I grew up in Southern Virginia, however, the small town called Coinjock, North Carolina, has always been home for me. Growing up, I was very into sports and being in the water. I spent a lot of my summers with all my cousins out in Coinjock, enjoying life on the water. Back then, I was probably the worst cook among us. So, growing up, I never imagined I would find myself on this path.
Around 9 years ago, I joined the yachting industry as a stewardess. I kept finding myself in a lot of situations where I had to cook, so I just went with it because this industry is very sink or swim. Surprisingly, it worked! My main focus was to continue to live the stew life, in order to observe and learn from other chefs on bigger boats. Plus, I’m a natural-born stew because I love slinging drinks, pushing people to enjoy every aspect of nature and life, and love creating over-the-top unforgettable experiences. A real people pleaser kind of person! I think of myself as the ambassador of fun!
Anyways, this road led me to find a lot of culinary and yacht chefs in general, who seemed to lack passion and basic professionalism. This pushed me to start investing my time and energy harder into learning plating skills, sauce basics, bread making, and dessert styling. I always had a knack for creation and a passion for learning. Once I broke out some textbooks and spent days researching. I drove the hour into town to get supplies, came back to the cottage in Coinjock, North Carolina and got to work!
My family, whom I am extremely close with, has gotten to taste and watch all my accomplishments and failures, which has been such a fun ride. They are my biggest supporters. So, whenever people ask me where I went to culinary school, I proudly say, “Oh, the cottage in Coinjock! Dewey and Dani Castello are my toughest critics”. They’re my niece and nephew, currently 14 and 8 years old, and they don’t hold back!
I’m also happily married to a South African who’s also in the yachting industry, because would you even be a real yachtie if your partner wasn’t South African?! I love spending time outdoors, whether it’s by the water in the country or hiking in colder climates. I’m a true outdoorsy kind of girl, happy-go-lucky, and very much prefer to stay out of drama. Currently, I’m part of an all-girl crew, and I’m heading into my second summer with them. It’s honestly the best program I’ve ever been a part of or even heard of!
