Nutrition-Focused Chef
Nutrition-focused chefs cook for owners and guests whose food is set by a health plan, a doctor or a training programme. The job takes a full superyacht culinary skill set and adds weighed portions, strict allergen control and close work with nutritionists. It suits experienced chefs who like precision and can keep the flavour high when the ingredient list is restricted.
The jobWhat fills the day
A nutrition-focused chef cooks for guests whose eating follows health goals, medical advice or a structured programme. That might be an owner managing diabetes, a principal on a low-inflammation plan set by their doctor, an athlete in training, or a family that wants plant-based, gluten-free food for the whole trip. You plan menus around macros, allergens and meal timing. You source ingredients to a tighter specification than most galleys, and you keep records the guest's nutritionist or physician can review. The food still has to taste like it came from a superyacht galley.
On yachts under 50m you are usually the sole chef with a nutrition brief, cooking for guests and crew. From 60m upwards you may work alongside the head chef. You own breakfasts, juices, snacks and the principal's plates, and the brigade feeds everyone else. With guests aboard, expect daily check-ins with the principal or their wellness team, weighed portions, and menus rewritten overnight after a blood test or a bad night's sleep. Between trips you build up recipe banks, test new dishes on the crew and sort out supplier lists in each port.
Most people in this role come from an experienced galley background. Often they were a sous or head chef who went on to study nutrition formally. Captains and management companies look for solid culinary training plus a credible nutrition qualification, such as a Level 4 diploma or nutritional therapy training. References from private households, wellness retreats or clinics help a lot. Discretion matters. You will see medical details, and owners hire people who never repeat them. You are expected to be fluent in low-FODMAP, ketogenic, anti-inflammatory and vegan cooking. Strong pastry without refined sugar or wheat sets candidates apart.
The usual next step is head chef on a large private yacht with a health-minded owner, or executive chef running a brigade where nutrition shapes the whole menu. Some follow the same family into private household work ashore. Others move into retreat and clinic kitchens on land. On 80m+ yachts running a full wellness programme, some chefs work closely with the spa team and take on a wider role. Keep a portfolio of menus, plating photos and any results the guest has agreed you can share. This niche hires on proof.
Skills captains look for
- Macro and calorie planning
- Allergen and intolerance control
- Plant-based and gluten-free cooking
- Refined-sugar-free pastry
- Reading medical diet briefs
- Discreet record keeping
- Specialist provisioning abroad
A day aboardOwner trip, 70m motor yacht, North Malé Atoll, Maldives
Cold-press the morning juices and portion overnight oats to the principal's carbohydrate target. Restock the low-glycaemic snack box for the sundeck.
Breakfast service. Weighed eggs, fermented vegetables and a separate gluten-free spread for the guest with coeliac disease.
Video call with the principal's nutritionist in London. Lunch gets adjusted after feedback on sleep and this morning's training session.
Lunch prep: low-FODMAP for one guest, vegan for two. The sous chef handles the standard menu for everyone else.
Lunch service on the aft deck. Note what came back uneaten for the intake log.
Two hours off in the cabin while guests dive the house reef.
Check the organic delivery that came in by tender from Malé. Reject two cases of wilted greens and log the substitutions.
Dinner mise en place and service: line-caught reef fish, cauliflower purée, and a date-sweetened dessert for the principal.
Write up the day's intake notes, plan tomorrow's menus and clean down the galley.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
On charter yachts, tips of 10-15% of the charter fee are shared among the crew. Private yachts tend to pay a higher base salary instead. Rotational posts on 70m+ usually spread the salary evenly across the year. See the Yacht Chef & Galley salary guide for figures from live adverts.
Tickets and visas
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical certificate
- Food Hygiene Level 2
- MCA Ship's Cook Certificate (on larger yachts)
Gets you hired
- Food Safety Level 3
- Level 4 Diploma in Nutrition or nutritional therapy qualification
- Allergen awareness certificate
- PDSD
- Culinary diploma or apprenticeship
Visas
- Schengen visa where needed
- US B1/B2 visa
Where it leadsA typical career path
Yacht Chef & Galley jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
Do I need a nutrition degree?
Usually not. Yachts want a strong culinary record first, with a recognised nutrition qualification on top. A degree or registered dietitian status helps with medical briefs, but you should never give clinical advice beyond your training.
How is this different from a specialist cuisine chef?
A specialist cuisine chef is hired for a style, such as Japanese or Lebanese. A nutrition-focused chef is hired to meet a health outcome, and cooks whatever style the plan allows.
Will I also cook for the crew?
On yachts under 50m, almost always. On larger yachts a crew chef or the rest of the brigade usually feeds the crew, which leaves you free for the principal and guests.
Does it pay more than a regular head chef?
It pays about the same as a head chef on a yacht of the same size. The premium comes from private yachts with a wellness-led owner, where the right person can earn at the top of the band.