Delivering a holistic expression of wellness-driven cuisine and service, ASANI won both the Concours de Chef and Yacht Table Design & Service Competitions at the Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2025.
Each year, the Antigua Charter Yacht Show’s prestigious Concours de Chef and Yacht Table Design & Service Competitions invite charter yachts to showcase the very best of their onboard hospitality. Chefs are challenged to present cuisine that balances flavour, creativity and technical execution at the highest level, while interior teams are tasked with creating table designs and service experiences that are visually striking, cohesive and refined, all judged through the lens of the modern charter guest.
Entering the competition for the first time this year, ASANI was up against a highly accomplished field of established charter yachts. Even so, she emerged as a clear standout, taking first place in both competitions within her size category. The judging panel were unanimous in their decision, praising ASANI’s flawless execution of the cuisine, service and overall onboard experience.
This year’s theme, A Journey of Wellness, reflected a broader evolution within the charter market, with today’s guests increasingly seeking experiences that restore as much as they indulge. “Guests aren’t just looking to party for a week anymore; they want to leave feeling better than when they arrived,” explains Chef Danny Davies, one of the competition’s judges. “Charter crew, especially chefs and interior teams, need to evolve alongside those expectations.”
The competition challenged yachts and their crew to embed wellness into every detail, from menu composition and wine pairings to table décor and guest interactions. “We were looking for yachts that genuinely embraced the concept,” Danny adds. “Wellness had to be embedded, not added as an afterthought.”
Onboard ASANI, wellness is understood as balance; a harmony between body, mind and environment. For Chief Stewardess Tilly, the theme felt instinctively aligned with how the crew approach hospitality onboard. “Wellness is about how guests feel from the moment they step onboard,” she explains. “Creating a sense of calm, presence and ease is at the heart of everything we do, so this theme really resonated with us as a team.”
Drawing inspiration from the four classical elements, Water, Earth, Fire and Air, the crew crafted a serene narrative that unfolded from the moment the judges stepped aboard. Tilly welcomed them with calm intention, inviting deep breaths and the gentle resonance of a Tibetan singing bowl to set the tone. “The moment we stepped onboard ASANI, everything slowed down,” Danny recalls. “In the best possible way.”
A bespoke ‘Elemental Elixir’ followed, offering the judges a refreshing blend of hydrating and mineral-rich ingredients such as coconut, pineapple kombucha and spirulina. From there, the experience continued onto the upper deck, where the judges encountered a tablescape unlike any other in the competition.
“A cascading wave of hydrangeas and green foliage ran diagonally through the table and spilled elegantly onto the deck. It was dramatic, organic and intentional,” says Danny. “The chief stew explained that several of the plants used were incorporated into the menu, each chosen for specific wellness properties. That level of storytelling and purpose was exceptional.”
Chef Jonny Sims brought the wellness narrative to life through a menu aptly titled Balance. Each course was inspired by one of the four elements and crafted with intentional ingredients that were light yet satisfying. Every dish was gluten-free, vegan or both. “Wellness doesn’t have to mean compromise,” Jonny explains. “I wanted each dish to feel clean, interesting and joyful.”
For Chef Rio Alexander Hendrix, one of the competition’s coordinators and judges, Jonny achieved exactly that. “Guests want food that makes them feel alive, not heavy, and Jonny completely understood this,” he comments. “This was a chef who committed fully to the brief, creating a menu that celebrated wellness and exclusionary diets while remaining whimsical.”
Competition coordinator and judge Chef Elizabeth Lee was equally impressed, singling out Jonny’s dish representing Fire, smoked crustacean with fermented vegetables and Jerusalem artichoke, as her favourite. “It was absolutely delicious, visually appealing and offered a beautiful balance of flavours,” she praises.
Jonny’s menu continued to impress right through to the final bite. “After taking us on such a journey through the menu, he presented a log adorned with delicate flora and fauna, like a miniature forest landscape,” says Rio. “Interspersed with chocolate ‘moon rocks’, it was a final moment of extraordinary attention to detail, and a perfect way to leave us with a lasting memory through this foraging-inspired concept.”
Throughout the meal, Tilly and her interior team delivered service that felt calm, intuitive and effortless, with thoughtfully paired wines enhancing each course. “The service was like a dance,” Danny acknowledges. “Perfect timing and smooth delivery, with nothing rushed and nothing missed. That level of service takes serious training and trust within a team.”
When it came time to choose the winners, the decision was clear. “In all my years judging at the Antigua Charter Yacht Show, very few yachts deliver a full home run, where the chef excels across every dish, the chief stewardess engages with complete composure and depth of knowledge, and the yacht delivers pure delight in hospitality,” asserts Rio. “ASANI was truly a showstopper in terms of engaging with wellness on every level.”
For Danny, ASANI’s performance was not only a well-deserved win, but a benchmark for where charter experiences are heading next, where true luxury is defined by how restored and energised guests feel. “ASANI didn’t just meet the brief, they embodied it. This was wellness done with elegance, intelligence and heart,” he concludes. “Any guest looking to genuinely switch off from a demanding life would thrive onboard ASANI.”
With thanks to the judges who generously shared their insight for this article:
- Chef Elizabeth Lee, coordinator of the Concours de Chef and Yacht Table Design & Service Competitions, is an award-winning yacht chef and author of Made with Love: Culinary Inspirations from Around the World.
- Chef Danny Davies brings more than 25 years of experience across land and sea, with a background spanning Michelin-starred, AA Rosette and Five Star Diamond kitchens.
- Executive Chef Rio Alexander Hendrix, a coordinator and judge of the Concours de Chef and Yacht Table Design & Service Competitions for the past four years, has spent 17 years working across yachting and private cheffing for elite clientele.
