Stew Top Tips
Thank you to the fabulous Chief Stews, Stews and Chefs who all shared their equally fabulous “top stew tips of the day” at the 2019 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show earlier this season, here’s just a few to make life onboard that bit easier. If you’ve got tips you’d like to share with fellow superyacht crew, simply add and share in the comments below:
1) Try to stay cool, calm and collected on charter and if anyone is struggling do try to help your fellow crew out. A smiles goes a long way and the guests will pick up if the crew aren’t happy and the guests are on board to have a nice time, so if the crew smile, the guests will smile too.
2) Tip for cleaning those tricky to clean thermoses and thermos cups. All you need is Oxy Clean and some hot water. Place the thermos and thermos cups ready to clean in an empty sink. Pop one scoop of Oxy Clean in the thermos, and less in the cup. Poor in just boiled water from the kettle and take care as it froths up, but watch as it takes off all that nasty coffee or tea residue and stains from the insides. Make sure you rinse thoroughly before re-using.
3) If you’re cleaning crystal decanters and trying to get rid of the moisture from the inside but can’t reach right inside, simply pop a tightly rolled up sheet of kitchen towel into the decanter and leave it overnight. It soaks up all the moisture and leaves no water marks.
4) To turn a crisp, clean napkin into a classically, elegant napkin fold simply take a freshly ironed and starched napkin. Fold it in half, then half again so it’s a square. Make sure all four open corners are on the top right. Hold the bottom left corner with your left hand and with your right, take the bottom right corner and fold it in to the centre and then the top left corner to meet it in the centre. Turn the napkin over and fold again the bottom right corner to centre, and again the top left corner to the centre and flatten. Take the long end and fold it all the way up and push down flat on the fold, then take the free end and fold it back towards the fold to make the swan’s neck.
5) Always stay positive and see the good in everyone you serve.
6) Use a magic eraser on stains, either on t-shirts or white carpet.
7) When a guest orders wine and wants it extra cold. Freeze grapes beforehand and pop a red grape in the red and green grape in the white wine and it will keep it cold, retain the wine’s flavour and they can eat it after!
8) Teamwork is key. When everyone’s tired after long months at sea, long crossings or long charters, perhaps the boss has been on board for long periods of time, it helps not to keep each department separate but to work together, after all you can’t do it without a great team around you, so keep the team spirit!
9) Dusters for polishing glasses can be used for all sorts of things on the interior. The windows, the marble as well as on the stainless steel, and you don’t need any product.
10) Time is your friend. Use time to prepare in advance, turn up early for work, prepare for meals and events in advance. Use the time you have.
If you have any great stew tips that have made your life easier and you’d like to share with your fellow stews, just comment and share below.