Flavour Blocks: The Ultimate Yacht Chef & Private Chef Prep Guide
Before guest arrival or in that lovely pre-season window before everything ramps up and panic sets in, getting your galley organised and prepped makes all the difference. It keeps service flowing, helps you stay calm under pressure, gives guests a better experience and keeps melt-downs at bay.
I’ve been working as a yacht chef for 17 years, on tiny sail yachts, to big ol' motor yachts, with the odd regatta, villa and chalet gig in between. I also founded The Galley Gang yacht chef school nearly a decade ago. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s that prep doesn’t need to be overly fancy or overwhelming. It’s about building a few smart “flavour blocks” - the butters, stocks, sauces, ferments, bakes and cheats - that let you move fast and confidently when the season gets hectic. you can do all the prep in one massive go, or gradually add to it over the course of a crossing or quieter months but getting your freezer and pantry stocked up (and writing down what exactly is in it) is crucial.
This guide isn’t here to tell you how you should run your galley. Every yacht chef, private chef and galley setup is different. Think of this as a friendly wish-list and some ideas you can pick and choose from. There’s no one-size-fits-all, so don’t compare your galley to anyone else’s. Some have a team of four and are working like high end restaurant kitchens, some galleys are the crew mess / galley / bar area all together and it's a miracle when meals go out the door. Take what’s useful, adapt it, and cut yourself some slack along the way.
I also really want to add this piece of advice from an old-timer like me: there’s absolutely NO SHAME IN CHEATS. If you need packet rice for back up emergencies, or you’re buying in frozen stocks or sauces, that’s smart time management. Just make sure you're getting in the best of the best and tart it up. Good prep gives you consistency and calm - you're not onboard to prove anything to anyone. You're job is to give the guests a great experience and to hopefully make it out of the galley relatively sane.
Let me know if you have any other tips and tricks to add.
Good luck out there chefs!
Jem
Private chef and The Galley Gang founder.

Pre-Season Prep Items
These are things you can make well ahead, freeze or preserve, and dip into throughout the season.
Flavoured Butters
Chorizo, wild garlic, miso, basil & parmesan, tomato, Guinness & vanilla, sriracha, truffle.
Uses: Finish grilled meats or fish, spread on breads, stir into veg or mash, send out with bread course garnished with an edible flower.
Herb Oils
Dill, parsley, coriander + mint, wild garlic, basil.
Tip: They can be frozen — but make them chunky, more like a pesto, and freeze in ice-cube trays. Defrost in minutes and they’ll keep for a couple of days.
Uses: Drizzle over salads or fish, brush on breads, garnish soups and purées, finish plates.

Confit Items
Garlic, tomatoes, onions, balsamic onions, slow-roasted lemons.
Uses: Garlic confit in mash or dressings, tomato confit for bruschetta or pasta, onion confit for pizzas and meats, lemon confit for sauces.
Pickles
Red onion, turmeric cauliflower, Asian cucumber, fennel & dill, red cabbage, wild garlic capers.
Uses: Acidic crunch for rich dishes, topping for sliders or tacos, garnish for cheese boards, quick colour and tang in salads. A little side dish. Or just scoff them yourself with cheese when galley blues hit.
Pickling Liquids
Spiced vinegars, citrus infusions.
Uses: Handy to have something tart and acidic to the side. Quick-pickle veg before service, glaze meats, add tang to dressings or marinades.
Ferments
Carrots & ginger, kimchi, wild garlic, red cabbage sauerkraut, chilli sauce (shatta), blueberry and sweet ferments with sugar.
Uses: Condiments to brighten rich food, add tang to grain bowls, bring freshness to fish or meat plates. Easy to make: 2% salt by weight, clean jar, wait (lift lid to burp). Plus, you get to bang on about gut health to the boss.

Candied or Toasted Nuts & Seeds
Mixed toasted seeds, pumpkin, sugared pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts...
Uses: Dessert garnish, granola, yoghurt, a sweet crunch in salads with feta. Do them ahead — they’re always the last thing you need on a dish and a pain to do under pressure.
Stocks & Mother Sauces
Chicken, beef, fish stock; demi-glace; velouté; béchamel; jus.
Uses: Everything really, Base for soups, risottos, sauces, finishing meats. No shame in buying frozen stocks - Bone Masters do great ones - chop them up, keep in ziplocks, tart them up when needed. Curry pastes are the same. But a slow-roasted tomato sauce from scratch will always beat shop-bought. Whip it out for a breakfast shakshuka in a pinch for example.
Dessert Sponges & Bakes
Brownies, blondies, sponge cakes, muffins, loaf cakes.
Uses: Birthday cakes, brownies for tea, bases for trifles, breakfast loaves. Ideal for when guests suddenly mention it’s someone’s birthday. Dont forget those pesky Gluten-Free-ers.
Pastry & Doughs
Cookie dough, tart shells, pâte sucrée, choux, puff, pizza bases, focaccia, sourdough.
Uses: Cookies to bake on demand, tart shells ready to fill, choux for profiteroles, pizzas for late-night snacks, sourdough for breakfast. No shame in buying pizza bases when time is tight for crew and kids. Find a good bakery that will sell you premade choux for profiteroles if you're tight on time.
Frozen Desserts & Bases
Ice creams, sorbets, semifreddos, parfaits, soufflés, crème brûlée, cheesecake, macaron shells.
Uses: Ready-to-go desserts, soufflés baked from frozen, brûlées torched to order, sorbets served with candied nuts.
Crew Food / Emergency Meals
Lasagnes, curries, chilli, pulled meats, patties, arancini, croquettes, spring rolls, gyoza, soup bases.
Uses: Backup meals when service overruns, crew dinners, guest late-night snacks. Ziplocks of pulled pork or poached chicken are lifesavers for tacos. Buy in gyoza and spring rolls for crew to pad out a meal.
Breakfast Bakes & Prep
Frozen American pancakes, crepes, banana bread, loaves, granola (so easy), compotes, poached fruit
Uses: Guest breakfasts, crew snacks, afternoon teas.
Gluten-Free / Vegan / Other Dietary Prep
GF muffins, vegan ice cream, nut-free desserts, sugar-free options.
Tip: Always keep one or two versatile options ready. Sugar free, dairy free, vegan banana icecream for example (basically blended bananas with coconut milk) The list here is endless but having an alt for breakfast lunch and dinner that ticks all these dietaries is a panic stopper.
Canapés & Sides
Mini crab-cake mix, arancini, garlic mushroom mix for toasts, gyoza (or just the mix).
Uses: Quick canapé options when guests spring surprises. Even bought-in cheats like halloumi fries or the pancake packets from duck pancakes dressed up can save the day.
Pre-Charter Prep Items
These are fresher items made a day or two before service.
Salad Dressings & Emulsions
Caesar, soy-ginger, pesto-based, balsamic & honey, aioli, tahini, salsa verde, romesco, zhoug.
Uses: Salads, marinades, dips, finishing roasted veg. Having one creamy, one Asian-style and one vinegar-mustard base covers most needs. The basic blocks to build on.
Cooked Grains
Rice, quinoa, farro, crispy rice.
Uses: Grain bowls, salads, bulk fillers, Nobu-style crispy rice topped with raw fish.
Par-Roasted Vegetables
Root veg, peppers, courgette, aubergine.
Uses: Warm sides, cold salads, reheated with glaze, added into pasta or crew food. Always make extra.
Fresh Breads & Rolls
Sourdough, focaccia, dinner rolls, GF breads and GF crackers.
Uses: Breakfasts, lunches, soups, toasts with butter. Bertinet long-ferment focaccia is fool-proof and freezer-friendly. Or buy from bakeries, part baked - you don’t have to bake every day.

Marinated & Pre-Portioned Proteins
Chicken breasts, skewers, sous-vide meats, cured salmon.
Uses: Quick grilling, sushi bases, canapés, first-day meals.
Sauces & Purées
Pesto, hummus, baba ghanoush, romesco, coulis, caramel.
Tip: Make pesto nut-free/vegan with pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast. Do your hummus thicker for spreading then you can always thin it out by blending with an icecube to make it creamier for dipping. Adding extra flavours.
Other Tips
-
Make sure you WRITE IT ALL DOWN - a prep list with what you can use it for - handy when your brain is fried on day 24.
-
Make extra when roasting veg in bulk - versatile hot or cold.
-
Tuile mixes can be prepped in advance for easy garnish. Sosa do this amazing tuile sugar - you just sprinkle it in the moulds and bake for ten mins. Fool-proof crunchy sweet garnish.
-
Keep cheats in the cupboard: Président crème brûlée mix isn't a terrible back up, confit duck tins are very decent (the posh French ones), SMASH freezedried potato flakes for when your fishcake mix is too soggy or to use in potato bread. Don't judge me here! They’ll save you in a crisis.
-
Crew food is crucial - a prepped lasagne, browned off mince in ziplocks and pilled meats for tacos can save you when guests muck up your routine.
-
Label everything with item, date and use.
-
Keep flexible flavour blocks ready - Eg. with poached chicken, pesto, roast veg, quinoa and candied nuts, you can throw together a great salad in minutes. Or your seasoned pulled beef can be made into an Italian ragu, a Mexican taco, or a Korean salad - you just have to add in the right flavours. Versatility is key.
Final Thoughts
Preparation doesn’t mean losing creativity, it means giving yourself breathing space. Having flavour blocks ready lets you stay calm, letting you tweak these bases and knowing you've got a back up in the freezer. It gives you the headspace to be imaginative.
Pick the ideas that work for you, ignore the rest, and remember - your galley doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. I hope this helps you in your galley - let me know what I've missed!
Oh and if you want to come on a cooking course with 10 other yacht chefs taught by some exceptional work class chefs then have a look for our next one!
If you want to keep this as a check list - then download this blog as a printable PDF.