When someone charters a yacht, they’re about to spend a boatload of money. Hahaha, see what I did there? Anyway, part of the allure of chartering a big white boat is the all-inclusive amenities a luxury vacation affords the client. You’re in an exotic location, seeing exotic things. Of course, your menu should reflect a lavish environment.
We have seen a wide array of chefs since Below Deck premiered on Bravo. For some, the most beloved remains the first one we got. Chef Ben Robinson captured many hearts and stomachs in the first season, and he set the bar high. But what about the chefs who weren’t so positively received? Maybe their lettuce was wilted or their personality was too spicy. And lying on a resume was never out of the question. Let’s review a few of our not-so-favorite Below Deck chefs.
Below Deck Mediterranean / Chef Tom Checketts
Season 5 of Below Deck Mediterranean was a mess for many reasons. Instead of girl power, it was girls gone wild. Tom Checketts’ appearance as chef may or may not have been a carefully hatched plan by Bosun Malia White. The season began with Chef Kiko Lorran failing to impress Captain Sandy Yawn with his curious cuisine. But Kiko isn’t even on this list. We’re talking about his replacement, Malia’s boyfriend.
After Kiko’s dismissal, Malia managed to convince Sandy her British beau Tom could come in and save the day. Tom did come in but he spent most of his time in the galley having temper tantrums like a toddler. Chef Tommy had a rough first day when his food was sent back by the charter guests. He also had a meltdown about baking a cake. A menacing cucumber also angered Tom, but we never found out if he actively fears vegetables. Malia had to babysit and calm him down without a paci or teething ring. Tom was okay until the yacht provisions also made him question his career choices and write threatening letters to Gordon Ramsey. After Tom’s less-than-stellar performance during the season, Malia dumped him in 2020. #justiceforkiko
Below Deck Down Under / Chef Ryan McKeown
Below Deck Down Under was a great new addition to the Below Deck franchise. Captain Jason Chambers slid in as the most gorgeous man ever a brand new HBIC and BDM fan favorite Aesha Scott returned with what we hoped was a great crew. Chef Ryan McKeown hailed from Philadelphia and not getting along with Aesha might have been his first mistake.
Cheffy Ryan had an attitude; unfortunately, his food wasn’t stunning enough to make it bearable. He whined and moaned about taking requests from the charter guests, which was exactly what he was hired to do. At the beginning of the series, Ryan served what amounted to gourmet McDonald’s. He also had a lot of issues with what time food was being sent to the guests. But Ryan’s pathetic English high tea was the final nail in his coffin. After he failed and left the high-paying guests disgusted by his lame effort, Captain Jason sent him back to Philly.
RELATED: My Top 5 Below Deck Chefs
Below Deck Mediterranean / Chef Adam Glick
Man, this guy really gets on my nerves. The audacity of his situation and the fact he wasn’t fired on the spot continues to grind my gears. Chef Adam Glick was introduced to viewers on Below Deck Med Season 2. Only the powers of Captain Sandy kept this man’s career afloat because if Captain Lee Rosbach had to deal with him, Adam would have had a very short tenure on Bravo.
It’s not that Adam’s culinary skills are poor. He just seemed to cook based on his current attitude. During his first time on the show, Adam had a secret tryst with Malia who was a deckhand at the time. When she became involved with Bosun Wesley Walton, Adam got petty and took it out on the charter guests. One client had specifically requested no onions. We don’t know if he didn’t like the taste of onions or if he was frightened of onions. The point is, this man paying thousands of dollars didn’t want any damn onions in his food. Adam took it upon himself to repeatedly add onions to the food and had the nerve to act affronted when he was questioned about it. I was never able to warm up to Adam after his disagreement about root vegetables.
Below Deck / Chef Leon Walker
You know we couldn’t leave out Rocky Dakota’s best friend! Chef Leon Walker was a one-trick pony who tried with Captain Lee and was eventually gifted a plane ticket home. Leon had a big ego and it seemed like he had a big chip on his shoulder to match. Not only was Leon nasty with Chief Stew Kate Chastain, he almost turned the yacht into a pile of toothpicks when he left filthy pans in the oven and it caught fire.
Aside from Leon’s lack of cleaning issues, he would only serve one dish. His famous beef cheeks. All of this might have slid under Captain Sandy’s radar, but Lee wasn’t having it. Especially after he witnessed Leon speaking to Kate in an unsavory manner. After Lee spoke with the chef and ultimately fired him, Leon left mid-charter and threw the crew in a bad spot. Kate eventually revealed prior to Leon’s departure, this grown-ass man poured honey all over her bed. We never saw or heard from Leon again and no one complained.
Below Deck Mediterranean / Chef (?) Mila Kolomeitseva
Mila Kolomeitseva appeared on Below Deck Med Season 4. She gets a question mark by her name because her chef title is questionable and she lied on her CV. Mila’s cooking was better suited for a gang of 7-year-olds, not superyacht guests. She mutilated tacos and some incredibly slimy canned fish. Actually, I take it back. Mila’s food was not suitable for 7-year-olds or basic human consumption.
Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier refused to serve Mila’s food under the suspicion it was breaking the laws of nature. Unfortunately, Mila’s personality matched her nachos. She was a homophobic mess working under Captain Sandy. She couldn’t handle ordering provisions and the crew wasn’t too pleased once they learned about her feelings about the gay community. Mila’s inability to prepare a decent meal got her kicked off the yacht in the middle of the second charter. Sandy did this with no replacement chef, so it had to be a bad situation that was headed straight downhill. A third stew was briefly promoted to the galley until another chef could come on board.
TELL US- WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE WORST BELOW DECK CHEF? WHO WOULD YOU ADD TO THIS LIST? WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE BELOW DECK CHEF?
[Photo Credit: Charles Sykes/Bravo]