‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ Producers Told Chef Mathew He Didn’t Have to Cook Crew Lunch on Drop off Days
Chef Mathew Shea revealed exactly why he was so overwhelmed when he was told he’d have to prepare lunch for the Below Deck Mediterranean crew. Shea shared that producers originally told him he would not have to prepare crew meals in between charters so he was stunned when Captain Sandy Yawn told him he would have to return to the kitchen to continue cooking for the crew.
Chef Mathew said he had just made brunch for the ‘Below Deck Med’ crew
Shea reacted strongly when Yawn requested that he make the crew lunch after the first charter. He complained in a confessional, sharing that he thought he’d have time to prep and rest. Then the crew ribbed him for being angry. Bosun Malia White reminded him that cooking was his job, but said she would help him.
White and the crew weren’t the only ones who gave Shea a hard time about his reaction. He shared that fans also dogged him too. “Been getting a lot of crap for getting upset about crew lunch on drop-off day,” he recently shared in his Instagram story. “I got an email from production before filming saying I don’t cook lunch on drop-off days and because of this, I made crew Eggs Benedict at 10:30 this day. There’s way more that happens than what you see!”
‘Below Deck Med’ boat Lady Michelle usually has a sous chef
He also offered additional insight into what the Below Deck Mediterranean yacht chef hustle is like. “I cook lunch and dinner for 12 crew,” he remarked. “In addition to breakfast pastries, breakfast, lunch, lunch desserts, hors d’oeuvres, [and] coursed out dinner for 8 guests.”
Shea also said his job on the show is very different than what it’s like when he works in yachting without cameras following him around. “Provisions arrived three hours [ahead of the guests’ arrival],” he explained. “Leaving no time to prep in advance and barely enough time to put stuff away from guests’ arrival … THAT’S NOT NORMAL!!!”
“I didn’t take breaks or sit down from the time I got up each morning to make breakfast pastries,” he added. He also shared that Lady Michelle typically has a sous chef, whereas he was a one-man department on the show.
Chef Mathew reveals what happened with Athena Lucene’s cakes
Shea then addressed the controversial cakes he made for charter guest Athena Lucene. “I do all my own prep and dishes and ordering for the next charter,” he continued. “And I only had one oven. The primary also asked for baked Alaska which they don’t show. The cake requests were ridiculous, logos, lots of words she wanted. I should have ordered them out.” He then admitted, “They looked like sh–t. I didn’t have time.”
Indeed, Shea struggled to meet Lucene’s request. And while she was concerned with the cake design, the guests said the cakes were delicious and loved the taste.
