Monaco: Superyacht Chef Competition ends at the Yacht Club, zero-waste cuisine wins

MONACO, April 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Creativity, taste, beauty, and above all, sustainability: these were the criteria used to judge the nine chefs competing in the sixth edition of the 'Superyacht Chef Competition', held at the Yacht Club de Monaco. The event, organized by La Belle Classe Academy, the YCM’s training center, in collaboration with Bluewater, brought together professional chefs who usually work aboard superyachts ranging from 36 to 97 meters.

Among the distinguished guests were highly experienced chefs such as Guillaume Gomez, ambassador of the competition, who served four French presidents at the Élysée Palace over a span of 24 years, and Jean-François Girardin, who spent 32 years in the kitchens of the Ritz and is now president of the Société Nationale des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France.

The competition follows a format that is as simple as it is demanding: secret ingredients revealed just minutes before the start, one ingredient chosen by the audience, and 40 minutes to prepare a dish that is original, tasty and, above all, waste-free. The dishes were then evaluated by a panel of experts. Among them was chef Duncan Biggs, tasked with monitoring the sustainability approach of the participants. “I observed how they worked, checked their organization, cleanliness, compliance with food safety standards, and the waste they produced - he explained - The goal is to minimize leftovers, using leaves and trimmings where possible.”

Inside the secret box were unusual ingredients such as seitan, black garlic, mushrooms, lionfish and blue crab. From these, the chefs created dishes that were also visually impressive: risotto-style barley, crispy tempeh, eggplants with coriander, maple syrup sauce. Many vegan options were also presented.

The chefs had the opportunity to showcase their creativity, as they often do in their daily work, within a context that, although refined, still involves some logistical challenges. “The biggest difficulty is sourcing ingredients while at sea or at anchor, even 10 to 15 miles from the coast. And space, which even on large yachts, is always limited,” said Francesco Federico Benassi, chef aboard the 50Steel Almax (50m, Sanlorenzo), a sustainable yacht certified with three stars by the Sea Index, the standard created by the Yacht Club de Monaco to assess the sustainability of vessels over 24 meters.

The winner of the Superyacht Chef Competition 2025 was French chef, Benjamin Ferrand (M/Y Victoria Del Mar - 50m), who has twenty years of experience at sea. “I always try to improve on every yacht I work on - he said - This victory is the result of years of commitment in yachting.”

Wrapping up the event, Bernard d’Alessandri, Yacht Club de Monaco General  Secretary, said: “Our goal is to engage younger generations and show them that one day they could become a chef on board a yacht too. It’s a job that is very different from working in a restaurant. The Superyacht Chef Competition? It will definitely be back next year, the success of this edition proves it.”

For more information:

Press Office LaPresse - ufficio.stampa@lapresse.it

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A video accompanying this announcement is available at:
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