The sixth annual Superyacht Chef Competition will be held at the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCdM) on 3 April 2025. The event has been organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco in partnership with yacht brokerage firm Bluewater. Under the aegis of YCdM's La Belle Classe Academy training centre, the contest aims to showcase the artistic talents and creativity of professional chefs as another facet of yachting.
The jury of experts will be chaired by chef Jean-François Girardin, a winner and former president of the Société Nationale Meilleur Ouvrier de France. The remainder of the prestigious panel consists of Mark Reynolds, president of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Ronan Cadorel, Ocean Wave Monaco co-founder Duncan Biggs, Jeeny Maltese and former Superyacht Chef Competition winner, Paulo Ucha Longhin.
Nine superyacht chefs will compete in a series of three 45-minute heats, from which three finalists will advance in order to determine the winner. Similar to previous years, the chefs must comply with anti-waste criteria where all ingredients within the mystery basket must be used or a penalty will be applied. Chefs are also limited to a single workstation that has been designed to imitate the reduced galley space on board yachts.
Contestants will receive only five minutes to devise a dish after peering into their mystery basket, during which time the public may decide to add one additional ingredient before voting on a winner with the best presentation. Among those competing this year is Francesco Federico Benassi, chef on board the 50-metre fuel-cell Sanlorenzo superyacht Almax.
"Cooking is my passion, my way of expressing myself," explained chef Benassi. "I use seawater a lot when preparing fish and seafood to enhance their natural flavours and bring the true essence of the ocean to the plate. For me, this competition is more than a challenge. It's an opportunity to push my limits, learn from incredible chefs and create dishes that tell my story."
"The Superyacht Chef Competition personifies the culinary art and maritime excellence alliance, reinforcing Monaco’s influence in the yachting world," said YCM general secretary Bernard D'Alessandri. "It highlights an essential aspect of yachting professions and is part of our collective 'Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting' ambitions."
The sixth edition will run under the supervision of chefs Joël Garault and Frédéric Ramos, president and vice-president of the Monaco Goût et Saveurs association.