You are the chef onboard a St. Barts yacht charter vessel, and your guests have asked you to create a lavish meal at sea with hard-to-find ingredients. Where do you turn?
The answer is a specialty food supplier such as The Grateful Palate.
SOUTH FLORIDA CATERER
Since 2009, the South Florida-based caterer has offered provisions to discerning customers in the nautical industry. From their 10,000 square foot distribution center in the Fort Lauderdale area, the provisioning company has always sourced and shipped food items, toiletries, and other premium goods to chefs and crew on mostly Caribbean and Bahamas yacht charter vessels. They have also serviced private yachts as well.
CUSTOM ORDERS ARE IMPORTANT
The company has always specialized in working with clients seeking custom orders of the highest-quality products. Expectations have always been high, as charter chefs need items delivered fresh and on time to specific destinations.
CATERER IS NO MORE
But, sadly, The Grateful Palate is no more…..until the Fall of 2014, when they reopen in a larger facility so that they can continue servicing their discriminating clientele!
According to owner Meghan Leckey, being able to meet customers’ demands and deliver the goods resulted in a strong repeat clientele and the company’s continued growth. She said, that it was “…a growing business that [has] picked up substantially over the years.”
PASSOVER CELEBRATION
For Passover this year, Leckey’s company supplied a 200-foot Virgin Islands yacht charter vessel in St. Thomas with kosher meats, sodas, dry goods, and ceremonial supplies for the religious holiday. It also sent specialty kosher caviar flown in from Paris.
Leckey feels she understands the needs of the owners and crews of the world’s largest yachts.
“The secrets of our success are, first of all, really understanding the amazing level of quality demanded by the wealthiest yacht owners in the world and, secondly, anticipating everything the crew will need for the trip,” said Leckey. “There is no other industry in the world that demands this level of attention to quality, from Beluga caviar to toilet paper (as the luxury yacht charter industry), and few other companies in the world that can meet those expectations.”
RELIANCE ON CUSTOMER REFERRALS
The company, as does 1-800 Yacht Charters, relies on customer referrals to spread the word. “We thrive on good remarks, and repeat business is key in this specialized industry,” Leckey said.
It’s hard to find a consensus among charterers. For some, it’s all about the destination. Others appreciate the chance to reconnect with family and friends.
Yet almost all returning yacht charter clients comment about the Michelin menus and the jaw-dropping talents of their yacht’s onboard chef.
Great meals, dazzling presentations, and the infusion of local ingredients and cultural components. These are trademarks of the superyacht chefs in the yacht-for-hire industry.
SUPERYACHT EXPERIENCE
A great chef can elevate a charter from a “vacation on a boat,” to a true “Superyacht Experience.”
INTERVIEW WITH A YACHT CHEF
Our associate Nicolas Fry sat down with Gionata Rossi, Executive Chef onboard the 72 meter Tankoa yacht SOLO. This vessel is one of our newest rental luxury yachts. She can accommodate up to 12 guests in 6 staterooms. Her cruising grounds include France, Italy, and the Western Mediterranean.
We share more information about super yacht SOLO at the bottom of this blog. Here is Nicolas’ interview with Chef Rossi. Foodies enjoy!
THE CHEF – Gionata Rossi
Chef Gionata Rossi
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Why did you decide to become a chef and to work as a yacht chef?
“Cooking has always been my passion. I started at a very early age. Earned my master at the hotel school in Massa and started working immediately. A Chef for 25 years and I have worked in some of the best restaurants in the world. I have received a Michelin star at casa del nonno 13 and have been reviewed in the best gourmet guides. Joined yachting because it combines my primary passions: cooking and travelling”.
2. What is your favorite cuisine and can you prepare different styles of cooking?
“I cook different styles but the contemporary one based on traditional cuisine is what I consider the most interesting. As a Chef on a superyacht charter vessel I believe that the cuisine served is not only a show but a nutritional experience as well. My passion for food varies from creating the perfect roast dinner to a 7-course degustation where I can display a whole range of different cooking techniques and products. My main talent is Italian and French cuisine whilst still offering Asian and Japanese menus.”
3. Is there a chef you admire above all others and why?
“If I have to mention only one, then it is Raffaele Vitale, an important Italian chef, as I had definitely the best experience working with him. I have many friends but the research of taste and knowledge of raw materials with Raffaele were essential for me. Which nationalities tend to be the best charter guests? Gionata: I am lucky, I have always had good relationships with guests from many different nationalities. Having said that, I have worked a lot with Russian yacht charter guests and they generally love my food.”
The Interview Continues
4. Which is your favorite destination and why?
“Greece and Turkey are always in my heart for the quality of fruit and vegetables you can find on the markets”
5. How are trends driving guest expectations and how do you stay up to date?
“In my kitchen and galley I take pride that everything is made from scratch with fresh products. Stocks, sauces & dressings are always made on board, ice creams are churned to order, pastas and gnocchi rolled fresh, fresh bread baked daily and our meats and seafood are always fresh. I also specialize in vegan, vegetarian and low-calorie diets”.
6. What trends are you noticing in wine and food pairings?
“I drink only biodynamic wines and I think that this trend is on the increase therefore also the combination must go in that direction even if I consider fundamental to combine food and wine. By the way, my favorite wine is the Pinot Nero!”
The Interview Concludes
7. Can you share with us a spring menu you would prepare for affluent charter yacht guests?
“Marinated spring onion and tomato with lime sorbet, cold tomato soup with fresh spaghetto garlic oil and chilli, cold english cream with berries and apple crumble.”
8. When are you happiest at work?
“Cooking demonstrations with the guests either at the table or in the kitchen! This is a special touch I like to offer to luxury yacht rental guests. I wish to share my passion for food with my clients and create an amazing atmosphere for their dining experience. When I can establish a good relationship with the guests, the rest is easy.”
9. BONUS: What are the strengths that make you a great superyacht chef?
“In order to offer a great superyacht experience, a huge amount of organization needs to be in place. My organizational skills allow me to present food the way that it is intended. I am also up to date with all the latest cooking techniques, methods & equipment so that as a private chef I can still rival the best and most fancy restaurants.”
THE COMBINATION CONTINUES
THE YACHT – Tankoa motor yacht SOLO
Regular readers remember our blog about three Jaw-Dropping New Yachts at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show. We highlight 228 foot motor yacht SUERTE, built by Tankoa Yachts in that blog post. Two years later, Tankoa Yachts unveiled Suerte’s, “Big sister,” the 236 foot SOLO. Our inspection of this beautiful lady left us in awe.
Our associate, Nicolas Fry, has spent numerous hours onboard the yacht. Here is his overview:
“SOLO is the perfect combination of performance and luxury designed by Francesco Paszkowski and built by Tankoa. Her contemporary interior, designed by Margherita Casprini, will sleep up to 12 guests in six well-appointed staterooms. The master suite features an independent office, a king size bed with panoramic views, a private terrace with a Jacuzzi and lounge beds offering complete privacy.
He continues…
Guests can be accommodated in a large VIP, two double and two convertible twin staterooms. SOLO features impressive living spaces, with a seamless flow between indoor and outdoor areas. Guests will love the vast beach club with for example, a lounge/bar area, a hammam, a sauna with its own fold-out terrace and a chilled water shower. This wellness center is complete with the gym & massage room equipped with the latest Technogym equipment and its private terrace on the sea. On the main deck, the 7m infinity pool is another great area to spend time with your guests. The sky lounge aft feature a Jacuzzi. In addition, a touch-and-go Helipad that be converted into a dance floor (is there, as well).
Finally
The sundeck offers never ending views from its sun loungers. SOLO also offers several options for entertaining and dining including all-weather alfresco table on the upper deck aft, the main salon or upper deck salon.
THE ULTIMATE COMBINATION:
Tankoa M/Y SOLO + Chef Gionata Rossi = THE SUPERYACHT EXPERIENCE!!!
Some clients choose a vacation on a crewed catamaran in the Caribbean. Other clients choose a static event on a MIPIM yacht in Nice, France. The question we are most often asked is, “How is the food?”
We have over 30 years’ experience in the luxury mega yacht charter industry. We honestly answer questions about the food with a resounding, single word, “amazing!”
The reason that private yacht charter vacation food is so amazing is quite simple. With the largest yachts in the world competing for a handful of clients, the onboard meals and presentation is critical. It must rival the fare of the finest 3-star Michelin restaurants.
THE SCENARIO
Wake up on your Monaco Grand Prix Yacht in Monte Carlo. A full day of sightseeing and F1 racing awaits you. You are hungry! Step into the galley and ask the chef what meals he or she has planned for the day.
We asked that of Chef Selina Stansfield onboard 180 foot superyacht MARIE. She responded with this decadent, Race Day sample dinner menu.
DINNER
Salad of balsamic marinated Italian figs with mozzarella di buffalo.
Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass, macadamia nut pesto, asparagus risotto.
Slow-baked hazelnut meringues with Valhrona chocolate mousse.
Our charter consultants receive many comments about our blogs. Specific questions surface regarding our recent blog about yacht menus. That blog, “Yacht Charter Vacations: How is the Food?”, is tasty!
Readers request additional menu samples. It is great that readers want more menus! The meals shown during a Caribbean yacht charter vacation can be truly amazing.
ANTIGUA YACHT CHARTER SHOW
The recent Antigua Charter Yacht Show welcomes some yachting professionals aboard superyacht DIAMOND A (x-ULTIMA III). They get the opportunity to sample Chef Duncan Thomson and Chef Adam Rice’s menu.
WHAT IS ON THE MENU?
First, Captain Owen Jones welcomes guests onboard with a glass of champagne. He serves this in the main saloon. Second, guests then enjoy a tour of the yacht. Third, guests walk to the large, round main dining table. The table is beautifully set by Chief Stewardess Lana Greenwood and her team.
The first course is Seared Spanish Mackerel with Tomato Vinaigrette, Celery Seed, and Micro Celery. Next comes the main course. It is a Whole Roasted Sea Bass. In addition, endive braised in orange juice, almonds, saffron, and champagne-infused green grapes.
The last, [ of ] course, is the dessert. The incredible dessert is a lemon Tartlette, Bruleed Meringue, Cardamom and Coconut Ice Cream with Pine Nut Praline.
In conclusion, the food, prepared by chefs Duncan and Adam, is delicious. Not only that, but all present report the quality of the service as outstanding as well!
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