The minimum age is 18 years old

We hear from many graduates from the Chefs Academy that go on to work as chefs on-board Yachts that want to return to refresh their skill set. Chefs should never stop learning and at the end of a demanding Yacht season you will want to reinvigorate your repertoire with new skills and ideas suitable for a galley kitchen before embarking on a new season with confidence. Working with our experienced chefs in a short intensive format is a welcome opportunity to boost your culinary skills with new ideas in an environment of like-minded chef students that share the same ambitions and challenges.

No, you can take this course without that experience, but please be aware this is not a course for beginners and it assumes some confidence in the kitchen. We will be working at pace so you should be organised and comfortable preparing a multi-component meal for at least 4 guests. We recommend our Certificate in Culinary Arts as the entry point to professional cookery.

No, galley's can range enormously in size and facilities, from very small to fully equipped commercial kitchens so this course is solely focused on expanding your repertoire with contemporary recipe and presentation ideas. The recipes on the course have been designed with the restrictions of a typical luxury yacht galley in mind.

This course is unrelated to achieving a Ship’s Cook Certificate of Competency. Our Diploma in Culinary Arts is an accepted culinary qualification towards the Ship’s Cook Certificate.

The recipes you will learn will always be useful for your development as a chef, however if your time in the kitchen is limited by your other daily on-board duties, you may struggle to find the time to prepare and complete some of the dishes. All of the recipes are detailed within the Course Content so you can make an educated decision to suit your personal circumstances.

Yes. This is quite common. Simply arrange for payment via one of our many methods to secure your booking. The invoice can be made out to your sponsor.

Yes, much of the course is weighted to producing restaurant standard dishes for evening dining, and there will be a focus on the presentation of dishes, encouraging you to develop your own style.

Improvisation is one of the most valuable skills of the Yacht Chef. You will be able to discuss different approaches to a recipe using other ingredients with your Chef Tutors and use the recipes as a platform from which to work with the available ingredients to hand.

Each day your lunch is one of the dishes you prepare from that day's menu. You will take away an evening meal each day, suitable for reheating.

Absolutely. The recipes, skills and presentation techniques you will learn will be extremely useful wherever you are cooking.

All the food we source is from high quality local, food suppliers. Our fish, meat, poultry, dairy and vegetables are sourced from producers within 25 miles of the Academy. It is our policy to reduce food miles, to source seasonal organic ingredients at every opportunity, and to only use sustainable food stocks. We audit the provenance of all of the produce we use. Your training and your food will benefit substantially from our approach.

We provide you with 2 chef uniforms and 5 aprons to keep, and all the equipment you will need is provided within the course.

There will be time at lunch and the end of day to take photos. We provide two led-lit photo tents with backgrounds to help you with this.