Dean Harrison hails from a small beachside town in Australia. Maybe this explains his calm, positive and adventurous attitude. At age 18, he left home and travelled straight to the other side of the world, Europe. If it was adventure he was seeking, he definitely got it! His travels on both sail and motor yachts, big and small, motorbikes and cargo planes have taken him through rough seas – even got him captured by Libyan rebels! But Dean is focused on the positive and beautiful things in life, like his encounters with nature or having royalty visit him in the galley. Whether he’s putting dishes together or capturing his travels on photo and film, he definitely likes to make things look appealing!
Why did you want to become a chef on yachts?
In short, it was the only thing I was good at. The usual story of the chef that hated school but loved cooking. Growing up and working in a small beachside town, I fell in love with the ocean. I always crave being near it. My other passions are scuba diving, free diving and anything on the water, basically. So, combining my love of all these things it made sense to work within the yachting world. As a freelance yacht chef, I can create the work/life balance that suits me. I can go anywhere in the world when I want to. The geographical independence and following the high seasons wherever they are, offers the financial freedom of being able to secure jobs all year round.
How would you describe your culinary style?
Honestly, I feel very comfortable with my cooking style after catering to so many clients. I started my first boat trying to do all crazy molecular stuff, but that’s just not me. It may sound cliché, but I just focus on sourcing amazing ingredients and putting my spin on them with a lot of Asian influence and without too much fuss. I see the focus on sourcing good ingredients as the future trend and I hope the leading chefs don’t go back to overcomplicating things. My signature dish is probably my Big Mac Bao Bun!
Many chefs with their own restaurants always talk about food cost. As a yacht chef, is this on your radar?
Well, I still have a bit of a small boat mentality so I’m still cautious about how I spend the budget. Saying that though we are in the industry of providing the best of the best experience for the guest and there shouldn’t be restrictions when it comes to food. It’s different from owning a restaurant, which I have no intention of ever doing. Possibly a cafe, as I love work/life balance more than anything. Owning a restaurant takes all of your time and I’m not about that. I’ve never been one to “chase Michelin stars” so to speak. I want to chase life experiences. I’ve already had Prince Albert visit my galley for a chat, which was a proud moment as a chef. But I have a lot of other passions and projects within the yachting industry that I would like to undertake in the future.
I’ve seen your videography and photography work on Instagram @theyachtchef – well done on securing that handle! And for illustrating nicely how you go from one adventure to the next. Tell us about your most frightening, bizarre, magical moments.
I’ve had two frightening moments. The first one was getting caught in a storm between Australia and New Zealand for 6 days and losing the stabilisers. I truly thought we were going to capsize! The other one was getting captured by Libyan rebels and being held for almost 24 hours while our home states negotiated our release. As for magical moments; I’ve had tons and tons of these! Being face to face with whale sharks in Papua New Guinea; swimming with the friendliest dolphins in New Zealand; handing out presents and candy to the locals in Vanuatu – these are just a few that come to mind from the past 12 years of yachting.
I’m sure that reading this interview will make people dream of food and travel! Which country would you recommend for a great culinary experience?
Not so much a country, but these are the cities I love for food exploration: Singapore, Mexico City, Melbourne, Bangkok and New York to name just a few.
…. Let’s start booking flights and tables!
