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Nine chefs working on 40+m Superyachts will be participating in the 2023 Yacht Club De Monaco Superyacht Chef Competition, presided by the three-Michelin star Chef Yannick Alléno, surrounded by gastronomy experts and supervised by Chef Joël Garault, President of Goûts et Saveurs.
“Held under the aegis of YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre, the competition puts the spotlight on gourmet cuisine at sea, another facet of yachting professions. Fully supported by their owners and crew who always come along to encourage them, contestants have to come up with dishes from a basket of mystery ingredients while complying with the contest’s anti-waste criteria. It is all part of the ‘Monaco, Capital of Advanced Yachting’ approach, initiated by YCM to position the Principality as a destination synonymous with excellence and sustainability in the sector.” – Yacht Club De Monaco
The Yacht Club De Monaco Chefs Competition Program:
8.00am: The 9 chefs competing in the contest are welcomed by the coordination team. They store their belongings in the cloakroom before a short introduction and briefing. All chefs are asked to arrive in their chef’s outfit and can use their own knife set, but nothing else. The organisers will provide the aprons to be worn for the competition
9.00am: Members of the Jury are welcomed by the coordination team.
Chefs are presented individually to the audience. Their names are then drawn out of a hat to determine the order of passage.
On opening their basket of TOP SECRET ingredients, each chef has 5 minutes in which to reflect before starting to create their dish. They will be asked to add an extra ingredient chosen by the public during that same 5 minutes of reflection. This way, each chef will finish at 10-minute intervals so their dish can be served to the Jury.
10am onwards:
Each chef has 40 minutes to prepare their dish from the TOP SECRET basket of ingredients and plate it up five times: 4 for the Jury and 1 to show the public and press for their vote.
There are 3 rounds, each featuring 3 chefs, with a 15-minute break between each round so contestants can thoroughly clean and wipe down the workstation ready for the next chef.
Chaired by Chef Yannick Alléno, the Jury comprises world-renowned chefs, MOFs and Michelin stars, yachting professionals, and the winner of the previous edition. At the end of the 3 rounds, the Jury deliberates and makes their decision on who goes through to the finals. The 9 chefs in the competition are invited to have lunch in the YCM’s 1909 Restaurant, as are Jury members and partners from 2.00pm to 2.45pm.
Everyone meets back in the competition room at 2.45pm when the 3 finalists will be announced. They then have 40 minutes to prepare and present a savoury dish + 30 minutes for the dessert.
The 3 finalists have to present their dishes to the Jury and explain the reasoning behind their creation. All of the TOP SECRET ingredients must be used. Chefs are judged on specific criteria including how products are used, how much was wasted, energy management, creativity, technique and of course taste.
- If any overrun of more than 4 minutes will be penalised by 1 point per member of the Jury.
- A special “public prize” is awarded to the best presented dish from the pre-selection.
- Another public prize is awarded to the best presented savory and dessert dishes from the 3 finalists.
The winners announced and prize-giving ceremony will ta at 5.00pm.
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