Galley Wars
meet the yacht chefs who took top honors at the MYBA Charter Show in Barcelona.
Meet the yacht chefs who took top honors at the MYBA Charter Show in Barcelona.
yachts international, along with World Wine Services from France, sponsored the 30th Anniversary MYBA Superyacht Chefs’ Competition at the organization’s annual charter yacht show in Barcelona, Spain. Participating chefs had to make five types of canapés: three savory and two sweet. The following three chefs earned top honors in their charter yachts’ respective size categories.
Forty-year-old Andrea Compidonico, also a first-time entrant in the MYBA Superyacht Chefs’ Competition, is used to hard work. Growing up in Porto Santo Stefano, Italy, he skipped high school and joined the workforce to help his family out. His role models were his father, Santi, a naval carpenter, and grandfather, Giulio, a cook on cargo ships. When Compidonico was 15, he started working on his uncle Pietro’s fishing boat, where he learned how to prepare fresh-caught fish. At 18, Compidonico became an assistant cook at Il Moletto, a restaurant in his town. He earned the title of cook, worked in restaurants for another five years and became a private-yacht chef. Victory is his first charter yacht. He credits his captain, Andrea Aste, with encouraging him to participate in the competition.
What Was the biggest challenge With the competition? Having to organize meals for the crew, create dishes for the competition and then make a dinner for the brokers as well. Everything was happening at the same time. Also, considering the high level of my colleagues, I knew the competition was stiff. The only chance I had to win was to create new recipes with genuine flavors and offer the judges complete simplicity and freshness.
What is the Craziest thing that’s happened While You Were cooking? I was working on a private yacht and came back very late from the disco on my night off to find my owner cooking for himself, and we two ate and laughed together.
What key spices do You keep on hand? My cooking secrets are the freshness of the ingredients and the simplicity of cooking them, and obviously no chemicals.
What is Your favorite time of day in the galley? The most beautiful moment in a day on Victory is the moment when I serve meals to the crew, and sit down and eat with them and listen to their thanks for having cooked well.
if You Were cooking for prince harry and meghan, duchess of sussex, What Would be Your Main Course? Oh, something simple, perhaps start with courgette flan with marinated grilled lobster, then a crab risotto with grilled porcini mushrooms, or homemade tagliolini with asparagus, red prawns and lemon zest, and John Dory grilled with white wine sauce, garlic-coconut rice and ratatouille, and end with vanilla and chocolate soufflé with berry sauce.
What Would Your crewmates find surprising about You? I dye and iron my hair like a girl. If they knew, they would make fun of me all the time, so let’s not tell anyone, OK?
if You Were not a Chef, What Would You be? An artist. I really liked painting as a boy, and I also had a rock band, in which I played guitar and sang.