Gjorgi was one of only nine yacht chefs who participated in the prestigious Monaco Superyacht Chef competition in April 2023. He loves “seeing happy guests on a daily basis”, hates “poor hygiene”, and is very picky about where he goes to eat when not working. What sets him apart from other chefs, in his own words, is “lack of drama”. Mia Naprta talks to this chilled-out chef who values a stress-free working environment above all else.
Originally from Macedonia, Gjorgi grew up in a family of chefs. That was an early inspiration for him and it shaped his path into a similar career. He ran a restaurant ‘back home’ and lived in several interesting places, including St. Martin in the Caribbean and Malta in the Med, before settling on Mallorca with his artist wife and teenage daughter.
Gjorgi got into yachting with the idea of travelling, exploring new places and trying new, interesting and innovative ingredients. So far, he has worked on yachts including Barong D, SY Genevieve, MY Picnic, MY Coral Ocean and MY Pearl.
I was keen to know what Gjorgi’s cooking style is and asked him how he would describe it.
“I would describe it as simple, but full of flavour!” A simple answer from a no-nonsense kinda guy! Looking at Gjorgi’s Instagram account @chef_gjorgi, it becomes evident that he is huge on presentation too. Every one of his plates looks like a little piece of art in its own right. The more you look at it the more components and curious details you will see.
Challenges and rewards of being a Yacht Chef.
At the start of his yachting career, Gjorgi worked on smaller boats, where space and storage were often an issue. Galleys are very small and compact, which added extra pressure to his job. Coming with restaurant experience into yachting also required adjustment. Luckily, Gjorgi loves learning and upgrading his knowledge – at the age of 37, he still finds attending cookery classes fun and inspiring.
Budget is another challenge Gjorgi is faced with. Even working for millionaires and billionaires, Gjorgi always pays attention to food costs, checking prices and making sure that waste is minimised.
In terms of reward, Gjorgi enjoys the travel and really appreciates his work/life balance. He works on rotation, meaning that he has six months off per year, allowing him to spend quality time with his family and doing his hobbies.
One of the most magical moments of his career so far has been hiking The Pitons Mountains in St Lucia in The Caribbean, followed by a barbecue after a long day in nature.
Styles and trends
Gjorgi believes that “Chefs, especially on yachts, have to be very versatile, cooking different cuisines for different guests that sometimes change each week,” so he never got stuck to the idea of a Chef’s Signature Dish. In his view, that is more of a restaurant culture.
I asked Gjorgi for his thoughts in terms of food trends. He replied, “I think plant-based diets will continue to rise in popularity, with more and more people following that fad. I follow this trend at work, especially if the guests are explicitly requesting plant-based menus, but personally, as a chef, I believe in a balanced diet and feel that completely plant-based eating is simply not sustainable”.
What are your favourite countries to enjoy a great culinary experience?
“Spain is definitely on the top of my list, closely followed by France, Italy and Croatia.”
What should yacht crew know about chefs?
“I think it is important to talk about the crew choosing to be on a different ‘diet’ every week and expecting the chef to accommodate them. I have seen crew eating plant-based or gluten-free diets during the week, and at the weekend -after they get drunk- they go for a cheeseburger and a beer. Not cool!”
What do you think guests should know about chefs?
“When coming on board, give the chef a chance to surprise you. Chefs are creative people who like to surprise guests with different foods. Be open to trying new cuisines!”
Who do you think is the greatest chef in the world at the moment?
“I would say Ferran Adria, and Roca brothers.”
Would you consider owning your own restaurant?
“Not for now. As a restaurant owner, one has to be involved every day of the year.”
Anything else you would like to add?
“I need my 3rd coffee!” …… and it’s only 10am!
