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Sharon Rose is one of our recruitment specialists with a focus on galley crew, she spent 5-minutes chatting vegan-ish, career paths & when it’s ok to be a bit naughty with Chef Danny Davies.
Superyacht chefs come from all kinds of backgrounds; do you remember how you made the leap in to yachting?
Meet Chef Danny Davies, who shares his story and gives us some tips to keep energy levels up during a busy season!
Danny had an exciting and varied career before starting in yachting; as well as spending 10 years as a military chef, then the royal chef for Prince William and Prince Harry, he was a consultant to exclusive wedding venues, served with the US military in Afghanistan and spent 7 years teaching in a London College before moving to Florida, where he discovered superyachts.
Nine months ago, he started looking after a family who were following a plant-based diet and has since released a Vegan+ cookbook available on Amazon.
We asked Danny for some tips on keeping your energy levels up during a busy season, as well as advice on following a plant-based diet.
SR: What advice do you have for those considering a plant-based diet?
DD: Being strictly vegan can seem daunting, but I follow the Vegan+ regime because it allows me to introduce a little oily fish and some cheese for certain recipes.
Food is to be enjoyed! So don’t feel guilty about adding a little of what you love to your diet.
I myself have my own guilty pleasures: a deep-fried mac & cheese is my go-to treat…I don’t indulge often, but that makes it all the more gratifying! Ha!
If you force yourself to give up everything straight away, you may not be able to sustain it long enough to notice the benefits.
Start introducing as many green veggies as you can, as they’re packed with iron, like kale, rocket, spinach, swiss chard, bok choy…Also, quinoa is a good base to bulk up your tasty salads, as well as adding nuts and seeds for texture and crunch.
SR: What benefits have you noticed since becoming vegan?
DD: So many! I can’t rave enough about the benefits. I lost weight, my skin looks better, I have more energy. I wake in the morning feeling refreshed, it’s really changed my life.
If you’re apprehensive about a plant-based diet I recommend starting slowly, maybe following it for a couple days a week, then adding in more ‘vegan’ days. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying a new, healthier lifestyle.
SR: What advice do you have for yacht crew to keep their energy levels up?
DD: It’s not easy when you’re onboard and have a busy schedule, I see crew start the season with all the intentions in the world of remaining healthy and then, as the pressure piles on, they succumb to snacking. This leaves them feeling bloated and exhausted, trying to function on less sleep with long working days.
They should ask the chef to prepare plenty of healthy meals and energy-boosting snacks to keep hunger at bay, and energy levels high.
SR: What’s your go-to dish to impress guests?
DD: My favourite dish to cook, and I make it for family and friends as well as guests as it’s always a crowd pleaser, is my ‘vegan-ish’ spicy tuna and avocado ring.
Danny has shared his delicious recipe here.
SR: What do you recommend for breakfast?
DD: Always start the day with a fruit smoothie.
I use a Nutribullet and instead of using a milk substitute or yoghurts, just add water and a tablespoon of agave syrup.
SR: What advice can you give to those considering a move to yachting?
DD: It’s a good idea to widen your skill set, make sure you’re comfortable with a variety of dishes and can make them from scratch. Remember on a yacht there’s no popping to the store for anything you’re missing!
Get your confidence up when it comes to making pastries, learn lots of different appetiser options, as well as entrées and desserts. Be sure you can make your own bread too.
And secondly, keep your social media clean.
Those hiring will check your social media pages before making the decision to hire you.
They don’t want to see pictures of you out partying and drinking or citing strong political views. Keep these off your social media, even if you have to go back a couple years to remove previous posts.
When you join a yacht you’re becoming part of a family, a snapshot may not have meant much at the time, but people can make their own assumptions and you don’t want this to be a factor in your employment options.
Thanks so much Danny! We will be checking out your book and look forward to the announcements of your new podcast series, ‘Behind the Line with Danny Davies’ on Triton News.
Visit Chef Danny Davies’ website and social media pages for more cooking tips and to follow his career:
Future Chef Project website
Danny Davies’ Instagram page.
