Chefs across the Below Deck franchise have a reputation for being fantastic at their craft, but nightmares in the galley. How many times have we seen a stew being yelled at or a meltdown over a protein being burned? Luckily, Chef Johnathan “Jono” Shillingford from this season of Below Deck Mediterranean is here to break the cycle. After spending seven years in architecture school, Shillingford discovered that the culinary arts were his true passion and taught himself to become a chef. He credits his architectural studies for his calm demeanor when dealing with picky charter guests or a challenging menu. “My training there really preprogramed me to be very strong mentally,” explains Shillingford.
After disastrous feedback from frequent Below Deck Med character guest Gigi Fernandez, Shillingford knew he needed to “keep it moving.” “For me, there was no other option. My parents taught me resilience,” said Shillingford. “There was no other way forward but to pick myself up and refocus.” While Shillingford can handle a little criticism from guests, receiving criticism from an audience was a different story. “I was super down when I saw that episode and the reaction from some people on social media,” said Shillingford. Luckily, a few guests came to his defense in his Instagram comments, which brightened his spirits. “It was really nice that [they] shared their positive experiences.”
While Shillingford is not a recent source of drama on the show—not since the late-night snack kerfuffle from the season’s first charter—he was happy to share his opinion of the rude charter guests who shocked Bravo fans by disrespecting Chief Stew Aesha Scott and the crew. “That was definitely not the worst group of socialites with snarky comments I’ve had on board,” said Shillingford. “In yachting, you can get anything from guests, including saying really rude things to the crew.” However, Shillingford noted that some members of the group have apologized for their actions, which he thinks is “great.” “They took responsibility” and that’s enough for him!
Shillingford spoke to DECIDER over Zoom to discuss this season so far, his thoughts on Captain Sandy, and what he thinks of the Bri-Ellie-Joe love triangle.
DECIDER: How does it feel to be the chillest, most laid-back chef in Below Deck franchise history?
JOHNATHAN SHILLINGFORD: Not only in Below Deck franchise history, but in yachting history [laughs]! On every other boat I’ve worked on, people would say, “wow, he’s not like breaking dishes. He’s not throwing pans. This is weird.” I love it. I’m a calm, collected, professional person in my workspace, and I’m a bubbly, candid, sassy person outside of it. It’s a great honor to have that crown in my crown collection.
Do you think you are able to be so calm because you are a self-taught chef? Meaning you got to establish your own structure and style outside of an intense culinary curriculum.
That’s definitely a part of it, but I think what really influenced me was my architectural training. I spent seven years in architecture school. It’s almost like getting a medical degree, right? You have to love it to get through it. My training there really preprogramed me to be very strong mentally. You have to learn to prepare and present your ideas and be guest-facing in a way. That really helped me a lot. Being self-taught, I had the time and the space to go at my own pace, which I loved.
I was worried for you at the beginning of the season with those two different charters back-to-back. How did you pick yourself up after receiving that negative feedback?
For me, there was no other option. My parents taught me resilience. It’s in my family. It’s in my blood. it’s what we do. Keeping it moving is the only thing I know how to do. I want my guests to be happy every single time. If they’re not satisfied, it means I’ve failed, and failure is not an option. There was no other way forward, but to pick myself up and refocus and readjust and just do better.
I saw that several of those guests on those two charters dropped into the comments to show you some love. Did it feel good to get that validation?
It was awesome. I’m happy you brought up that. I think three of the guests chimed in and told me they loved the food. When you have a cornucopia of preferences, it’s harder to make everyone happy. It was great that some of the guests reached out because it was a really tough couple of episodes to watch. I was super down when I saw that episode and the reaction from some people on social media. It’s really challenging to get that much hate and criticism. So, it was nice that some guests pulled through for me and shared their positive experiences.
Though she praised your growth throughout the season, Captain Sandy did throw a little shade at your food during her most recent appearance on WWHL. Where you two stand now?
I’m fine. I don’t know. We haven’t chatted much since the show. For me, it was an honor to work with her. Being from a family of women who were trailblazers in their careers, I was born a feminist. She was the first female captain I’ve ever worked with. That was special for me. Not only that, but she’s also queer, so that’s even more special to me. The shade she threw… I take it lightly. Also, did she really mean to be shady or did she just not have any other thing to say about how I could improve? Whatever the answer is, there are no hard feelings on my end.
I have to ask you about those difficult charter guests. Is it common to have guests on board who think they know more than the yachties?
For sure. That was definitely not the worst group of socialites with snarky comments I’ve had on board. In yachting, you can get anything, including guests saying really rude things to the crew. However, some of the group has apologized online. They took responsibility and want to move forward. I think that’s great.
What do you think of the way that Aesha handled the situation with the fish knife that the charter guest insisted was a butter knife?
She handled it well. She wasn’t rude or anything. She just responded with “that’s not a butter knife, it’s a fish knife and here’s why.” Aesha knows her table settings. She’s studied to know better than the charter guest who is trying to call her out. She handled it pretty well.
Have you ever had a guest tell you that Beluga caviar tastes “like a washcloth” before?
Never. If they did, they didn’t call me up to tell me that [laughs]. That was hilarious.I was sweating because, as a chef, I somehow felt responsible. However, I wasn’t the one shitting out those eggs so it wasn’t my fault. I can only make a note of the complaint going forward. If I were to cook for them in the future, I wouldn’t get that particular brand again. I thought it was funny.
I want to get into tonight’s episode a bit. Where do you stand on the whole Bri-Ellie-Joe love triangle?
Yeah, it’s tough because each of them has become my friend. It’s not like I can really be like, “oh, that bitch,” you know what I mean [laughs]? Like, I would love to give you shade, but, I can’t. I’ve hung out with all of them separately after the show. I will say that I hate seeing two women fight over a man. Maybe they could have found a compromise and both slept with him at the same time or something. Would that have been so crazy?
I mean, anything goes on a yacht!
That’s what I’m saying [laughs]!
We got to see more of your bond with Bri Muller this episode. Is that why you chose to protect her when more of her laundry trouble came up?
I definitely had a soft spot for Bri. I’ve always kind of been a “therapist” type of friend. I’m a great listener. You could see from the beginning that Bri had challenges and was a bit insecure about her skills. She needed someone to help her get through the season.. We’re still friends. We call each other all the time
What’s the biggest lesson you took from your time on Below Deck Med?
If you’re down, get back up. That’s always been my mantra, and this season reminded me why that is.
Would you do anything different if you could?
I would have had more fun along the way. There were times that I regret not being more silly or showing more of my personality. I was just trying to be serious at work and not have another repeat of the Gigi charter. I wasn’t as bubbly or as silly as I know that I am.
How did this experience help you evolve as a chef?
I had to really teach myself better time management this season. What you don’t see on the show is that I’m also cooking for the crews as well as the guests. I had to balance a lot of different people having different meal times and different preferences. By prepping certain dishes in advance, I ensured myself more time to focus on the finer details for plated meals.
So what can you tease about the rest of this season?
Just that I’ll be pissed off if everybody doesn’t watch it because it’s just so good [laughs]!
The post ‘Below Deck Med’s Chef Johnathan Shillingford Thinks Aesha Scott Handled Those Rude Charter Guests “Very Well” appeared first on Decider.
