Chef: Renata Himiona
Renata, born and raised in coastal northern New Zealand, has always been close to nature and the water. Seeing her mother’s passion for food and garden-to-table cooking from a young age, she experienced the joy that surrounds a beautifully prepared family meal.
Moving to Europe in her mid-twenties, Renata spent time living in London and Amsterdam, relishing the chance to travel, taste and cook during holidays from her corporate job. It was in Europe that she fell in love with sailing, and decided to take the leap to combine her passions of cooking and being on the water. She completed her Day Skipper certification, and after formalizing her culinary skills, began hosting charters in Croatia and Greece. Following a busy summer in the Mediterranean, she realized her dream of crossing the Atlantic Ocean by sail, managing the provisioning and cooking for the nine people onboard.
Renata loves learning new culinary skills and recently completed the Yacht Chef course at Ashburton Culinary School. Renata’s favorite dishes include a mix of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and European, all influenced by the classic New Zealand cuisine she grew up with. In saying that, she is always excited to discover new flavors, spices and cooking styles, and loves to try new things. She enjoys exploring local food markets to find new and exotic ingredients, and looks forward to sharing these discoveries with you in the Virgin Islands.
Renata can’t wait to welcome you aboard Relentless to experience the beautiful Virgin Islands, and to create memories of a lifetime!
Qualifications:
• Yacht Chef Certificate – Ashburton Culinary Academy, UK (2023)
• Intermediate Cookery Course – The Avenue Cookery School, London (2022)
• Cooking Basics & French Cooking Techniques – Cook Your Life, Amsterdam (2020)
• Food Safety Level Two – The Avenue Cookery School, London (2020)
• RYA Day Skipper
• STCW & ENG1