Head Chef
The head chef owns everything that comes out of the galley on a yacht big enough to carry more than one chef. You cook at a high level, and you also lead a small team, run a budget and keep the galley legal. Owners and charter guests judge a trip by the food more than almost anything else, so this is a senior seat.
The jobWhat fills the day
The job is part restaurant head chef, part private chef, part storekeeper. You write menus around guest preference sheets, allergies and whatever the local markets have that morning. You order and receive provisions, often in ports where your usual supplier does not deliver. You keep HACCP records, temperature logs and allergen matrices that will be checked by flag inspectors and management companies. Crew food matters too. A crew of 25 eating badly for six weeks becomes a morale problem for the captain, and he will tell you.
With guests aboard the hours are long and the pace is set by them. Breakfast can run from 07:00 to noon, lunch moves when the tender is late, and dinner might be a ten-course tasting menu or a beach barbecue at two hours' notice. On a 50m yacht you and a sous chef cover guests and crew between you. On an 80m or 100m yacht you lead a sous, a chef de partie, a crew chef and sometimes a pastry chef, and your time shifts towards planning, plating and checking every pass.
Captains and owners hire head chefs on cooking first. Expect a trial trip or a paid cook-off before an offer. Most successful candidates have restaurant or hotel training, often Michelin-level kitchens, followed by two or three seasons as a yacht sous chef or sole chef. A strong portfolio of plated dishes, references from previous captains and a record of staying with boats for more than one season count heavily. Range matters: Asian, Middle Eastern, plant-based and strict medical diets all come up.
Progression from head chef usually means moving to bigger yachts, where the pay and the brigade both grow, or taking an executive chef role across a large yacht or a fleet. Some chefs move to permanent rotational posts on 80m+ yachts, which suit people with families. Others step ashore into private villa work, consultancy for new builds on galley design, or training. The chefs who last are the ones who stay calm with a full charter, a short-notice guest change and a broken combi oven on the same day.
Skills captains look for
- High-end plated cuisine
- Menu planning to guest preferences
- Provisioning in remote ports
- HACCP and allergen control
- Galley budget management
- Leading a small brigade
- Special and medical diets
A day aboardCharter day, 65m motor yacht, anchored off Porto Cervo, Sardinia
Into the galley. Check fridge and freezer temperatures, sign the logs and bake bread and pastries for breakfast.
Breakfast service runs as guests appear. Sous chef handles eggs to order while you prep for lunch.
Meeting with the chief stew to confirm numbers, a new guest's nut allergy and tonight's beach dinner plan.
Provisioning order sent to the Olbia supplier for fish, herbs and fruit, delivered by tender at 15:00.
Lunch on the aft deck: sharing platters, a crudo of local bream and salads, plated with the sous chef.
Two hours off in the cabin while the crew chef covers the crew dinner prep.
Receive and check the delivery, then pack the beach dinner kit with the deck team for the tender run.
Seven-course dinner served on the beach. You plate on a portable station while the sous runs the boat galley.
Galley deep clean, tomorrow's prep list written and breakfast mise en place set before bed.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Charter tips of 10-20% of the charter fee, shared among crew, can add several thousand dollars a month in a busy Med or Caribbean season. Rotational posts on large yachts pay slightly less per month worked but give equal time off on full pay. See the Yacht Chef & Galley salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- MCA Ship's Cook Certificate (or flag equivalent)
- Food Hygiene Level 2
Gets you hired
- Food Safety Level 3 or 4
- Formal culinary qualification
- PDSD
- Allergen awareness training
- Wine and food pairing course
Visas
- Schengen right to work or visa
- US B1/B2
- C1/D crew visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Head Chef jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience to be hired as a head chef?
Usually yes. Most captains want at least two seasons aboard as a sous or sole chef, so they know you can handle provisioning at sea and the hours of a charter. A chef from a top restaurant can sometimes go straight into a smaller yacht's head chef role after a strong trial.
What is the difference between a head chef and a sole chef?
A sole chef cooks alone for guests and crew, normally on yachts under 50m. A head chef leads at least one other chef and carries more planning, budget and management work. Pay for the two overlaps on mid-size yachts.
Is the Ship's Cook Certificate really required?
Under the Maritime Labour Convention, yachts with a certain crew size must carry a qualified ship's cook, and flag states including the Red Ensign group enforce it. Captains and management companies will ask for it at interview. It is a short course with a practical assessment for experienced chefs.
How are trial trips handled?
Many yachts ask a shortlisted chef to cook for the captain or the owner's team, or to join for a short trip. Trials should be paid at a day rate plus travel. Bring a written menu, ask about any allergies first and treat the crew meals as part of the test.