Chef Adrienne Gang teams up with Florida International University and Maritime Professional Training to launch a new course for chefs looking to get into the yachting industry. Chef Adrienne Gang wants to bridge the gap for chefs entering yachting — not by teaching them to cook, but by showing them how to thrive in the galley. A yacht chef for nearly 20 years, Gang is also known to many for appearing as a stew on season one of Bravo’s “Below Deck” and, like most chefs new to yachting, Gang remembers how steep her own learning curve was. Unlike other yacht crew roles, there’s little formal yacht training for chefs — they’re expected to rely on their cooking skills and are mostly left to figure out the rest on their own. “The easy part is the cooking,” Gang said. “It’s everything else — sourcing, dealing with provisioners, presenting yourself professionally — that’s a challenge no one prepares you for.” Even communication, whether with yacht owners, provisioners, or management companies, can be unexpectedly complex. To help chefs navigate these realities, Gang developed a new program for chefs through Florida International University’s (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, offered through its Hospitality Executive Education. The new course is supported by Maritime Professional Training (MPT) with a goal to give chefs a clear, realistic understanding and perspective of what being a yacht chef really entails — before they land their first job and are thrown in at the deep end. Her program, Luxury Culinary Operations: Yacht and Estate Logistics, will run from Oct. 13–17, 2025, at the Hyatt Centric Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale. The five-day course combines theory, collaboration, and interactive learning. Topics include menu customization, dietary requirements, inventory and logistics, and the realities of cooking in compact, mobile environments. Initially, the inaugural course will be capped at 30 participants, with plans to extend into online offerings in the future. “There is a significant training gap for chefs entering or advancing in private service,” said Suzanne Bagnera, PhD and director of the Hospitality Executive Education program at FIU. “This course bridges that gap by providing the operational, logistical, and service strategies that are rarely taught but universally expected in elite culinary roles.” This is MPT’s first partnership with FIU. “MPT’s sponsorship of this program reflects our shared commitment to advancing professional standards in the maritime industry,” said Lisa Morley, executive vice president at MPT. “While our expertise is in maritime training, partnering with FIU allows us to support the development of culinary professionals who serve at the highest levels of luxury hospitality.” The course is recommended for chefs with at least three years of professional culinary experience, although Gang believes it can also be valuable for other crew considering a move into the galley. Graduates will receive a Certificate of Completion from FIU. Gang emphasizes that while no two yachts are the same, the course will give chefs a crucial head start. “Every situation is unique — the budget for every boat is different, the size of every galley is different, every owner is different,” she said. “But having a working knowledge of what to expect is a value add for employers and a confidence boost for chefs.” Her ultimate goal is to smooth the yachting transition for newcomers. “It’s taken me 20 years of doing this and all the pain involved to figure this out,” Gang said. “I’m hoping to remove at least a fair amount of the error right from the beginning.” What to Know 5-day Luxury Culinary Operations: Yacht and Estate Logistics Oct. 13–17, 2025 Hyatt Centric Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale https://hospitalityexed.fiu.edu