Chef Aaron Thomas of M/Y Canvas (33m) has been crowned the winner of the seventh edition of the Superyacht Chef Competition on Thursday, April 2, organised by the Yacht Club de Monaco’s La Belle Classe Academy in partnership with Bluewater. Thomas, a former UK MasterChef, claimed victory with a lobster dish presented in two parts: a plate accompanied by asparagus and a morel fricassee, followed by a bisque. Nine competitors took part in total, each facing the same demanding format that mirrors the pressures of professional life at sea.
Jury president Philippe Etchebest, a two Michelin star chef and Meilleur Ouvrier de France, captured the spirit of the day well. The onboard chef’s profession, he said, requires extraordinary organisation and foresight. Spending weeks at sea without the ability to restock means thinking through every eventuality, including those that cannot be anticipated. His admiration for the professionals who do this day after day was clear.
The competition format placed contestants under intense pressure from the outset. Each chef was given a basket of mystery ingredients and just five minutes to devise a recipe before a 40-minute window to prepare and plate their dish. Finalists faced a longer 80-minute challenge in which they were required to produce both a main course and a dessert. A surprise ingredient chosen by the public was added at the last moment, and strict rules around waste forced every chef to think carefully about how they worked with what they had.
The nine chefs who competed were Beatrice Cordy of M/Y Nectar (65m), Gaia Botturi of M/Y Madame Kate (60m), Tony Triest of M/Y Barbara (88.5m), David Kempsey of S/Y Sagitta (46m), Baptiste Liquito of M/Y Infinity Nine (35m), Milan Popovic of M/Y Smiley (35m), Aaron Thomas of M/Y Canvas (33m), Alex Saimbene of M/Y Moka (50m) and Ilija Gojkovic of M/Y Emocean (38m). All nine impressed the jury with the elegance of their dishes. Deliberations took place aboard M/Y Shockwave (28.7m), currently undergoing SEA Index® certification and notable for its composite construction that reduces fuel consumption by 50 percent compared to a vessel of comparable size.
For Thomas, the greatest challenge on the day was managing pace: producing multiple dishes in a very short time while continuously adapting to the mystery basket. The jury that reached that verdict was an exceptionally distinguished one. Alongside Etchebest, it included Marcel Ravin, holder of three Michelin stars across the Blue Bay and Elsa restaurants at the Monte-Carlo Beach hotel; Carlo Cracco, one of Italy’s most celebrated Michelin-starred chefs; Duncan Biggs, co-founder of OceanWave Monaco and a superyacht chef himself; Jeeny Maltese, a presenter and advocate for Latin American cuisines; and Tim Mälzer, the German restaurateur and television personality. Behind the scenes, the contest was orchestrated by Chef Philippe Joannès, Meilleur Ouvrier de France and YCM culinary consultant, alongside Events Chef Simon Ganache, with support from Frédéric Ramos of the Monaco Goût et Saveurs association and students from Monaco’s hotel and catering school.
The evening before the competition, around 20 chefs gathered for the Grand Chefs Dinner at the YCM, attended by Yacht Club de Monaco President His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco. YCM Director and General Secretary Bernard d’Alessandri noted the growing enthusiasm the contest has generated since its founding, both among professionals eager to test their skills ashore and a public that returns each year to watch. The ambition, he said, is to shine a light on the breadth of careers available in yachting, a sector he sees as full of promise for younger generations. Since its launch in 2015, La Belle Classe Academy has been training the next generation of yachting professionals, with that same commitment to knowledge and expertise at the heart of the upcoming 13th Monaco Energy Boat Challenge, taking place from July 8 to 11.