I started my career at the age of 22, working in Michelin-starred restaurants and on board luxury hotel barges in Burgundy with an American clientele, which enabled me to learn the English language. I also managed my own restaurant, then moved into the yachting world as a chef, cooking on board large yachts for several owners and charters with an international clientele. This enabled me to acquire a wide range of culinary skills. Today, I’m Chef de Cuisine on board Altair, a 50-meter yacht – the perfect size – based in Monaco. I’ve been cooking at sea and onboard yachts for 17 years!

First, you have to learn to live in a smaller crew cabin and to work in small spaces, often alone, anticipate the owner’s requests and adapt to the tastes, demands, whims, and cultures of the people on board. As you know, you don’t cook the same way for European, Arab, Asian, Russian, or American guests. There are also specific diets (gluten-free, vegan…) and allergic constraints. In any case, it’s important at every port of call to stock up on fresh produce of the highest possible quality. You need to be able to refuse deliveries if the meat, fish, shellfish, or vegetables are not up to your kitchen’s premium standards. Finally, you are dependent on the weather, sea conditions, and changes in route, which can upset your provisioning schedule. On the quayside, you may be asked to serve a meal for 50 people! It’s a demanding but fascinating job.

My various charter experiences as a Chef have enabled me to cook for guests from totally different cultures and countries, with totally different tastes. That’s why I can create Chinese, Indian, Thai, French, or Italian dishes, for example. Every year, I have the privilege, thanks to the owner, of taking courses to perfect my skills and learn how to cook original dishes, such as the famous desserts by French pastry chef Cedric Grolet using his 3D molds. I’m thinking of his lemon dessert with a mango insert. Mediterranean fusion cuisine, mixing Greek and Lebanese dishes, is currently very much in demand. The aim is always to surprise the owner and his guests aboard the superyacht!