On Thursday 30th March, nine chefs working on superyachts will participate in the Superyacht Chef Competition at Yacht Club de Monaco. The Chefs are:
- Chef Hloni Tlhapuletsa – M/H AHPO, 115m
- Chef Gjorgi Mitev – M/Y Coral Ocean, 73m
- Chef Finnbar Dewar – M/Y Aura, 37m
- Chef Viktoria Fenyo – M/Y Infinity Nine, 35m
- Chef Tommaso Santoni – M/Y Paloma, 60m
- Chef Peter Barkoczy – M/Y Da Vinci, 50m
- Chef Marco Tognon – M/Y Planet Nine, 73m
- Chef Henrique Antunes – M/Y Mochafy 22, 45m
- Chef Charly Raetsaep – M/Y Ali Baba, 50m
Held under the aegis of YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre in partnership with Bluewater, the competition puts the spotlight on gourmet cuisine at sea, another facet of yachting professions.
Chef Nicolas Petit (M/Y Latitude 43m) claimed the winner’s accolade in 2022, with Micall Swindells (M/Y GO, 77m) picking up second place and Chef Ivan Holmes (M/Y Kjos 38m) taking home third place. I interviewed four of the competing Chefs last year who had a great sense of camaraderie even though they all worked on vessels of varying sizes. It was fantastic speaking to them about their backgrounds, with the Chefs undertaking everything from apprenticeships with Michelin restaurants to baking bread and setting up their own business before gaining yacht chef jobs.
Chef Nicolas Petit from M/Y Latitude won in 2022 (photo: Antibes Yachting)
Who is the jury for the 2023 competition?
The jury of experts will be presided over by the three-Michelin star Chef Yannick Alléno, joined by Chef Benoît Nicolas, Chef Cristina Bowerman, Chef Susana Perdiguero and 2022 competition winner, Chef Nicolas Petit, with judging supervised by Chef Joël Garault, President of Goûts et Saveurs. British Chef Duncan Biggs from Oceanwave Monaco will be in charge of ensuring contestants use all ingredients in their mystery baskets.
What to expect at the Superyacht Chef Competition 2023
Fully supported by their owners and crew who always come along to cheer them on, contestants have to come up with creative dishes from a basket of surprise ingredients from Gourmet Deliveries, U Luvassu poissonnerie, and Metro. There is a series of three cooking rounds of 40-minutes, with the grand final for the 3 finalists (main course and dessert) taking place in the afternoon.
During the cooking rounds and final, all ingredients must be used or a penalty applies, complying with the contest’s anti-waste criteria. This year, a public vote will be held to add a mystery ingredient to the baskets, and the audience will have the chance to vote for the ‘best presentation’ too. It is all part of the ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach, initiated by YCM to position the Principality as a destination synonymous with excellence and sustainability in the sector.
During a lunch break, a food truck will be on-site for refreshments for attendees, while Bluewater and GDT will have an open bar with complimentary bubbles and wine. Titta and her team at Superyacht Foodie will also have a tasting bar. Yacht Chandlers will provide gifts for all the chefs and the jury, and other participating sponsors include Bonemasters Europe, Sabrina Monte-Carlo and Impossible Drinks.
You can watch the live stream of the Superyacht Chef Competition on WebTV channel ‘Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting’: https://webtv.monacocapitalyachting.com
Main image credit: YCM / Youtube trailer: YCM
