The Concours de Chef is one of the most prestigious culinary competitions in yachting, where the finest chefs across the charter fleet vie for culinary supremacy. The 23rd edition, held during the Antigua Charter Yacht Show, saw 28 chefs throw their (chef’s) hat into the ring, competing in three categories — yachts 160 feet and over, yachts between 126 to 159 feet, and yachts 125 feet and under. Each chef had just 30 minutes to serve a three-course menu that showcased their talent, creativity, and skill.
This year, Dockwalk was invited to join the judging panel and sample the Michelin-worthy creations being sent up from the galleys of some of the most popular charter vessels, as well as from newcomers looking to show the world what they can do. From sous vide beef and local lobster to more daring offerings of frogs’ legs, snail roe, and lionfish, chefs unveiled their creations one by one, with each dish meticulously examined against the stringent criteria for appearance, taste, creativity, execution, and overall appeal.
THE BRIEF
The theme for the 23rd edition of the Concours de Chef was “culinary inspirations around the world,” focusing on global cuisine with an emphasis on sustainable products.
Chefs were asked to create a three-course dining experience with each course representing a different cuisine, country, or culture. The courses should be inspired by their travels as a chef and with a view to utilizing sustainable products. “We want to see how the nomadic yacht chef lifestyle influences their choice of ingredients, flavors, techniques, and presentations,” said competition coordinator Elizabeth Lee.
Each chef was also handed a “mystery ingredient” — a tin of Petrossian caviar supplied by Shoreside Support — that must be showcased in one of the three courses. Extra points were up for grabs for chefs who included a dish that incorporated Caribbean flair; made use of sustainable produce; or created a dish that catered to special dietary requirements i.e., gluten free or vegan to meet the demands of a more challenging charter guest.
BEST IN SHOW
Yacht: M/Y Samsara
Chef: Sinead Finnigan
Chief Stew: Stephanie Cave
/ Tartare of wild roe deer with golden beets, snail roe, pain d’epice crisp, confit garlic, foie gras, and Perigord truffle
/ 49-degree poached halibut with a mousseline of Orkney scallop, beluga caviar, carrot and star anise puree, white miso sauce, and seaweed oil
/ Fresh mango, hibiscus and lime, gluten-free coconut and almond genoise, banana leaf and chamomile flower sorbet, and aged English Harbour rum caramel
M/Y Samsara scored the highest award for offering the judges a full-blown around-the-world dining experience in just 30 minutes. Dining took place across three decks, with each deck representing a different country and cuisine and a reflection of the dish served, culminating in an Antiguan extravaganza on the sundeck with a local steel drum band playing while the judges tucked into dessert.
“When thinking on the menu for the competition, I decided to start the three-course meal with a French dish that would allow me to use all the beautiful ingredients which we all know and love,” explains Chef Sinead Finnigan. “I decided to use a loin of wild deer roe opposed to traditional beef to achieve a tartare, which was a little more refined.” A thin crisp of pain d’epice was then topped with three purees to complement the tartare dressed in confit garlic, foie gras and truffle, and rich egg yolk. “Usually, when serving a tartare of this style, I would finish the dish with caviar but I chose snail roe on this occasion, which is more sustainable.
“I am a huge fan of Japanese flavors, and so felt it was only right to include a dish in which I’d be really excited about creating for the judges, while also considering our guests would be dining in the Caribbean heat so was mindful that the main course should be light yet flavorsome.” A second course of halibut was served with a scallop mousseline “spiked with delicate Japanese flavors,” such as nori seaweed, bonito flakes, and toasted sesame, and served with a sauce of white miso and yuzu, split with a sweet wakame seaweed oil.
“As a chef, the most challenging part was that the brief specified that each course was to be a different cuisine. When I create a menu, I think about how the meal will flow, with each course complementing the next. French ingredients are very different to Japanese so I decided to go with flavors such as miso and yuzu, which were light and delicate, as opposed to stronger flavors such as wasabi. This enabled me to follow through with what the judges had asked but also ensuring that the three courses would work well together.”
The crew of M/Y Samsara offered the best presentation of “Caribbean flair” with their top deck finale, from the tropical tablescape, to local steel pan drummers, right down to floral shirts worn by the interior crew — and, of course, the food.
“On reading over the brief of the competition, I knew I was going to choose a course that showcased all the beautiful local produce that was available to us from the island itself. When I think of Antigua, the first thing that comes to mind is the steel pan players from Shirley Heights. I contacted a good friend of mine, Roddy of Acquafilms, who is from Antigua, as I knew he’d be able to assist with finding three brilliant musicians who were up for playing on board and bringing the party for our guests. We sneaked the musicians on board prior to the judges arriving and it was a wonderful surprise as they moved up to the top deck to hear the sounds of Antigua as we presented our final course.”
Local mangoes and Antiguan hibiscus were used to create the dessert, which consisted of a gluten-free sponge made from ground almonds, a sharp wild hibiscus jelly, and a white chocolate sea urchin shell. English Harbour rum made a silky caramel to complement the banana leaf and chamomile sorbet. The experience even extended to a drinks pairing: a glass of Dom Pérignon was served for the first course, a honey and yuzu saketini for the second, and an English Harbour rum jungle bird cocktail served in a coconut accompanied the third.
“Amazingly, this was our very first service together as a team,” says Finnigan, who has cooked professionally from the age of 16 and joined yachting in 2008. She was head chef on 90-meter S/Y Athena for a number of years before moving to the U.S. to take on the role as private chef to the then owner, before joining the crew of Samsara in 2023. “I am incredibly fortunate to work with such an insanely talented interior team who are all so passionate about their individual roles, and that really showed with what the team created on all three decks on Samsara.”
YACHTS 160 FEET AND OVER
Yacht: S/Y Asahi
Chef: Nathan Clements
/ Queen snapper poisson cru with Antiguan citrus, fresh coconut, avocado, fried onion crisp, and caviar
/ Lionfish in a lemongrass and lionfish broth, running spinach, mint, basil, yam, and ducana
/ Passion fruit cheesecake with passion fruit sorbet and an “Asahi” tuile
Winner of the big boat category is Nathan Clements, of S/Y Asahi, who first entered the competition in his first season as a yacht chef back in 2010 and came in second place. This time he managed to secure the top prize with his menu of queen snapper, lionfish, and passion fruit cheesecake.
The judges applauded his understated, well-executed menu and his commitment to locally sourced ingredients. His entrée was one of many lionfish dishes served throughout the competition but stood out as one of the most flavorsome executions thanks to fragrant lemongrass and lionfish broth. “Lionfish is an invasive species here in these waters and we should eat more of it to help protect the reef and its local fish,” says Clements. “Ducana is a local dumpling recipe that I modified to fit with the dish.”Meanwhile, his citrusy snapper starter was inspired by the travels of his grandfather. “My grandfather was a chef who spent a part of his career cooking and opening travel resorts in numerous Pacific Islands. His favorite dish and his stories of travel are what sparked my ambition to become a chef and travel myself.”
His final course was a passion fruit cheesecake inspired by his time in France. “Having spent many years living in France, walking past boulangerie windows, admiring the skill and precision that goes into so many desserts, the French inspired me with this dish, with which I aimed to show respect and restraint to the local fruit.”
“The hardest part of the competition was probably choosing the dishes because the brief was quite open in a sense that you could choose anything based on your own travels and influences. But to hit the sustainable side of the brief, I wanted to use 100 percent of the ingredients from Antigua,” says Clements.
Clements worked in restaurants for eight years in Australia before moving to the private sector. He worked at resorts such as Aanuka Beach Resort in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, and the Airlie Beach Hotel in Queensland, as well as private ski chalets and villas, before making the switch to yachting.
YACHTS 126 TO 159 FEET
Yacht: M/Y Parillion
Chef: Nicolas Ott
/ Cabbage ribs and leaves, cuisses de grenouilles, and black caviar
/ Braised fennel stamps, wahoo, saffron aioli emulsions
/ Cold pineapple soufflé
The judges applauded Nicolas Ott of M/Y Parillion for his commitment to sustainability as one of the only chefs across all three categories to create a menu around parts of ingredients that are usually discarded.
The first course, for example, paid homage to the humble cabbage. “I utilized the rib of a savoy cabbage and the leaves of Brussels sprouts, which usually end up in the bin. I seasoned the dish with a light hazelnut vinaigrette to enhance the nutty flavor of the cabbage and garnished with a bacon cream. The Brussels sprout leaves were stuffed with a chive crème fraîche and black caviar (the secret ingredient),” says Ott. In a bold twist, the cabbage was served with locally sourced frog legs and the finishing touch was chive oil to complement a frog jus, which was sauced à table.
The second course followed a similar theme. “I ordered fennel and received it with long stems, an often overlooked part. Once peeled and trimmed, it transformed into a very flavorful vegetable. During our journey to Antigua, we caught a wahoo — both sustainable and local. I used the head to prepare a classic French fish soup like a bouillabaisse, finishing it with a saffron aioli emulsion just before serving.”
And for dessert, he served a cold pineapple soufflé with a rum biscuit crust in the center and flambéed it with a 10-year-old reserve English Harbour rum.
“The challenge is to be able to work with what you have. As a yacht chef, it takes a little time to become comfortable and obtain your dream galley. You can’t simply join a boat and buy everything at once. First, you need to prove yourself to the owner, the captain, and the guests on board. Only then can you start acquiring the right plates, equipment, and instruments that truly suit your preferences.”
The French-born chef has more than 20 years of experience, five of which were spent serving as the executive chef of the Kremlin, cooking for Presidential Administration of Russia, before finding yachting.
YACHTS 125 FEET AND UNDER
Yacht: S/Y Sylene
Chef: Cloé Caillaud
/ Bonito tataki with burned avocado cream and a sesame tuile
/ Aubergine caponata ravioli with espuma of parmigiana
/ Iced lime cheesecake with vodka gel and caviar
This category might be the smallest division in the competition, but the standard was just as high as its larger counterparts. In fact, the entries in this category are sole chefs working in much smaller galleys. Winning chef Cloé Caillaud, of S/Y Sylene, was praised by the judges for consistency across all three dishes: bonito tataki caught on the Atlantic crossing (inspired by Japan), egg-free ravioli (inspired by Italy), and a lime cheesecake with vodka gel and caviar (inspired by the UK).
“The most challenging part for me was that the boat and the team arrived in Antigua only 24 hours before the competition. I didn’t know the boat, the equipment, or the crew. I never worked on a boat before; S/Y Sylene is my first post as chef and it was my first competition.”
Caillaud completed three years of cooking school in France before traveling and working her way as a chef through Europe, beginning in England, moving to Norway, and then to Italy, Switzerland, and the Caribbean. Before finding yachting she worked on the Orient Express, the first chef’s position offered to a woman. “I like to work on board because I can be as creative as I want and I’m the boss in the kitchen!”
THE JUDGES
Justine Murphy, mymuybueno
Tommy Baldwin, Shoreside Support
Christian Graveleau, Premier Cru
Christophe Jadot, Petrossian
Rio Alexander Hendrix, executive chef
Holly Overton, Dockwalk