I've been in the industry for around 13 years. I started as a yacht stewardess in the Mediterranean. I worked as a stew for about three years before gravitating toward the kitchen.
At one point, a chef I was working with didn't enjoy baking — but I was pretty good at it. That jumpstarted my interest in cooking, and I saved up through another season to put myself through chef's school back in South Africa, where I'm from. I worked as a crew chef for a 160-foot yacht for a bit, but I realized I didn't even really like crew cooking because they just made food in big batches.
I cooked for 10 to 14 people daily for about four or five months. But I was getting burned out, and I wanted to be creative and make small, beautiful things. So, my partner and I started looking for a boat together, and we ended up working together on board Mucho Gusto.
It's been seven years, and we haven't looked back. My day in a nutshell I get up at about 6 a.m.
As soon as I wake up, I start prepping pastries, laying out the tables, and getting our guests coffee. I usually make a continental spread for breakfast with homemade granola yogurt, fruit plates, and pastries. Then, I'll have a hot option for the day, like eggs benedict or waffles.
I like cooking light and healthy food. So I do spreads, sometimes with homemade focaccia, and then a protein, depending on the guests' preferences. I also try to source most of my produce from local farmers and fishermen.
Lunches vary between plated salads and buffet.