All roles/Galley/Specialist Cuisine Chef
Galley
Specialist Cuisine Chef
A Specialist Cuisine Chef cooks one cuisine to a professional restaurant standard, such as Japanese, Lebanese, Indian or kosher, so the owner and guests eat the food they know best, wherever the yacht is.
- Department
- Galley
- Reports to
- Executive Chef or Head Chef
- Yacht size
- 70m+
- Contract
- Seasonal, rotation or trip by trip
- Starting pay
- €5,000 per month
What the job is
You are hired for one cuisine and you are expected to cook it better than anyone else on board. That might be Japanese kaiseki, Levantine mezze, regional Indian, Cantonese, Persian or strictly supervised kosher or halal food. Most specialist chefs work on yachts over 70m where the owner has a strong preference or heritage, and the brigade already has a Head Chef or Executive Chef running the galley. You cover your section while the rest of the team cooks the wider menu.
Much of the job happens before the food reaches the plate. You source the right ingredients in ports that may not stock them, which means planning orders weeks ahead with provisioning agents and keeping a deep dry store of spices, pastes, rice varieties and specialist sauces. Where religious dietary laws apply, you keep separate equipment, storage and prep areas and document how you do it. Freezer space is tight, so you plan carefully.
Some owners bring you on for the whole season. Others call you in for a single trip when family or business guests are aboard. Either way you fit into a working galley, help with crew meals and cleaning when needed, and follow the yacht's safety and hygiene systems. Good specialist chefs teach the rest of the brigade a few core dishes, so the cuisine still appears on days when you are off watch.
What makes a good one
- Expert command of one cuisine
- Sourcing ingredients in remote ports
- Working within a brigade
- Strict allergen and dietary control
- Calm, consistent plating under pressure
A day in the life
- 06:30Check the overnight soak and ferment, start dashi and rice, and confirm the day's menu with the Head Chef against the chief stew's guest notes.
- 07:30Prepare a traditional breakfast for the owner alongside the main galley's continental spread. Plate and hand to service on time.
- 09:00Meet the provisioning agent's van on the quay. Check fish quality and temperature, reject anything not up to standard and log deliveries.
- 10:30Break down whole fish, prep pickles and sauces for lunch, and brief the sous chef on two dishes they will finish during service.
- 13:00Run your section during a ten-cover lunch on the aft deck, sending courses in sequence with the rest of the brigade.
- 15:00Deep clean your station, update the dry store inventory and email a specialist supplier in Japan about an order for the next port.
- 16:30Rest period, then cook a cuisine dish for crew mess so the team gets a taste of what the guests are eating.
- 19:00Set up for a tasting menu. Final seasoning checks, knives sharpened, garnishes portioned and plates warmed.
- 20:30Cook and plate a seven-course dinner, then close down the galley, label leftovers and write tomorrow's prep list.
Pay by country
Monthly crew salary on yachts of 70m and over, depending on cuisine, reputation and yacht size. Charter tips are shared on charter yachts and can add 10 to 15 per cent of the charter fee split across crew. Trip by trip chefs are often paid a daily rate.
- France and Monaco
- €5,000 – 7,500
- Spain
- €4,800 – 7,200
- Italy
- €4,800 – 7,200
- United Kingdom
- £4,300 – 6,400
- USA (Florida)
- US$5,500 – 8,200
- Caribbean
- US$5,500 – 8,200
- UAE
- AED 20,000 – 30,000
- Australia
- A$8,500 – 12,500
- New Zealand
- NZ$9,500 – 14,000
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Food Safety Level 2
- PDSD
Recommended
- Ship's Cook Certificate (MCA)
- Food Safety Level 3
- Professional culinary qualification
- WSET Level 2 Award in Wines
- Medical First Aid
Visas
- Schengen visa
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV
Where it leads
Specialist Cuisine Chef jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience to get hired as a Specialist Cuisine Chef?
Not always. Owners and captains care most about proven restaurant or private household experience in your cuisine, but you will still need STCW, an ENG1 and food safety certificates before you join.
Will I only cook my own cuisine?
Mostly, but you are part of the brigade. Expect to help with crew meals, cleaning, provisioning and the occasional dish outside your speciality when the galley is busy.
How do I get ingredients I need in small ports?
You plan ahead. Most specialist chefs build relationships with provisioning agents and overseas suppliers, keep a well stocked dry store and order key items to meet the yacht at major ports.