Commis Chef / Fourth Chef

The Commis Chef prepares crew meals, preps ingredients and supports the senior chefs during guest service in a multi-chef galley. Steady, clean prep work is what lets the Head Chef put out restaurant-level food at sea.

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Department: Galley
Reports to: Sous Chef / Second Chef
Yacht size: 70m to 150m+
Contract: Seasonal or permanent
Starting pay: €2,500 per month

What the job is

The Commis Chef is the most junior chef in a galley of three to five. You work on yachts of roughly 70m and up, where the guest programme, crew numbers and menu ambition need a full brigade. Most days you cook for the crew, which can mean 25 to 50 people at breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you prep for the guest menu under the Sous Chef. You also take a share of cleaning, stock rotation and receiving provisions.

Guest prep is where you learn. You peel, chop, portion, make stocks and sauces, bake bread, break down fish and set up mise en place to the Head Chef's standard. During service you plate garnishes, run sections the senior chefs hand you and keep the pass clear. Allergies and preferences on the preference sheet are taken seriously, so labelling, separation and logging temperatures are part of every shift, not an afterthought.

Hours are long on charter, often 12 to 14 a day with split breaks, and quieter when the owner is away or the boat is in the yard. You share a cabin, eat with the crew and follow the same safety drills as everyone else. A good season as Commis, with a strong reference from the Head Chef, usually leads to Chef de Partie. Many current Head Chefs on large yachts started here after restaurant kitchens ashore.

What makes a good one

Clean, fast knife work
Consistent prep to a set spec
Crew cooking at volume
Allergen and hygiene discipline
Takes direction under pressure

A day in the life

Superyachts anchored in a Mediterranean bay — A charter day, 85m motor yacht, Balearic Islands

06:00Start in the galley, check the fridges and log temperatures. Set out crew breakfast with eggs, fruit, cereals and fresh bread baked overnight by the Pastry Chef or the Sous Chef.
07:30Morning briefing with the Head Chef on the guest menu, allergies and timings. Pick up your prep list for lunch and dinner.
08:30Prep for the guest breakfast and lunch: fruit platters, juices, cured fish, salad components. Help plate guest breakfast as orders come down from the interior.
11:30Serve crew lunch in the mess, then clean down and switch straight to guest lunch service on the aft deck. You plate garnishes and keep the pass moving.
14:30Afternoon break of about two hours. Most commis sleep, call home or go to the gym in the crew area.
16:30Back for dinner mise en place: stocks, sauces, vegetables cut to spec, fish portioned. Receive a delivery from the provisioner and check it against the order.
18:00Cook and serve crew dinner early so the interior team can eat before guest service.
19:30Guest dinner service, often a tasting menu of five to seven courses. You run a section such as amuse bouche or garnish and back up whoever is busiest.
22:30Deep clean the galley, label and store leftovers, update the stock sheet and set up for the morning. Finish once the Sous Chef has signed off the galley.

Pay by country

Monthly salary, tax-free for most crew depending on residency, plus food and accommodation on board. Charter tips are shared across the crew and can add €1,000 – 3,000 a month in a busy season.

France and Monaco: €2,500 – 3,200
Spain: €2,500 – 3,200
Italy: €2,500 – 3,200
United Kingdom: £2,150 – 2,750
USA (Florida): US$2,700 – 3,500
Caribbean: US$2,700 – 3,500
UAE: AED 10,000 – 12,800
Australia: A$4,200 – 5,400
New Zealand: NZ$4,600 – 5,900

Required

STCW Basic Safety Training
ENG1 medical
Food Safety Level 2
PDSD
Professional kitchen experience

Visas

Schengen visa (if not EU)
US B1/B2 or C1/D
Australian MCV for Australian cruising

Where it leads