Chef Evello Mayor is a Spanish chef with a solid, ground-up understanding of the industry, from running his own restaurant to now working in the demanding yacht-chef industry.
Where do you come from, and what is your age?
I am originally from Burgos, in the rural heart of northern Spain, and I am currently 52 years old. Growing up in a region with such a deep connection to the land and its raw produce definitely laid the foundation for how I respect ingredients today.
What made you want to become a chef?
It was a natural evolution. I’ve always seen cooking and art as interlaced; they both start with a raw material and require a vision to transform it into something that moves people. Since I first stepped into a kitchen, my motivation has always been to create unique, sensory experiences for guests.
Where have you worked as a chef?
My career took off in London, where I studied art and simultaneously cut my teeth in professional kitchens. I’m talking about the end of the nineties and the beginning of this century, ages ago! I moved to Valencia, where I opened and ran my own restaurant for nearly a decade. I also helped open a couple of other places from scratch (that was a lot of fun!). Since 2019, I’ve transitioned all those experiences into the superyacht industry.
How would you describe your style of cooking?
I call it “Ingredient-First”. My philosophy is that the quality of the produce dictates the dish. Combine the traditional soul of Spanish cooking with the global influences I picked up in London, all presented with an artist’s eye for detail.
What do you like to cook?
I love working with fresh seafood and vibrant Mediterranean vegetables, but I always enjoy bringing in world cuisines. My time in London opened my palate to everything from Asian spices to Middle Eastern techniques, or South American vibrancy.
Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from for cooking?
My inspiration is a mosaic of travel and professional discovery. I draw heavily from the diverse food cultures I embraced in London, and the culinary innovation found in world-class restaurants I visit globally. Whether it’s a specific spice blend or a technical plating style, I’m constantly absorbing new ideas to evolve my palate. This process is deeply connected to my background as a ceramic artist. I love to design and hand-craft the very plates the food is served on, so a dish can pair with the texture of the clay or the specific glaze of a bowl.
What is the most challenging thing about being a yacht chef?
Space, logistics and time. In a restaurant, you have a fixed supply chain and a specialised team. On a yacht, you are the head chef, the sous chef and the provisioner. You have to be a master of organisation to deliver Michelin-level food from a moving galley.
What is the best thing about being a yacht chef?
The intimacy of the service. You get to know the guests’ preferences so deeply that you can anticipate what they want before they even ask. Plus, the “office view” is hard to beat!
Chefs that inspire you and why?
I’ve always admired chefs who respect the environment and the heritage of their ingredients, and at the same time are able to change the game, people like Angel Leon for his heart, or the masters of Mediterranean simplicity who let the olive oil and the salt do the talking.
What is the best piece of advice given to you as a chef?
“Listen to the product.” If the fish is perfect, don’t over-complicate it. Your job is to highlight its excellence, not hide it.
What keeps you going on the long days in the galley?
The creative drive. Even on hour 14, the thrill of plating a dish that looks like a piece of art and seeing the guest’s reaction keeps the adrenaline high.
Has the way you cook changed over the years?
Definitely. I’ve become more refined and perhaps more patient. Having owned my own restaurant gives me a “macro” view of the kitchen, I understand the business, the costs and the flow in ways that make me a much more efficient chef on board.
What are your favourite places to eat?
I love the hidden gems. A small tavern in Thessaloniki (my second home) for authentic Greek flavours, or a traditional grill house in Burgos, where the lamb is cooked to perfection in a wood-fired oven.
At 52, I feel I am at my peak in terms of balancing skill with maturity. I see myself dedicated to the yachting industry for the next two or three years, after which I plan to focus on my project in Burgos, combining ceramics and gastronomy, while remaining available for select, temporary freelance yacht assignments.
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