About ESCA: professional yacht chef training and recruitment
ESCA Chefs was founded by chefs, for chefs. We understand the demands of this industry , and the gap that exists between culinary talent and the realities of working at sea.
With over 35 years of combined experience across hospitality, restaurant ownership, catering for UHNW individuals and private households, and the yachting sector, we built ESCA to answer the question we hear most often:
How do I become a yacht chef, and how do I succeed once I’m there?
For too long, chefs have been left to navigate yachting alone: dock-walking endlessly, guessing what captains and management companies actually want, and relying on training models that stop at certificates.
ESCA exists to change that.
We provide professional yacht chef training that focuses on operational readiness. Our goal is to prepare chefs for the real demands of life onboard, so they step into a galley with confidence, structure, and discipline.
A dedicated training and recruitment platform
ESCA is a combined yacht chef training and recruitment platform designed to support chefs through the full transition into yachting. We train chefs properly, assess their readiness, and help place them into roles that match their skill level, mindset, and long-term goals.
This is not about placing chefs quickly.
It is about placing them correctly.
For captains and management
For captains and management companies, ESCA offers a more reliable route to recruitment. We aim to earn your trust by ensuring the chefs who come through ESCA understand the expectations onboard — from galley standards and provisioning to professionalism, communication, and consistency under pressure.
Our goal is simple: to reduce risk onboard and raise the standard of yacht chef placement.
Whether you’re preparing for your first yacht role or looking for a chef you can rely on, ESCA is built for readiness.
Our Partners
Flying Fish has trained seafarers since 1993 and is our approved provider for STCW Basic Safety Training — the certification every chef needs before stepping onboard a commercial vessel.
Their six-day course in Cowes covers fire prevention, sea survival, first aid and security awareness through practical, hands-on training. We’ve worked with Flying Fish to create a dedicated ESCA chefs’ course, so you train alongside others preparing for the same career at sea.
U-Crew is a professional network built for maritime crew — connecting verified job opportunities, industry contacts and the people you’ll work alongside throughout your career at sea.
Once you’ve completed your ESCA training, U-Crew gives you a platform to keep building your profile, expand your professional network and connect with opportunities beyond the course. It’s designed to help you stay visible, connected and part of the wider yachting community as your career develops.