Aaron Thomas Crowned Champion at Prestigious Superyacht Chef Competition
In a thrilling culinary showdown, Aaron Thomas has emerged victorious as the winner of the 7th Superyacht Chef Competition, held at the prestigious Yacht Club de Monaco. The event, organized by the club's training center La Belle Classe Academy in partnership with Bluewater, showcased exceptional talent from the superyacht culinary world.
An Elite Jury Panel
The competition featured a distinguished jury panel chaired by two-Michelin-star French chef Philippe Etchebest, who was joined by an impressive lineup of culinary experts. Italian cuisine icon Carlo Cracco, three-Michelin-star chef Marcel Ravin, Latin American cuisine promoter Jeeny Maltese, and restaurateur and TV presenter Tim Mälzer all contributed their expertise to evaluate the competing chefs.
The Winning Performance
Aaron Thomas, who serves aboard M/Y Canvas (33m) and grew up in London with Indian heritage, secured his victory with a stunning two-course menu. His winning dishes included grilled lobster with bisque and asparagus-morel fricassée, followed by a dessert of mille-feuille with chocolate mousse and caramelized pineapple. Thomas competed in the final round against Ilija Gojkovic of M/Y Emocean (38m) and Alex Salimbene of M/Y Moka (50m).
"I trained classically in college and then tried to travel the world," said the elated winner. "A few years ago, I decided to move into yachting and it has been great so far. I am incredibly happy. I can't thank everyone enough. It's incredible."
Intense Competition Format
The Superyacht Chef Competition features a uniquely challenging format that reflects the realities of professional yacht cooking. Just minutes before each round begins, chefs receive a mystery ingredient and have only five minutes to develop a recipe before the clock starts. Competitors face strict rules requiring them to use every ingredient or face penalties for waste.
Chef Philippe Etchebest emphasized the importance of this approach: "When you run a restaurant, it is important not to waste products because it means losing money. On a boat it is the same — and even more important. When you go away for two or three weeks, you must organize your provisions very carefully and make sure nothing is wasted."
High Standards and Tight Competition
The competition attracted nine talented chefs in total, including two representing the Yacht Club de Monaco flag, demonstrating the strong involvement of the YCM community in celebrating fine cuisine onboard. The event aimed to showcase the relatively little-known profession of superyacht chefs to a wider public.
Carlo Cracco commented on the challenging nature of the competition: "The level of competition is very high, but the time available is extremely short. Forty-five minutes are incredibly challenging for chefs to express their personal touch in a dish. It's very complicated. However, I also saw some very nice ideas from the contestants. Some of them approached the challenge in very different ways and created playful dishes with interesting twists."
Celebrating Maritime Culinary Excellence
Bernard d'Alessandri, YCM Director and General Secretary, explained the competition's significance within the club's broader mission: "The motto of the Yacht Club de Monaco is 'L'art de vivre la mer' (the art of living the sea). Within that idea is also 'l'art de vivre à la table' — the art of dining well. When you are on board, meals are very important. We want to share this spirit and bring renowned chefs into contact with younger generations."
He added: "Some of the chefs here today run restaurants with two or three Michelin stars around the world — in Germany, England and Italy, just to name a few. Our aim is to facilitate connections between generations and also among chefs who work onboard, because ultimately we are all part of the same family."
The 7th Superyacht Chef Competition successfully highlighted the exceptional skill and creativity required in superyacht culinary arts, while fostering connections within this specialized professional community.
