A Feast on the Waves: Which Superyacht Chef Won Monaco’s Culinary Competition?
Success was on the menu for the fifth edition of the Superyacht Chef Competition, organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco and Bluewater. Integrated within the framework of “La Belle Classe Academy,” the training center of the Y.C.M., this competition once again brought together the crème de la crème of gastronomy, both behind the stoves and on the jury panel.
“Every year, this event gathers passionate professionals, ready to take on the challenge of creating refined dishes in the confined spaces characteristic of yacht kitchens. By shining a light on this often overlooked aspect of yachting professions, the Superyacht Chef Competition contributes to reinforcing the values of the collective initiative Monaco Capital of Advanced Yachting,” emphasizes Bernard d’Alessandri, Secretary General of the Y.C.M.
On the eve of the competition, many Chefs were also seated at the Yacht Club de Monaco for a moment of conviviality.
Culinary Art under the Spotlight
Nine superyacht chefs stepped ashore and got busy in the kitchen.
Paulo Ucha Longhin (M/Y Hercules – 50 m),
Joelyanne Lefaucheur (M/Y Artemis – 33 m),
Mateusz Mitka (M/Y Lady Britt – 63 m), Margot Laurent (M/Y Leonardo III – 43 m), Enzo Di Garbo (M/Y L.A.U.L. – 39 m), Giacomo Seregni (M/Y Severin’s – 55 m), Jérémie Gruson (M/Y Victoria del mar – 50 m),
Ava Faulkner (M/Y Light Holic – 60 m),
and Melvin Costaglioli (M/Y Black Legend – 50 m)
They all tackled the challenges with skill.
This event is unique in that it also brings together yacht owners and yacht club members with their captains and crew, all cheering on their chefs!
The tension is palpable. The first three chefs are called for round 1, the mystery boxes are unveiled, the audience is given 60 seconds to choose an ingredient to add in, Michelin starred Chef Glenn Viel is watching over their shoulder, gastronomic TV and radio presenter Vincent Ferniot is holding court getting ready to start the countdown of 40 minutes, the chefs are in the pantry perusing a wide range of luxury produce and exotic condiments from Metro and Gourmet Deliveries, all to add to the spectacular recipe they’re working through in their heads… Then again for two more rounds, with more mystery boxes, before heading into the grand finale after lunch.
And They’re Off
The competitors remained composed upon discovering the contents of their mystery basket, just 5 minutes before taking the stage. A moment of reflection and creativity, augmented by a second component: audience intervention, where spectators could add an additional ingredient via QR code vote, testing the candidates’ adaptability.
Paulo Ucha Longhin (M/Y Hercules – 50 m) ultimately won the votes by proposing a recipe based on lobster confit in hazelnut butter with bisque accompanied by a lemon and caviar tartare, followed by a dessert composed of mascarpone cream with cocoa and a strawberry and basil tartare, lemon cream.
YCM reported Paula’s excited words on winning “I was very stressed but in a good way. As soon as I arrived in the kitchen, I forgot everything and gave my best. If you know how to organize from the start, it can work,” declared the winner of this 5th edition.
This year, once again, the competitors combined creativity and sustainability through an anti-waste criterion, under the attentive supervision of Chef Duncan Biggs. Each ingredient from the basket had to be used; otherwise, a penalty was applied according to an external scoring grid.
“The cost of the ingredients was multiplied by ten, so it is very important not to waste and to use the product in its entirety,” noted Chef Biggs. This initiative is part of the Yacht Club de Monaco’s CSR approach.
La Belle Classe Academy: Striving for Excellence
Since its creation in 2015, La Belle Classe Academy has been committed to promoting excellence in all aspects of yachting and has recently expanded its range of certified courses.
