Chef Michelle Bonetti Wins First Place in Culinary Contest for Yachts 125ft and Under

By Rebecca Bradbury 16 December 2015

Chef Michelle Bonetti of the 37m/122ft superyacht ZEEPARD was awarded first place in the Charter Chefs Competition at the recent Antigua Charter Show, where the Yacht Charter Fleet team were also lucky enough to sample her highly-acclaimed cuisine.

The theme for the 2015 culinary competition was to create a three-course traditional Christmas lunch from a country of the chef's choice with an added Caribbean twist. Michelle was awarded the top spot due to her delicious Swiss-inspired Christmas luncheon, which featured some local Antiguan ingredients.

For her appetizer, Michelle prepared a local Antigua conch with pine needle cream, Bürli crisp, hazelnut, sea fennel and tarragon. This was followed by an entrée comprising of a jerk spice turkey breast with cranberry puree, potato gratin, charred onions and prosciutto. Dessert took the form of Christmas parfait, orange and ginger jelly, Lebkucken, Cherry, Swiss meringue and, for the Caribbean twist, rum caramel.

Tablescaping winning entry of snow globe scene on expedition yacht Zeepaard

The day before the results were announced, Yacht Charter Fleet were invited on board expedition yacht ZEEPAARD to undertake an exclusive dining experience. As well as enjoying a three course lunch, the team at Yacht Charter Fleet also spoke to the chef to find out what it’s like to work in a superyacht galley. Discover more in our review and exclusive interview with Michelle Bonetti.

Although Michelle is Australian, both of her parents are originally from Switzerland, and these roots inspired the country choice of her culinary contest entry. Yacht Charter Fleet also found out that the chef originally worked in the industry as a stewardess before returning to Australia to follow her passion for cooking.

Working under the tutelage of head chef Daniel Fischer, Michelle completed her four-year culinary degree at the Print Hall in Perth, which was voted as the best restaurant in Australia for three years in a row. She has also had the chance to work with celebrity chefs Veran Adri, Massamo Battura and Matt Orlando.

Michelle was awarded the top spot due to her delicious Swiss-inspired Christmas luncheon

Christmas snow globe scene on dining table on luxury yacht Zeepaard

In addition to Michelle's success, the stewardesses on board ZEEPAARD were awarded first place in the charter show’s Tablescaping Competition. As you can see from the images above, the team created a fantastic snow globe scene in the main salon’s dining area to complement their chef's swiss-themed luncheon.

If you would like to find out more information on M/Y ZEEPAARD, where you can experience Michelle’s cuisine for yourself, please speak to your preferred charter broker.