Private Yacht Chef
A private yacht chef cooks for one family. There are no charter guests and no new preference sheets every week. You get to know the same small group of people very well. The job asks for restaurant-level cooking, sound nutrition and a lot of discretion. It suits chefs who want depth with one client more than variety across many.
The jobWhat fills the day
The work is cooking for the owner, their family and their friends, and feeding the crew when the galley is small. On a private yacht you cook for the same palates for years. That means remembering that the owner's wife avoids gluten, the children want plain pasta on Tuesdays and the owner's doctor has cut his salt. You plan menus around their health, the season and wherever the yacht is. You also source produce in every port and keep the stores, budget and galley hygiene under control.
With the owner aboard the days are long and you are always ready. Plans change at short notice: lunch for six turns into lunch for twenty on a beach in Corsica, or the family flies in two days early. When the owner is away the galley is quieter. You cook for the crew, deep clean, service equipment and build up stores. On yachts under 45m you are usually the only chef. From around 60m you lead a sous chef and sometimes a crew chef, and your job moves more towards running the galley and managing suppliers.
Owners and captains hire for consistency, discretion and personality as much as cooking. Most private yacht chefs have trained in good restaurants, hotels or private households before joining yachts. Many come up from sole chef roles on charter yachts. Some owners want a particular cuisine, such as Japanese, Middle Eastern or plant-based, or a background in clinical nutrition. Strong references from previous principals count for a great deal. A trial trip of a week or two with the owner aboard is normal before you are confirmed.
Some chefs stay with one family for a decade and move ashore with them to their villas and jets. Others use a private post as a step towards head chef on a large charter yacht, or executive chef across a fleet or several residences. Pay rises come from loyalty and yacht size more than from changing jobs. Long postings with one principal look very good on a CV, and senior private chefs are often recruited by word of mouth between owners.
Skills captains look for
- Menu planning for diets
- Discretion with principals
- Provisioning in foreign ports
- Galley budget control
- Allergy and nutrition knowledge
- Wide cuisine repertoire
- Calm under late changes
A day aboardOwner aboard, 55m motor yacht, northern Sardinia
Bake bread and pastries, set up fresh juices and prepare the owner's usual egg-white omelette for whenever he wakes.
Breakfast service on the aft deck, cooked to order, with the stew team running plates.
Brief with the chief stew on today's plans. The family wants lunch ashore at a beach near Porto Cervo, so you pack a picnic and tender kit.
Meet the fish supplier at the dock in Poltu Quatu and check the delivery of bream, red prawns and vegetables.
Beach lunch for twelve guests: grilled fish, salads and a gluten-free tart for the owner's wife.
Two hours off in your cabin while the sous chef cooks crew dinner.
Mise en place for a seven-course tasting menu. The owner has asked for local Sardinian dishes tonight.
Dinner service, then a word with the owner about tomorrow's menu and any guests arriving.
Clean down, write the order list and log fridge temperatures before bed.
Pay by yacht sizeMonthly, before tips. Estimates. Bars share one scale.
Private yachts pay no charter tips, so base salaries tend to be a little higher to make up for it, and some owners add an annual bonus. Rotational posts on larger yachts pay the same monthly rate with less time aboard. 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 (yachts with 10 or more crew)
Gets you hired
- Food Hygiene Level 3
- PDSD
- Culinary diploma or Le Cordon Bleu
- WSET Level 2 in Wines
- Allergen awareness training
Visas
- US B1/B2
- Schengen visa if not EU national
Where it leadsA typical career path
Private Yacht Chef jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Questions crew ask
How is a private yacht chef different from a charter chef?
A charter chef cooks for a new group of guests every week or two, working from preference sheets. A private chef cooks for the same family for years and learns their tastes in detail. There are fewer menu surprises, though you need more patience and much more discretion.
Do I need yacht experience to get a private chef job?
It helps, but some owners hire experienced private household or top restaurant chefs with no sea time. You still need STCW and an ENG1 before you join. Expect a trial trip before the job is confirmed.
Will I travel with the owner off the yacht?
On some posts, yes. Owners sometimes ask their chef to cook at their villa, ski chalet or on the jet between seasons. Agree this in the contract, including how your pay and leave work when you are ashore.
How much leave do private yacht chefs get?
Permanent posts usually come with 30 to 45 days' paid leave a year. On yachts over about 60m, rotations such as 2:1 or 3:1 are becoming more common. A relief chef covers while you are away.