English born yacht chef James Temple started his cooking career at the age of 13. His mother had a friend who was a head chef in the local pub. James went in, cooked some vegetables and dessert, and fell in love with the fast paced kitchen environment. And now that he’s 35, he says it’s been his passion ever since.
What is your cooking background?
I started at a Michelin-starred restaurant for work experience and then worked at a Jamie Oliver restaurant for 3.5 years. Another 3.5 years were spent in a bakery. But it was when I was working in a 2 rosette restaurant in the south of England that I fell in love with fine dining cuisine. I worked my winter ski seasons in Austria, France, and Switzerland and private villas in Mallorca, France, and Portugal. For the last 5.5 years, I have been on yachts of up to 50m.
What is your cooking style?
I like guests to eat with their eyes. So my style is bright, colourful dishes, full of flavour and different textures.
What was your best place to work?
It has to be Jeremys and Cafe El Vira. I was there on and off for 4.5 years. It was a 2 rosette restaurant and countryside cafe. Everything was fresh and homemade, and it was where I discovered my passion for cooking and where I learned the majority of my cooking skills. Service time was full on, but It was such a lovely place to work.
What are your favourite things to cook?
I like to cook everything, but my favourite is pastry.
What is your best place for produce?
In the South of France, Cannes, St Tropez, Nice, and Antibes. All these places have amazing fresh daily markets with a real hustle and bustle feeling. It’s great to start your morning with a coffee, a fresh pastry, and provisioning in the best markets.
What chef inspires you?
I would say Gordon Ramsay. A remarkable chef, he came from nothing and worked so hard to get where he is today.
Has your food style changed over the years?
It hasn’t changed much, but I would say it’s more refined, and my plating presentation has gotten better with more experience.
What are your three favourite cookbooks?
Under Pressure by Thomas Keller
The French Laundry by Thomas Keller
Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat by Samin Nosrat
Worst moment as a yacht chef?
Looking in the mirror and seeing how tired I look. I look like that all the time.
What do you like about being a yacht chef?
You get to travel the world, using the best ingredients and getting the opportunity to cook many different cuisines and styles depending on the guests.
Best moment as a yacht chef?
Would be cooking for my family and then seeing how far I have come as a chef.
What are the most difficult things about being a yacht chef?
You can’t just pop out to the shop and grab whatever you need. You have to be incredibly organised and prepared for when guests change their minds at the last moment.
What is the best advice given to you as a chef?
Don’t be sorry, be better. I will never forget this!
What is your most challenging moment as a chef?
I was working for a private family in Portugal. It was a demanding role, and I could not prep until 30 minutes before service due to the produce losing its nutritional value. Everything had to be made fresh and instantly on a daily basis.
What keeps you going on the long days in the galley?
It would have to be the smiles of the guests when they try my food. It magically makes everything worth it, even on those 20-hour days.
Best advice to a young chef.
Go and work in a Michelin star or rosette star restaurant. Get your experience and knowledge and become a fantastic chef. Then, travel and experience different cuisines and ways of life. I then suggest getting onto yachts, travelling the world using the best ingredients, and meeting great people along the way.
Your favourite places to eat.
You can’t go wrong with a good burger or pizza. Otherwise, I like eating at Michelin star restaurants. Eating at The French Laundry is definitely on my bucket list.
How do you spend your free time?
I like to explore; I don’t like going out and getting wasted; I like to be up nice and early and have time off exploring the amazing places we visit. And any sort of adrenaline sport, I am there.
