We dive into the luxurious and meticulous world of superyacht cuisine through the eyes of seasoned superyacht chef, Kelly Holmes from Cairns Tropical North Queensland.
We’re peeling back the layers to understand what it takes to delight the palates of the world’s most discerning guests. From orchestrating lavish multi-course meals to sourcing the finest ingredients in the remote locations these superyachts venture and ensuring minimal waste. Kelly shares insights into the challenges and triumphs of cooking on the high seas.
The team at YOTSPACE Ocean Odysseys have known Kelly as a local yacht chef in Cairns for over 15 years and cannot speak highly enough of her yachting professionalism, her enthusiasm for creating good food, and her love of the ocean. Kelly’s laugh is one you will not want to miss on the high seas! Oh, and wait till you see her big smile…
Superyacht Chef: Kelly Holmes
Instagram account: kelstaryachtcook
Favourite Human: Tukes
Hobbies: Painting
Behind the Scenes: “Kelly could you give us an imaginary tour of your kitchen on a yacht and demonstrate how you manage to create incredible meals in a compact space?”
I work on an array of superyachts from Cairns on the Great Barrier Reef and in Greece and all the galleys differ in size and location on the vessel. It takes a day or so to get used to a new galley and its appliances but it’s what keeps my line of work challenging. Most of the superyachts I contract to have reasonably small galleys with limited space for stores and provision day can be a struggle with food being stored under saloon seats and even in crew areas. The trick is to remember where you have placed everything so notes on my phone can be a godsend.
Signature Dishes: “What’s your signature dish that guests always rave about, and could you share the inspiration behind it?”
Guests love seafood when on the ocean and I tend to create share platters placed down the centre of the table to allow for a fun interactive dining experience. Depending on which part of the world I am in as to what fresh ocean delicacies are available to me. If in Tropical North Queensland of Cairns or Port Douglas I love to make an Aussie version of Singapore Crab with fresh muddies, or a deconstructed Thais style fried coral trout or one of the snapper family with tamarind dressing. In Europe my go to is langoustines in a fresh tomato sauce with a side of giant beans.
Guest Favourites: “Can you share a memorable meal request from a yacht guest and how you fulfilled it?”
Being on the Great Barrier Reef we have access to some of the most amazing seafood so anytime a guest catches a “keeper” I like to provide a fresh plate of sashimi as quick as possible so they can enjoy their bounty. Nothing like a sea to plate experience. After the initial tasting I will use the rest of the fish for dishes like ceviche or tempura and simple grilled fillets depending on guests taste and the type of fish caught.
The Ultimate Fishing Adventures in the Sustainability Practices: “How do you ensure sustainability in your cooking practices while at sea?”
Waste on luxury yacht charters is one of my pet peeves, I try and use as much of any produce in my cooking. Any fresh foods that have not be eaten on charter I cook up and freeze for yummy crew meals which could consist of some of the most expensive foods on the planet.
Sustainability is a growing trend we should all aspire to, in the yachting industry, food excess and food waste appear to be a given, but there are many steps we as superyacht chefs implement to reduce the excess waste. By selecting local and seasonal ingredients that has less travel miles, carefully managing food inventory, and using our culinary creativity to repurpose food is just a small part of a superyacht chefs’ contribution to this worldwide problem.
Personal Journey: “What inspired you to become a luxury yacht charter chef, and how is it different from working in a restaurant?”
After working in my 20’s as deckhand and dive crew member mixed in with a few cook and stewardess roles I decided if I was to continue my career on luxury superyachts I wanted to be mainly in the galley. I worked in a catering kitchen to gain more experience before returning to sea. My “office” has a forever changing view and menu. I love that I can create my own menus and seek the freshest of produce wherever I may be (not always easy mind you).
Meal Planning and Provisioning: “How do you plan and provision for extended superyacht voyages?”
I make a loose meal plan; I don’t tend to have a set menu as I may need to use certain fresh produce as it ripens, and I have the freedom to create new dishes to suit. Storing food for long trips can be a bit tedious but ensures you have the freshest ingredients for the entire yacht charter.
Also, when a guest books a superyacht charter the agent such as YOTSPACE Ocean Odysseys will provide the guests with a “Preference Sheet”. This is a questionnaire that asks the charter yacht guests about their personal likes, dislikes, and desires whilst out on the superyacht charter and it also details their food and beverage preferences so that we yacht chefs can plan our food orders around these guest requests.
This is what we call APA.
What is APA on a superyacht?
Firstly, the meaning of APA on a luxury yacht charter is Advanced Provisioning Allowance (APA). It’s a common practice around the globe for the provisioning and planning for the yacht in charter. This fee is totally separate to the actual yacht charter fee which is a fee for the yacht and its crew.
The APA is essentially a payment made in advance to the charter yacht that covers the anticipated expenses of the charter for things such as fuel consumption, food, alcohol, other expenses like permits, mooring fees, offshore activities etc.
How is APA calculated on Yacht Charters?
APA is normally calculated on a percentage of the total charter fee and varies between 15% and 30% depending on the yacht size and number of guests on board.
The APA is there to ensure that the luxury charter yacht is properly provisioned and prepared for each one of the guest’s personal preferences and to ensure everyone has a comfortable and enjoyable experience enjoying their favourite foods and beverages.
Ingredients and Cuisine: “How do you incorporate local ingredients from the exotic places the superyachts visit?”
Most ingredients in cooking can be replaced so whenever there is new and fresh produce I like to incorporate it into my recipes. It’s also nice to focus on the flavours and cuisines of the country I’m in to give the guests the whole experience so a little research up front is always warranted and a few test runs is always fun too with new ingredients.
Dietary Preferences and Trends: “How do you cater to what seems and endless array of different dietary preferences and needs on board?”
If I get my APA preferences sheet before any luxury yacht charter, I can try to ensure that most dietary requirements can be met. These days there are a lot of dietary specific products available which makes catering for the many different diets reasonably easy. We just need to be mindful that the galley is not huge and if a guest has a particular allergy to some type of food, this may require a discussion with the guest to fully understand the level of risk and take extra pre-cautions and instructions to the best of our ability given the situation.
Gally Talk From the YOTSPACE Ocean Odyssey crew
We encourage deep discussions with our guests when planning a YOTSPACE Ocean Odyssey and have them communicate their dietary preferences and or requirements in advance, this allows both the chef, stewards, and the guests to have the same expectations and outcomes given the region or location the yacht will be cruising and for what period. This also ensures the guests time on the superyacht is nothing short of extraordinary.
It’s clear that the role of a superyacht chef extends far beyond cooking. It’s about crafting experiences, and creating the magic in a smallish floating kitchen, and continuously innovating to meet the pinnacle of luxury dining expectations.
Read about our luxury yacht charter chef in the Kimberley.
Should you have more questions regarding APA and the culinary dining experiences onboard a YOTSPACE Ocean Odyssey, please speak to the YOTSPACE crew on 1800 953 772 or +61 (0)7 5620 4346
Bon voyage and bon appétit!
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