Megayacht Cuisine Trends 2008
by Carol BareutherThe challenge for chefs today, whether based on land or sea, says Sharon Olson, president of Olson Communications, Inc., the Chicago, IL-based marketing and research company that publishes the annual ‘Culinary Visions’ report, “is creating menu items that balance the diner’s desire for the adventurous, while also being familiar enough to be accessible and, of course, full of flavor and something unique.”
To meet this challenge, megayacht chefs need to source specific ingredients, assure these items are of the highest quality and have these foods at their fingertips. That’s where provisioning companies come into play.
What chefs want today, says David Goldberg, manager at The Fruit Bowl, in Wheatley Center, St. Thomas, “really depends on what the owner and guests want. That can be anything from hamburgers and hot dogs to caviar and foie gras.”
Many chefs, adds Martin Acevedo, director of purchasing for Yacht Haven Grande (YHG), on St. Thomas, “know just want they want to order. They’ll send us their list in advance by phone, fax or Email.”
John Grosvalds, yacht-provisioning consultant for Island Provision Ltd. and Best Cellars Wines & Spirits, in Antigua, says, “As the charter yacht industry grows at an exponential rate, there comes an ever-increasing sophistication on behalf of owners and crews with regards to provisioning requirements. Many yacht chefs are on a par with the best in the world, with an increasing number of them being Michelin rated. This, in turn has led to higher expectations. Chefs no longer have to make do with second best just because they are shopping on a Caribbean island. Regular air shipments supplement weekly sea deliveries and allow us to supply, for example, the freshest produce.”
Produce is a big demand item by megayacht crews, Fruit Bowl’s Goldberg agrees. “We’ll source from the Southern and Northern hemisphere throughout the year to obtain a year round supply of what chefs want. For example, one chef asked us for rhubarb last winter and we found it and brought it in.”
Fresh herbs and berries are always in demand, says Island Provision’s Grosvalds. “So are top quality meats and fresh, not frozen, fish.”
YHG’s provisioning center has its own Cryovac machine, says Jon Foster, provisioning manager. “We’ll pre-portion Certified Black Angus beef, for example, and Cryovac it. This offers convenience. Chefs get personalized cuts and don’t have to worry about using the undesirable pieces left over as they would have if they cut the steaks themselves.”
USDA prime meats, pre-cut and Cryovac-wrapped by special order, as well as fresh salmon and mahi-mahi, are items the Fruit Bowl is known for, Goldberg says. “Other items chefs know they can find from us are bagels flown in from the Bronx, organic yogurts and soy cheeses.”
Beverages are prime ordered items too, especially in the tropics, says YHG’s Foster. “Everyone has their favorite water and it’s important for crews to stock ahead just what’s wanted. This is information we’ll share with our fellow IGY marinas, so they’ll have specific brands of water and other essential items on hand by the time a yacht arrives.”
New over the last few years, Island Provision has added sushi grade tuna, fresh live mussels, live oysters, beluga caviar and Certified Black Angus beef to its inventory.
Likewise, the Fruit Bowl has started to bring in up to six varieties of hydroponically-grown microgreens. “The shelf life on the greens is two to three weeks because they’re still growing, unlike in the past where they had only a three day shelf life.”
The microgreen shoots Fruit Bowl orders are grown in punnets on a cellulose-based mat, and they are delivered intact that way, which keeps them alive for many days. When chefs are ready to use the product, they can pick just what they need. The patented boxes are similar to little mini greenhouses, and they stack easily as well for storage.
New this season, says Island Provision’s Grosvalds, “We’ll be bringing in fresh zucchini flowers, snow crab claws and live Maine lobsters.”
On other fronts, ethnic cuisines and organically grown ingredients are in demand.
Island Provisions’ Grosvalds says, “We’ve definitely seen a trend towards ethnic cuisine, in particular Asian, Chinese, and Japanese Fusion. The combining of cuisines from all over the world is hugely popular on megayachts where the guests can come from many and varied countries and cultures.”
YHG’s provisioning center has sourced a nearby supplier of South African food items, many of which are sought after by yacht crews. However, says Acevedo, “the availability of organic at the wholesale level hasn’t caught up to demand. This is because many organic products, be it produce or free range hens for example, come from small farms. We do have a relationship with Whole Foods in Florida though which we’re able to source a fair amount of organics.”
Along with foods and beverages, provisioning companies serve up service too.
YHG’s Acevedo says, “We have walk-in freezers and coolers where we can assemble an order and hold it at the proper temperature until the time the chef requests delivery. Then, we have several carts to get the items down the dock to the yacht quickly.”
Island Provisions’ Grosvalds says, “We offer daily deliveries to all the marinas in Antigua. In addition, should a yacht require delivery to a private dock or anchorage or any other location on or off island, this can easily be arranged. We have in the past delivered fresh kingfish to a beach where the chef picked it up on a Jet Ski!”
Finally, service means, “never saying ‘no’ to anything,” says YHG’s Acevedo. “We’ve had chefs see something they want on the cover of magazines like “Saveur”, “Gourmet” or “Cook’s Illustrated” and want it. If it’s a really unusual item, it all comes down to how much they’re willing to pay and the time factor. Give us 48 hours and we can get virtually anything.”
FROM YACHT CHEF TO THE FOOD NETWORK?
If you’re a proficient chef and have a little spare time on your hands, how about following in the footsteps of New Zealand yacht chef Mathew Metcalfe. Metcalfe, currently employed as executive chef aboard the 192-foot, M/Y Ronin, has launched a YouTube video page he calls ‘Cooking Dynamics’. On the page, Metcalfe demonstrates the basics such as how to dice an onion, roast tomatoes, choose fresh fish, and even paint plates for a professional dessert presentation. He also details how to prepare upscale recipes such as Baklava with fresh mangoes.
“Some of the eating directions that I have hands-on experience with include Vegetarian, Kosher, Vegan, Micro Green/Raw, Low Sodium, Low Carbohydrate, Fusion and European,” Metcalfe says, also admitting that he enjoys culinary research and continuing to learn about cuisine styles every day.
Metcalfe has attracted hundreds of viewers to his site. His style and skill might just lead to him jumping ship…if the Food Network calls!