Below Deck: Every Chef Ever to Appear Across the Bravo Franchise

Ben Robinson

Below Deck (Seasons 1-4)

Below Deck Mediterranean (Season 1, 4)

Robinson was the O.G. chef on Below Deck, his boastful attitude, killer food, and hot temper setting the template for all of the franchise's chefs to come. During his time on the series, Robinson famously clashed with Chief Stewardess Kate Chastain, the duo's love-hate relationship fueling much of the drama on Below Deck's early seasons. He left Below Deck after season 2, only to return to the Caribbean in season 3 after chef Leon Walker's exit. He then helped Bravo kick off Below Deck Mediterranean, the second installment into the franchise. Robinson wound up heading back to Below Deck for season 4, and then exiting amid a romance with second stew Emily Warburton-Adams (though the two later split). He last worked in the kitchen on Below Deck Mediterranean season 4, where he came in as a replacement for chef Mila Kolomeitseva. Robinson now makes regular appearances on Below Deck Galley Talk.

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Leon Walker

Below Deck (Season 3)

Walker didn't make it through a complete season of Below Deck, exiting with only a few charters left to go. His departure came after a fire started in the galley — though he blamed it on his rival Chastain, Captain Lee Rosbach ultimately pinned it on him. And while Leon may not have lasted until the end, his love of beef cheeks (and his inability to seemingly make anything else but them) lives on as one of Below Deck's most memorable punchlines.

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Adam Glick

Below Deck Mediterranean (Seasons 2-3)

Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Season 1)

Glick's talent in the kitchen was never a problem, the California surfer churned out some of the most praised food in the history of the franchise (that is, when he stuck to the preference sheet, as #OnionGate proved). Where Glick struggled? His relationships. In his first season on Below Deck Mediterranean, Glick was involved in a love triangle with Lead Deckhand Malia White — whom he met before the show began, but kept from producers — and Bosun Wesley Walton. She eventually chose Walton, much to Glick's anger (he actually wound up hitting Walton during an intense night out). He mostly stayed out of trouble for his second Med season, but found himself in another crew-mance in Below Deck Sailing Yacht, when he and chief stew Jenna MacGillivray began hooking up. Their relationship didn't last, Glick saying that it was "very, very difficult for him." Viewers, meanwhile, criticized him for his bad attitude and inflated sense of self-worth. After 12 years living and working on the open ocean, Glick declared he was "f---ing over it," telling Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that he was "ready to live his life on land."

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Matt Burns

Below Deck (Season 5)

Burns' culinary skills kept the guests happy on season 5 of Below Deck. But outside of the galley, the chef wasn't as successful. First, he struck out in love with stew Brianna Adekeye in a disastrous beach date. Then he tried to rekindle his romance with his ex-girlfriend, whom he had broken up before the start of the charter season, but she rejected his advances. At least the charter guests always liked his food?

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Adrian Martin

Below Deck (Season 6)

Martin was a breath of fresh air compared to previous chefs, the yoga-loving, meditating, Saint Marten native stayed centered during his days in the galley. But his free-flowing nature had a downside, when sexually charged comments he made towards Laura Betancourt crossed the line. Martin left the show at the end of season after taking a gig in New York City as a private chef.

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Mila Kolomeitseva

Below Deck Mediterranean (Season 4)

Perhaps the most controversial chef in Below Deck history, Kolomeitseva was fired by Captian Sandy Yawn during the season's third charter. Kolomeitseva shocked viewers from the beginning of her time on the charter yacht, when she licked raw steak and wanted to serve guests nachos made with jarred salsa and canned corn. She struggled to make pancakes from a box and served canned seafood on the second charter, which led Captain Sandy to take the guests out for their final lunch and put third stewardess Anastasia Surmava — an inexperienced chef — on lead for dinner service. And while it had nothing to do with her firing, Kolomeitseva also made homophobic comments during a night out, leading to no love lost from her crew in her departure. As she left, she said she won't give up cooking. "Of course it makes me feel awful," Kolomeitseva said on the show. "People like me who have big egos sometimes have to be put down to earth a little bit. But it makes me feel like I want to work even harder."

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Kevin Dobson

Below Deck (Season 7)

Dobson hit rough seas during his time on Below Deck, thanks to ongoing tensions with Chastain. The two could not seem to get along all season, frustrations between them spilling over when Chastain had Dobson present a birthday cake to guests well after the primary charter guests (and birthday girl) had gone to bed. By the finale party, things took a turn for the worse. The New Zealand native told Chastain he didn't like her and kicked sand in her face. He apologized at the reunion, but didn't return for another season.

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Hindrigo "Kiko" Lorran

Hindrigo Lorran — Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Below Deck Mediterranean (Season 5)

Lorran made it halfway through season 5 of Below Deck Mediterranean before Captain Sandy made the call to can him. Things started to go downhill for Lorran when he was criticized for his plating and organizational skills. He tried his best to step it up, but fumbled when guests asked for a dinner built around Las Vegas, a place he'd never been and was not familiar with. Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier suggested truffle fries and nachos, which Loran paired with fried chicken and shrimp cocktail. Ultimately, the fried food was a fumble, and Captian Sandy fired him. He did get redemption, though, staying until the end of the charter and impressing the guests with a fabulous dinner. "I made the guests happy in the end," he told BravoTV.com's Daily Dish, after his exit. "I felt great."

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Tom Checketts

Below Deck Mediterranean (Season 5)

Checketts was brought in to replace Lorran for the second half of Below Deck Mediterranean's fifth season. He came in with a connection to the cast, dating White, the show's bosun. Their romance was surely put to the test by Checketts' arrival. From the jump, he was frustrated and flustered, snapping at stewardesses and stressing about provisions. When White could calm him and give him some support in the galley, Checketts' food was mostly always praised by guests. But sadly, her involvement came at her own detriment, leading to conflict between White and Captian Sandy. All in all, Checketts help saved The Wellington crew from disaster, but his relationship with White didn't last much longer. After the season wrapped, the two announced they had gone their separate ways.

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Rachel Hargrove

Below Deck (Season 8-Present)

Hargrove's food has earned rave reviews from every charter guest. Even Captain Lee praised her as one of the best yacht chefs he's ever worked with! Originally from Tampa, Florida, Hargrove is predominantly self-taught, though has honed her craft through the years studying and cooking in restaurants all around the world. In the kitchen, she takes no prisoners. And below deck, she's the same way — her outspoken personality and no-nonsense attitude lead to clashes with everyone from First Officer Eddie Lucas to Captain Lee himself, whom she famously cursed at before quitting before a charter in season 8 (she came back the next day, after cooling down).

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Natasha De Bourg

Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Season 2)

De Bourg's time on Below Deck Sailing Yacht may be best remembered for #PitaGate, a name hilariously given to the controversy that erupted after she seemingly exaggerated the number of pita bread slices she made for one meal. It caused tension between her and Chief Stewardess Daisy Kelliher, one of the many kitchen-related culinary conflicts the two encountered throughout the season. In the end, they were able to leave the show friends. And Kelliner had the last laugh, starting a podcast called Pita Party with fellow stews Alli Dore and Dani Soares.

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Mathew Shea

Below Deck Mediterranean (Season 6)

Shea made a splash from the second he walked into season 6 of Below Deck Mediterranean, the Rhode Island native backing out on the first meal due to a health condition that he later admitted was fueled by anxiety. Drama followed him all season long, though not in the galley, where he consistently produced incredible food (even after burning half his fingers off). Instead, he often butted heads with Chief Stew Katie Flood and feuded with his crew mates — including stew Lexi Wilson, who wound up leaving the show after she told him during an intense argument that his parents "should've aborted you." Since the season wrapped, Shea's continued to have conflict with his costars, calling Captain Sandy at the reunion "one of the worst captains I've ever worked with in my 15 years on boats."

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Marcos Spaziani

Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Season 3)

Before stepping on the Parsifal III, Spaziani had been working as a chef for 10 years, after attending culinary school in Venezuela. Cooking a combination of gourmet Venezuelan, Italian, Korean, and American food, Spaziani's culinary creations were mostly well received by charter guests — even if his portions needed to be a little bit bigger. But the thing that set him apart from others? His incredible endurance and dedication to his job, on display when he kept cooking after accidentally knocking his head and scrapping off a layer of his scalp (eww).

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Ryan McKeown

Below Deck Down Under (Season 1)

McKeown has all the makings of a classic Below Deck chef; super talented, super hard-working, and super arrogant. The Philadelphia native didn't waste any time clashing with Chief Stewardess Aesha Scott over time maintenance, and quickly let guests know he wouldn't be letting them dictate his menus. "My style of cooking is take the ingredients and let them shine," he said in the premiere episode.