Culinary Competitions

All chefs and interior crew are encouraged to submit their application to compete in the prestigious competitions at the Newport Charter Yacht Show. The competitions are a fun, rewarding experience that brings recognition to your culinary and yachting talents. The contests are an important part of the show providing opportunities for crew to show-off their skills and brokers better insights on the yachts. All show attendees are encouraged to attend events and awards to “cheer-on” their favorite yacht crew.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact competition organizer, Winnie DeCoster with The Captain’s Concierge at +1 401.862.5109, info@captainconcierge.com. This is your chance to shine and be a winner at the Newport Charter Yacht Show.

SCHEDULE:

Monday, June 17
Best Charter Yacht Chef Competition - Premier Class - New England Seafood Chowder

Tuesday, June 18
Best Charter Yacht Chef Competition - Grande Class - Farm to Yacht
Tablescaping Competition - all yachts
Awards Presentation - Best Charter Yacht Chef Competition & Tablescaping

Wednesday, June 19
Freelance Chef Shucking Competition

Best Charter Yacht Chef Competitions

Grande Class (100 ft. and over): From the Farm to the Yacht; food created with the finest local products celebrating the New England yachting scene.

The competition scenario is to have a guest onboard request a local, seasonal meal that the chef would source from local food purveyors with short notice and make substitutions based on what was available.  Following a traditional mystery basket competition format, the chefs will be given the list of ingredients to be provided and what they can and can not use from their pantry. On the morning of the competition, they will receive the ingredients and head back to their onboard galleys to create their entries.  They will prepare four servings of any meal, any cuisine. Judging will take place in the main tent on Tuesday, June 18th and is open to all show attendees. The judges all have a culinary background.

Premier Class (99 ft. and under): A Taste of the Sea; New England Seafood Chowder.

The competition scenario is to have a guest onboard request the chef to prepare a New England Seafood Chowder. This quintessential dish of the New England area incorporates the bounty from local waters and blends it with regional tastes. The yacht chefs have many choices to showcase their talents: lobster, mussels, clams, oysters, etc. Show attendees are invited to visit every competing yacht, taste each chef’s creation, and decide their favorite. Then on the ballots provided aboard each yacht – attendees will write down which yacht featured their favorite and hand in their ballot at the Registration desk. Results will be tallied – and the Crowd Favorite in the Premier Class will be named. The Chowder competition and voting takes place on Monday, June 17th from 10am to 5 pm.

New this Year!

Interior Crew "Tablescaping" Competition

A contest to show off the creativity and skills in producing beautiful displays

Open to all interior crew onboard yachts participating in the Newport Charter Yacht Show. Crew can compete solo or as a team.

The challenge is to artistically decorate a dining table onboard utilizing the yacht’s own linen, china, tableware and decorative items including candles and flowers.

The yacht may choose any theme or meal and set-up on either an interior or exterior table. The judging will focus on what is displayed on top of the table. A panel of professionals will pick one winner from each class and the show attendees will pick a fan favorite from each class.

The criteria used in judging includes: originality of theme, composition, use of materials and how well the tablescape fits with the yacht.

Freelance Yacht Chef - Shucking Competition

Opportunity for freelance yacht chefs to display their talents in a traditional shucking contest

The competition is open to freelance yacht chefs not currently working onboard who have at least two seasons working as a yacht chef in the last three years

“Shucking” or opening shellfish is a frequently used skill when cooking onboard yachts cruising New England. This event will showcase freelance yacht chef’s technique in a timed format for all Charter Show attendees to watch. The amount of opened shellfish will be judged on appearance and presentation. Competitors will be supplied local shellfish including oysters and clams. Chefs supply their own knives, opening tools, gloves and towels. They can also bring up to two sauces for sampling when the shellfish is shared with spectators.