht. Between charters, or on a quiet private programme, hours ease off and you get more time on the stove, more input into crew menus and a chance to practise guest dishes.
Captains and head chefs hire commis from two pools. The first is trained chefs from good restaurants or hotels, usually with a culinary diploma and two or three years on a line. The second is chefs already in yachting who started as crew cooks on smaller boats. What they look for is the same: clean habits, speed, good knife work, a calm temper in a hot, small galley, and the ability to live alongside 40 colleagues without friction.
Progression is fairly direct for anyone who works hard. After one or two seasons you move up to chef de partie or third chef, then sous chef. Plenty of commis leave larger boats to become sole chef on a 35m to 45m yacht, which is a big step in responsibility and pay. Keep a portfolio of plated dishes and menus from the start, because head chef references and photographs carry real weight when you apply for the next job.
Skills captains look for
- Knife skills and prep
- Crew meal planning
- Food safety and HACCP
- Stock rotation and storage
- Working under pressure
- Basic pastry and bread
- Galley hygiene
A day aboardCharter day, 90m motor yacht, Dubrovnik and the Elaphiti Islands
Start the bread proving and set up breakfast stations. Prep fruit platters and juices for the guest buffet.
Cook crew breakfast for 45 while the sous chef handles guest egg orders.
Receive a local fish and vegetable delivery by tender. Check temperatures, label and store everything.
Prep for a beach lunch ashore: marinate octopus, make salads and pack cool boxes for the deck team to run across.
Serve crew lunch, then clean down and restock fridges.
Two hours off. Most of the brigade sleeps.
Mise en place for an eight-course tasting dinner. Make garnishes, sauces and the amuse-bouche components.
Cook crew dinner, then work the cold section during guest service and help plate dessert.
Deep clean the galley, write the prep list for tomorrow and finish.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips are usually shared equally among crew and can add $1,500 to $4,000 a month in a busy Mediterranean or Caribbean season. Permanent contracts typically add 30 to 45 days' paid leave and return flights. See the Yacht Chef & Galley salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Food Hygiene Level 2
Gets you hired
- Culinary diploma or NVQ Level 2/3 in Professional Cookery
- Food Safety Level 3
- Ship's Cook Certificate
- PDSD
- Allergen awareness
Visas
- B1/B2 for US cruising
- Schengen right to work or visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Yacht Chef & Galley jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Can I get a commis job with no yacht experience?
Yes, if you have solid restaurant or hotel experience. Head chefs often prefer a commis with two years in a good kitchen over one with a season on a small boat. You still need STCW, an ENG1 and a food hygiene certificate before anyone will hire you.
Do I need a Ship's Cook Certificate as a commis?
Usually not. Under MLC rules the yacht needs a qualified ship's cook, and that is normally the head chef. Getting the certificate early helps when you apply for sole chef or sous chef roles later.
Will I cook for guests or only for crew?
Both, in most brigades. Crew meals are often your main responsibility, and you support guest service with prep, cold dishes and plating. How much guest cooking you do depends on the head chef and how much you show you can handle.
Where should I look for work?
Antibes and Palma in March and April are the main hiring hubs for the Mediterranean season. Fort Lauderdale works the same way in October and November for the Caribbean. Most large-yacht commis jobs go through crew agents and job boards rather than dockwalking.