It is morale, retention, respect, and occasionally, the spark of conflict. Behind the polished silver trays in guest dining rooms, the crew mess tells its own story. What’s served there can determine whether a team gets along or fractures.

Retention Through Nutrition

Captain Herb Magney puts food alongside health insurance and preventive care as a retention strategy. “Taking anxiety off the crew is key. Provide good food, good health insurance, and preventive care.”

In his view, when crew know their basics are secure, they focus more fully on the job. “It’s not just about feeding people, it’s about showing them they matter. That they’re not second-class citizens compared to guests.”

Captains may not use corporate HR jargon, but they instinctively know what research confirms: Good food keeps people longer. Bad meals drive them away.

If good food builds morale, waste can undo it. Sometimes the sheer volume of excess after charters is unbelievable. Captain Michael Christian commented, “The amount of waste that goes on is incredible,” he says. “We provision for charters and then end up dumping surplus. Perfectly good food.”

On one yacht, he persuaded his owners to allow leftovers and clothing to be donated to local churches and charities. “It felt good to drop it off where it was actually used,” he recalls. “The crew felt better too, knowing it didn’t just go in the bin.”

For Christian, waste isn’t just about economics or sustainability, it is about how you feel to be part of this industry. Taking responsible action helps everyone feel a bit better.

Feeding the Many

"We have phenomenal chefs and a generous budget for food compared to many years ago, yet we still get complaints from the crew about the food”.

Scale changes everything. Captain Rafael Cervantes manages a yacht with 65 crew. Even with generous budgets and talented chefs, he admits complaints are inevitable. “We have phenomenal chefs and a generous budget for food compared to many years ago, yet we still get complaints about crew food”.

His story reflects a generational shift expressed by many Captains. Today’s crew expect more than the bulk stews or pasta of the past. “They’re used to choice. They want freshness, balance, variety. That’s not unreasonable.” However it seems that the being grateful for chefs cooking a variety of balanced delicious foods is definitely lacking"

Four in ten captains say the expectations of younger crew around food are significantly higher than in the past.

Food as Bonding

Food is not only fuel, it is social. In our survey, captains listed ‘sundowner BBQs’ and ‘crew cook-offs’ as some of their favourite morale boosters during crossings.

Captains cited mealtimes as being incredibly important during a long period in the yard, especially in Winter. “You have to eat and laugh together, or the refit eats you alive.” one Captain expressed! When crew genuinely look forward to the meals in the day, both in terms of quality food and the opportunity to interact positively, refit seasons are smoother all round.

For Thurlbourn, food is part of his leadership toolkit. “When you see crew sitting eating quality food together laughing, you know you’ve got it right.”

One in five captains now schedules BBQs or cook-offs as formal morale-building events, not just casual meals.

Key to crew morale

Captain Craig Thurlbourn is clear: “Food is central to crew morale.” He has seen the crew thrive and falter depending on what arrives from the galley. For Thurlbourn, budgets are not just numbers, they are signals. “Give chefs quality ingredients and they’ll want to create great food. That feeds straight back into morale.”

On one yacht, a Captain who will remain anonymous recalled. “If you’re having curry for the fifth time that week and everything smells of curry, it’s not a good look”. Crew morale sank as fast as the smell spread. The fix was simple but strategic: shake up menus, fund better produce, and treat variety as a form of respect.

Another time, he opened a sack of rice in the galley to find it stamped: “For maritime and prison consumption only.” That moment stuck with him. “Nobody wants to see that onboard.”

One in three captains says food is the single most important factor in keeping crew motivated during long trips.

Respect in the Mess

Underlying it all is respect. Captains are acutely aware of the contrast between the guest dining room and the crew mess. Guests eat Michelin-level cuisine. Crew too often get whatever is cheapest or left over.

Captain Herb Magney rejects this divide. They argue that good food is not indulgence, it is recognition. Feeding crew poorly while guests feast is a false economy that breeds resentment.

Magney says it plainly: “You can’t expect excellence from people who feel like second-class citizens. Respect them with good food, and they’ll give you everything back.”

The Future of the Galley

What does the next decade hold? If captains are right, food will be seen less as a cost line and more as a strategy.

Cervantes predicts large yachts will need dedicated crew chefs as standard, not optional extras. Captain Martin Shairp believes technology will streamline provisioning, reducing waste and allowing more variety without oversupply. Kelly Gordon sees wellness trends filtering down from guests: “Younger crew want healthier, fresher food. Smoothies, salads, lighter meals. That will become the norm.”

Half of captains expect wellness-driven menus to become standard for crew within the next decade.

The subtext is clear. The industry is slowly realising that the galley is as critical to performance as the bridge. Or as Captain Craig Thurlbourn reminds us, the secret is simple: “If you want your crew to perform like a five-star hotel, don’t feed them like they’re in prison.”