Chef Aaron Thomas of the 33.5-metre Mangusta motor yacht Canvas has won the seventh annual edition of the Superyacht Chef Competition.
The event was held at the Yacht Club de Monaco (YCM) on 2 April 2026, organised by the YCM's La Belle Classe Academy training centre in partnership with yacht brokerage firm Bluewater.
Following a series of qualifying rounds, nine superyacht chefs took part in the competition, where they were given a basket of mystery ingredients and just 45 minutes to create a recipe, prepare and plate it. The finalists were then given 80 minutes to prepare a main course and a dessert in front of the judging panel. Similar to previous years, the chefs complied with anti-waste criteria and the last-minute addition of a surprise ingredient chosen by the public.
Battling it out alongside Thomas was Beatrice Cordy of 65.2-metre Nectar, Gaia Botturi of 62.4-metre Madame Kate, Tony Triest of 88.5-metre Barbara, David Kempsey of 46-metre sailing yacht Sagitta, Baptiste Liquito of 33.6-metre Infinity Nine, Milan Popovic of 35-metre Smiley, Alex Saimbene of 50-metre Moka and Ilija Gojkovic of 38-metre Emocean.
After an intense day of cooking, the Jury selected Aaron Thomas (also a former UK Master Chef) for his two-part lobster dish: a plate accompanied by asparagus and a morel fricassee, followed by a bisque. Commenting on his win, Thomas said: “The most difficult aspect was the pace: producing several dishes in a very short time while adapting to the basket of mystery ingredients."
The Jury was chaired by two Michelin-star chef Philippe Etchebest from Meilleur Ouvrier de France, who chose the winner alongside a panel of award-winning chefs, including three Michelin-star chef Marcel Ravin; Michelin star "icon" in the world of Italian cuisine, Carlo Cracco; cofounder of Oceanwave Monaco and superyacht chef Duncan Biggs; presenter promoting Latin-American cuisine, Jeeny Maltese; and restaurateur and TV presenter Tim Mälzer.
“It requires considerable organisation and foresight," said Etchebest on the demanding nature of a superyacht chef. "When you’re at sea for several weeks without being able to get supplies in, you have to think of everything, including unforeseen events. I have huge admiration for these professionals”.
The Jury deliberated the winner aboard 28.7-metre Shockwave (now Bise I), which was moored in the YCM Marina for the day and is currently undergoing the SEA Index® certification process.
YCM director and general secretary, Bernard d’Alessandri, concluded: “In the last seven years we’ve noted a growing enthusiasm for this contest, both from professionals keen to test their skills ashore and the public who turn up every year to watch. Our ambition is to showcase the diverse range of careers in yachting, a sector with a promising future, especially for young generations”.