Chef, 120-foot custom motoryacht Touch

Date interviewed: May 2010

That was an impressive luncheon you just prepared. The veloute of roast vine tomatoes was a lovely soup on a chilly spring day, the Nicoise salad was delightful, and the roasted organic chicken breast went beautifully with the asparagus risotto. I practically ate the dessert plate, trying to enjoy every last bite of your caramelized banana chocolate brownie.

I’m just so happy to be here in the Mediterranean, where they have all the wonderful, fresh produce. I always go and see what looks the best at the markets, and then I work with that for the menus.

Do you also adapt the menus to the client’s preferences?

Yes, and in addition, we try to change the menus within the client’s preferences, all throughout the charter. You wouldn’t eat at the same restaurant every day of the week, so we try to make sure that you don’t feel stuck in one place on the boat.

How did you become a chef?

My family moved to Dublin, Ireland, when I was 14. My father was friends with a local restaurateur, and when I was still in primary school, I got third place in a cooking contest. I made a rainbow stir fry. When I got a bit older, I got into hospitality and restaurant management, and I cooked at restaurants after school as a teenager. It was my goal then to open my own restaurant—and it still is my hope, for someday.

Why did you move into the yachting industry instead?

I got a three-year apprenticeship at L’Ecrivain Restaurant in Dublin, which has one Michelin star. There were 22 chefs on staff cooking entrees that cost about €60. I had been doing well at my other restaurants, and I was 18 or 19 years old, and I went into L’Ecrivain with a big head. I got straightened out quick. It was there that I learned finesse, garnish, and modern European presentation and cuisine. These were sophisticated customers. We would do 11-course tasting menus.

One of the chefs I knew in Dublin would give me side work as an assistant, and a friend of his owned a 96-foot Sunseeker motoryacht called Molly Malone. She was in charter, and he asked if I’d help out onboard. I imagined I was going onto a barge. I’d never even seen a picture of a yacht. I wondered if I would be able to do laundry.

Were you sold on the charter lifestyle from Day One?

More than the boat, I remember the first time I walked into the market in Antibes. I’d never seen produce like that in my life. It was an epiphany for me. I wanted to cook real food, and I wanted people to enjoy real food. I wanted to serve tomatoes that have never once been refrigerated. I wanted to let the ingredients speak for themselves.

It ended up being a three-week job aboard Molly Malone, and then I went back to the restaurant for a year and finished college. Then I spent a whole summer working on Molly Malone, and then I went back to more restaurants, including one in Japan.

When did you join your current boat, the 120-foot motoryacht Touch?

I got hired in October 2008. I loved going around the Caribbean during the winter seasons, but I’m always happiest when we’re in the Mediterranean with the markets. I’m 25 years old now, and I can truly appreciate what the markets offer.

Some would say you’re still young for a chef aboard such a large and well-respected motoryacht. Are you still learning?

I enjoy getting guests who have enjoyed something interesting. Maybe they’re just back from vacation or something like that, and they can tell me about something they enjoyed eating that I’ve never cooked. I can research and learn all about it, and get to try new things that way.

For me, the real enjoyment is in leaving people completely satisfied. The first bite you take is always the best. A nine-course tasting dinner of very small portions—that, to me, is like taking guests on a journey. I really love that. I’m excited to do that for people who appreciate food.

With three-course meals, I just always feel like there’s so much more I could do. My ideal guests aboard Touch are people who are interested in taking a culinary journey with me.

Touch is part of the Fraser Yachts charter fleet. She takes eight guests with eight crew at a lowest weekly base rate of $55,000. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more or help you book a week onboard.