As the yacht slowly cruises into another foreign port, properties only visible from the sea come into view. The promise of adventure brings a smile to your face as you — an “accidental chef” — work onboard glamorous yachts sailing into many ports of entry, affording you opportunities to travel and explore the world … and even co-star in a reality TV show.
Does it sound like a dream? For 32-year-old Dominican-born, self-taught chef Johnathan Shillingford (Chef Jono), it’s a reality. And despite all his adventures, he still finds time to regularly visit his family in Dominica — plunging into the rivers of “the nature isle” with loved ones, and enjoying authentic river limes with great food.
“I’m proud to be Caribbean and proud to be Dominican. Having people know my country exists — and it’s not the Dominican Republic — is important to me,” says the season nine co-star of Below Deck Mediterranean, which premiered on Bravo in June.
The Below Deck series is among the world’s most popular reality TV shows, and Chef Jono’s season follows captain Sandy Yawn, her crew, and eccentric guests aboard the luxury superyacht Mustique — navigating arduous challenges, late-night demands requiring swift action, a saga of delayed provisions, and a test in patience and grit for Chef Jono as he quickly learned the staggering height of guests’ culinary expectations. There was also a spicy romance, stirring up some tension among the crew.
It’s always a special treat to hear a Caribbean accent on international programmes, and Chef Jono — like Trinidadian chef Natasha de Bourg (cast member of Below Deck season two) — embraced his Caribbean identity. His food was generally exquisite, with his culinary skills and creativity leaving us proud, entertained, inspired … and hungry!
Cooking and architecture have always been Jono’s passions, and he’s aptly branded himself a culinary architect. He graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago) in 2013, and the Architectural Association Design Research Lab (London) with a Master’s in Architecture & Urbanism in 2016, and also worked in Paris, Antigua, and Dominica.
But his career trajectory changed when a project in Antigua didn’t materialise. “I was very bummed out, and other architectural work was slow and not as engaging compared to working in a fast-paced city like London,” he says.
At that point in late 2016, he was based in Antigua — a tremendous yachting hub. As fate would have it, his best friend — another yacht chef — asked him to do a temporary cooking job on a yacht for one week.
“I was very sceptical because I love cooking and I thought if I do it professionally, it’d take the joy out of it and I won’t like it anymore,” he says. To his surprise, he enjoyed it even more and received glowing feedback.
He hopes Caribbean cuisine can one day be as well-known as Indian, Italian, or Asian food, with people travelling in their numbers to experience it, beyond food festivals
When opportunity knocks, you’ve got to answer it. Many boats moor in Antigua and across the region during the Caribbean’s yachting and sailing season (November–April), then head to the Mediterranean for theirs (May–October). So when the yacht he was working on was ready to make the two to three week crossing to Europe, they invited Jono to join them. Two years later, Jono was still on that boat.
Fast forward to the present day, and this “accidental chef” has spent some eight happy years in the yachting industry. “Food is a gift of love, and that’s in everyone’s hearts in the Caribbean. That’s in my heart, and I’m honoured to share that gift,” explains Jono in our Zoom interview, while on board another yacht in Barcelona, Spain.
Being a self-trained chef has its challenges, but Jono believes the creative process is like architecture, which he hasn’t abandoned. Let’s start with inspiration. Architects are inspired by locations, buildings, or pre-requisites from clients. Conversely, food inspiration can be the ingredients, or dietary restrictions forcing you to become creative and experiment, among other things.
Then there’s execution. “In architecture, I’m designing a building — and I feel like I’m designing food as well, thinking about where things fit on the plate, or thinking where this course falls within a five-course dinner,” he explains.
So, what tips can a sassy, enthusiastic, well-travelled, dancing, self-taught reality TV chef offer? His mega tip is time management. In a typical day — and as the lone chef — he makes seven or eight meals: breakfasts, lunches and dinners for the crew and guests; canapés; snacks; and any separate guest menus.
“If you don’t have perfect time management, you might end up cleaning up after yourself all day long,” advises Jono.
He’s re-imagined some Caribbean dishes on his charters and, although they didn’t appear on Below Deck Mediterranean, guests posted videos of his Osso Buco oxtail and a polenta on their Instagram pages. “I’d love to see more elevated Caribbean cuisine on the international stage,” he says, while reminiscing about how people flock to small Caribbean restaurants in New York and London, ordering classic Caribbean dishes that we love.
“St Barts and The Bahamas have restaurants opened by Michelin chefs,” he continues. “I would love if most of the smaller Caribbean islands also had Michelin restaurants to offer international audiences. I’d definitely like to become a Michelin chef and own one.”
He hopes Caribbean cuisine can one day be as well-known as Indian, Italian, or Asian food, with people travelling in their numbers to experience it, beyond food festivals.
“In my line of work, I have to do a Japanese lunch and an Indian dinner. The next day is Thai lunch and tapas Spanish dinner. So I’ve become competent in many cuisines,” he shares. He hopes Caribbean cuisine can become a similar fixture on international menus.
“I always wanted to run away from the Caribbean when I was younger. Now as an adult, I find my heart is so closely linked to it. It’s very nostalgic and amazing,” he admits.
There’s no doubt Dominicans and the wider Caribbean are proud of the impact he and other Caribbean chefs have made on various series. For example, Jamaican chef Adrian Forte has appeared on several Food Network shows, including Top Chef, Chopped Canada, and Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge. And classically trained chef Dominic Taylor (of Jamaican and St Lucian heritage) took the Caribbean’s warmth to Channel 4’s Five Star Kitchen in the United Kingdom, and was crowned Britain’s Next Great Chef.
Food is a cultural translator, conveying stories across borders, regardless of socioeconomic background. And as we live in what Nylon called “the new golden age of reality TV”, there’s no shortage of food shows on the menu. Seeing our world-class chefs holding their own in culinary challenges and fiery competitions on these international programmes is always a pleasure, as we celebrate these Caribbean culinary ambassadors. Bravo!