“The only true voyage would be not to travel through a hundred different lands with the same pair of eyes, but to see the same land through a hundred different pairs of eyes”. - Marcel Proust
For the last 13 years, John B. McGrath has been conquering the culinary cosmos, cooking in over 50 countries for business tycoons, royalty and some of the globe’s biggest celebrities. Sailing close to 90,000 nautical miles and working in the world’s most famous ski resorts, he has evolved into a world-class chef at the top of the high-pressure gastronomic game.
And yet, it was all a total accident. Before his first job as a chef, John thought he was interviewing to be a ski instructor. So, how did he get here?
The first of an international travel trilogy, Chef for Sail is the story of a man who left New Zealand with nothing to lose and who faked it ‘til he made it, the story of a raconteur, aspiring writer, and eventually, a gourmet chef.
From the back streets of Frankfurt to the glamour of Aspen and opulence of Beijing, John offers a fascinating series of anecdotes detailing a personal odyssey that led to him wayfaring the globe and working for the mega-rich and famous, all while skiing, sailing, carousing, philandering and romanticising.
Step into John’s enticing world and get a view very few people can ever claim to have seen...
In Part Two of his ‘Chef for Sail’ trilogy, John B McGrath continues his adventures in cooking for the rich and famous while traveling the world on luxury yachts, soaking in the stunning cuisine and vistas of some of the world’s most beautiful locations.
After a season in the Mediterranean, he crosses the Atlantic to fulfill Caribbean dreams and compete in prestigious sailing regattas, before attending cooking school in India and skiing The Himalayas - all while navigating odious owners, mutinous crews and local gangsters.
Returning home to New Zealand, he then discovers the challenges of cheffing on a racing yacht, a glorious long hot summer and relishing the world’s best farm to table produce.
Join John as he pursues his eternal wanderlust in a global culinary epic, and let him transport you to worlds beyond the reach of any holiday brochure.
In the final part of his Chef for Sail trilogy, John continues his desire to travel cooking all over the world for a Macau dynasty, then one of China's richest tycoons. He sails around Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, from France thru the Suez Canal to Oman, onto the Maldives, Singapore, Palau, and then Hong Kong for a permanent berth.
Tragedy strikes when he skis off a cliff in the Bosnian Alps, bed ridden for a year. To recover emotionally, physically, and mentally, John moves to Queenstown, New Zealand. However, catastrophe strikes again when John, and a horse fall down a cliff badly breaking his back. Lucky to walk again, a long slow painful recovery ensues, but John's love of cooking, travel, and adventure outweighs anguish and the bodily pain, so he gives the yacht chef game another go.
Unable to cope with the physical demands of yachting, he lands a prestigious job as an Executive Chef in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where his love of the desert, and the authenticity of his new surroundings motivate writing again.
Join John as he travels to over 40 countries imaginatively describing fascinating culture, places and faces he meets along the way. From near death experiences, crazy billionaire antics, vile crews and mouth-watering cuisine, this marvelously enjoyable travelogue enlightens, inspires and entertains.
★ BOOK REVIEWS ★
GUEST SPEAKER
'Gifted with a sense of occasion John is intuitively personable and engages his audience naturally, conveying humour and knowledge with flair, energy and ease.'
John is a well-established Master of Ceremonies and a highly entertaining after-dinner or conference speaker. John was the MC for the Wellington Cup Fashion in the Field for almost a decade as well as for a number other high profile events. Gifted with a sense of occasion John is intuitively personable and engages his audience naturally, conveying humour and knowledge with flair, energy and ease.
SYNOPSIS
CHEF FOR SAIL TRAVEL TRILOGY - I am looking for Agent representation for three international travel memoirs I have written spanning over 13 years working as a high-end chef, cooking in over 50 countries for business tycoons ,royalty and some of the globe’s biggest celebrities. Sailing close to 90,000 nautical miles and working in the world’s most famous ski resorts
Many of my travel and culinary experiences are not only noteworthy, they are highly entertaining and a damn good read. The website is the visual story of these books and of a fascinating journey I never envisioned.
Chef for Sail is a raconteur, aspiring writer and unintentional chef’s astonishing true story, offering you an exclusive glimpse into the secret lives of the rich, while cooking on a world famous luxury sailing yacht, in gated and gilded mansions and high-class ski chalets. READ MORE
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