Gourmet Yacht Charters for Foodies
Chef TV, internet food blogs, and the proliferation of gourmet shopping venues have ignited people’s passions for new culinary experiences. The custom of eating a meal simply to satisfy hunger is passé. This increasingly refined interest in food and alcoholic beverages, both preparing and consuming, has launched the new trend in culinary tourism. Now, thanks to gourmet yacht charters, food tourism is making waves.
More and more, charter yacht owners believe that hiring top chefs as part of the crew is essential. Not just to please the palate, but as a strategy to rank highly in the competitive charter industry. An excellent yacht chef is a mark of distinction. These chefs not only bring haute cuisine to the dining table, they often provide hands-on classes to interested guests.
To wet your appetites in this series, Gourmet Yacht Charters profiles award-winning yacht chefs that step up to the plate. We provide insights into their onboard cooking styles, their must-have equipment, favorite recipes and teaching strategies.
So, charter gourmands, now you can have your cake and then some. Because, a week of spectacular dining on a private yacht is more than a luxury vacation. It’s a privileged experience.
Chef Mallory Patterson, Luxury Sailing Catamaran SERENITY NOW
It is a rare opportunity to have a talented, creative, culinary artist spend a week determining how to make a guest’s perfect meal. Mallory spends the time to learn about each guest and to touch their palate in a special way that they will never forget. Every meal she makes is different. It’s such a fun challenge for her to meet people and then knock them out of their chairs with her amazing cuisine! Captain Bluefish
Mallory knocked the judges off their respective chairs at the 2014 Newport Charter Yacht Show Crew Competition. She won awards in both the Healthy Beverage and Sunset Canapé Challenges. These well-deserved awards from the yachting community added to her prestigious accolades from a lengthy list of discriminating owners, guests, clients, and renowned chefs.
What’s all the buzz about? For starters, Mallory enthusiastically answered our questions, despite last minute preparations for her trip the following day to Faro, Portugal, on a yoga/surfing holiday. We commend her internal balance and professional dedication!
How did you train to become a yacht chef?
After I got my degree from Johnson and Wales University I got a job as a general manager of a romantic bed and breakfast. The chef left, so I took the opportunity to become their professional chef! I have no clue why I never realized it, but I had this huge passion for cooking. People told me that I was good at it. I took it and ran with it.
I worked for a restaurant group consisting of a catering company, gourmet grilled cheese shop, and several small, quick-service restaurants. We focused on sourcing local and farm-to-table. After a few years of exploring that, I started catering to yachts in New England. When the leaves started to change colors, I bought a one way ticket to the US Virgin Islands. 2018 will be my fifth season as a yacht chef in the Caribbean and New England.
What best prepared you for the challenges of being a yacht chef?
Starting out on smaller monohulls. If it is just you and the captain, you have to juggle cooking, and all of the responsibilities of a first mate at the same time. Picking up a mooring and serving lunch simultaneously is quite the norm.
What are the must-haves in your galley?
Excellent wine, a Ninja blender, and as many local ingredients as I can get my paws on. Serving your guests a fresh tuna, Wahoo or Mahi is so rewarding, especially when it was caught by the guests. We love spearing lionfish, where spearfishing is permitted of course. We educate our guests about the dangers of lionfish, and of course, how yummy and easy to prepare they are. I also get really excited when I can shop at roadside fruit and veggie stands. Guests love the fact they are getting local flavor.
What’s your advice for a land-based chef considering a yacht chef job?
Pack light. Have a backup plan. The more fun you have, the more fun your
guests will have.
What do you love most about being a charter yacht chef?
The ability to be creative, self educate, educate others, and do what I love
in the most beautiful places on Earth for people who rely on me to feed them.
Chef Mallory Favorite Recipe: Cashew Butter with Orange & Thyme
Ingredients:
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup coconut oil
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh thyme
Salt to taste
Directions:
Blent coconut oil, cashews and salt until smooth. Fold in zests and thyme. Serve! This is a lovely butter alternative. Guests are shocked by how good this stuff is!
Contact Select Yachts to book gourmet yacht charters aboard sailing catamaran SERENITY NOW (ex Tellstar). Mallory will plan all your meals according to your preferences. Unless you give her carte blanche to knock you out of your chairs.
SERENITY NOW is a 62′ Lagoon. Her very spacious, open layout includes a huge saloon and expansive decks for enjoying life at sea. Deluxe accommodations for 8 guests are in 3 queen berth and 1 twin cabins.
Captain Bret Van Roden and Chef Mallory Patterson are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has a great time. It’s no wonder the crew is much loved by guests for their high energy, vivacious personalities and efforts to create an unforgettable vacation. Plus, the food is outstanding!
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