Trouble in the galley is a common storyline on Below Deck. Other people’s stressors are fun to watch, because it isn’t us dealing with the drama. So yeah, we get it, but also, we’re kinda over it. Watching talented chefs struggle, while the charter guests sit there and complain, isn’t fun.
So what’s the solution? Well, if the yacht is large enough, an extra hired hand could certainly help. Typically speaking, yachts that are featured on the show are 50-meters or less in size. This footage usually does not allow for a sous chef onboard.
However, Motor Yacht St David far surpassed this size, coming in at a whopping 60-meters. This stunner’s featured on Below Deck Mediterranean Seasons 10 and 11. According to Yacht Charter Fleet, the St. David is capable of carrying up to 14 crew members onboard. We need more yachts of this size, for so many reasons.
To start, the majority of BD’s viewers will never charter a luxury yacht. I hate this for us. Yet, this Bravo series has given us an opportunity to lurk on how the wealthy vacation. We love peeping big, fancy things, so let’s give these yachties a few more meters to clean and launder, we demand, as the crumbs from our viewing snacks mount on our couches.
Most importantly, the bigger the yacht, the bigger the crew, which would allow for our desired sous chef onboard. Seriously, Below Deck should consider upping their yacht sizes, and in doing so, add on a Sous Chef position. Here’s why.
Timing on Charters Is Important
Even the most skilled Below Deck chefs have hit roadblocks. These culinary artists have to prepare multiple meals and snacks each day for their paying guests. They also have to feed their entire crew. This is a massive responsibility.
Below Deck Season 11 had Chef Anthony Iracane. His talent is clear. On his website, he states that he’s “owned an upscale restaurant in France for 5 years. Prior to this, I was trained in a french culinary school. Aside from chartering, I recently opened a french street food company ‘Snackybae™️’ catering to events and locales across south Florida.”
As you can see, Chef Anthony deserves this role, and yet, he’s struggling. His dishes are taking forever to come out of the galley. This is leaving his guests frustrated. Equally frustrated is his crew, who are getting far less than what they need to sustain them as they work.
As the timing and the feeding of the crews are equally important, Chef Anthony likely would have been so much better off had he had help. The same goes for any of the other great BD chefs, who have all pretty much faced these same obstacles. A Sous Chef could focus on the crews meals, in addition to the prepping of the guest’s dishes, which would allow the head chef all of the time needed to crank out their main plates.
With Sous Chefs, Chefs Can Better Cater To Every Ask
Sometimes, the guests have laughable asks, such as a 2am plate of nachos. No shade thrown here, because we’d also want this, as long as it wasn’t made by Chef Mila Kolomeitseva. Other times though, the guests have come onboard with very specific dietary needs. The chefs then have to accommodate for each of these detailed requirements, no matter how many ingredients this sees being eliminated from their toolboxes.
Remember that preference sheet meeting in Season 10, where Chef Rachel Hargrove felt overwhelmed? To recap, the primary had gone overboard with his asks. His requests included a big breakfast, rainbow and unicorn floats, seafood, steaks, American fine dining, authentic New Orleans cuisine, Spanish not Mexican food, and a 10-course dinner. It was a lot.
“Eat my cooter. You pay the $16,000 a month for me to be your private chef in Monaco, then we’ll talk. Until then, I don’t play that game. I’d like the flight home, and I’ll start packing now,” Rachel said, pointing to the “ostentatious bullshit” that this guest wanted from just one chef.
As the wellness industry is thriving, new dietary trends will continue to form. Likewise, specific medical needs will always exist, as will the over-the-top requests that are made 24/7. Therefore, these chefs will always have a lot of asks to plan for with each of their charters. With a Sous Chef around, they could better cater to every request made.
Sous Chefs Mean Less Stress for the Crew
At times, many chefs have received help from their Captains, deckhands, and their stews. These crew members have all poured into the galleys, helping the chefs prep for their meal services. However, this takes a toll on the boat, as these yachties are pulled away from their own hired positions. At times, this has created even larger problems onboard.
As the guests experiences dictate what kind of tip they leave, zero aspects should be lacking. If someone’s pulled away to help meal prep, that’s one less crew member to tend to their needs. It also means this person’s main responsibilities would have to be covered by their team. If a Sous Chef came onboard, it would help to cut down on these extra stressors seen.
One More Yachtie Onboard Could Heighten Storylines
The Below Deck franchise has seen so many wild storylines. There have been many shocking firings, hook-ups, and even serious injuries onboard. You know what could heighten this? That’s right, one more crew member added to the chaos.
Even if this new hire came on in a dual-position role, where they also worked as a deckie or a stew, that’d be ok. Overall, their time spent helping the chef excel, while dabbling a toe (or ten) into the drama onboard, would be well worth this additional paycheck cut by Bravo.
TELL US – WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE SOUS CHEFS ON BELOW DECK?
