Below Deck Mediterranean season 9’s Chef Johnathan Shillingford is confident in his skills, but his attitude and performance have made it seem like he could be the first one fired from Mustique. With Captain Sandy Yawn at the helm of the superyacht, Chef Jono is the second-highest-ranked crew member aboard Mustique. Working with all aspects of the vessel, most of his interaction is with the interior team. Led by Chief Stew Aesha Scott, Jono works with her Stews, Elena Dubaich and Bri Muller. Meanwhile, the exterior team, Bosun Iain Maclean and his three Deckhands, is mostly out of the kitchen.
While Below Deck Mediterranean season 9 is just getting started, Chef Jono’s behavior has already been too much for many viewers to understand. The Chef has been upfront about the fact that he feels confident in his abilities, but after two charters, Jono has yet to deliver a stellar performance in the galley. Between his somewhat lackluster abilities, the lack of background he has in manning an actual kitchen, and the fact that he doesn’t seem to have interpersonal skills to share with his colleagues, it’s possible that Chef Jono could be the first person Captain Sandy fires from Mustique.
Chef Jono Hasn’t Been Helpful Throughout The First Charters
Throughout the first charters of Below Deck Mediterranean season 9, Chef Jono has been the most unhelpful crew member aboard Mustique. During the first charter, he was able to pull off some decent meals with a lack of provisions, but his issues overshadowed his cooking when he got into some drama with Stew Elena over late-night snacks for the charter guests. The primary’s preference sheet had indicated that they wanted late-night snacks prepared for them, and though the chef was aware of this, he hadn’t prepared anything before he went to bed after the dinner service was finished.
When Elena realized there were no snacks ready for the guests, she chose to wake up Chef Jono because she had too much to deal with on top of making snacks for the guests. While she was hopeful the chef would just do his job and help her out, he refused several times before going back to sleep and ignoring her requests. Rather than being a team player, Jono chose to ignore Elena and then report her actions to Captain Sandy. While he apologized later, the damage was already done.
His Cooking Is Adequate, But Not Jaw-Dropping
Throughout the first charters, Jono has shared that he’s an expert chef and has cooked in various kitchens, but his meals haven’t stacked up to what he’s served. While the first charter of the season lacked provisions, Jono’s meals didn’t have to stand up to the same sort of standard they usually would’ve. Without many of the ingredients for what he’d intended to cook, the meals Jono made at first held up because they were crafty, but they weren’t necessarily well done. After a secondary provision provider stepped in, it became clear that Jono’s meals weren’t entirely up to par.
During the second charter of the season, Captain Sandy told Jono that the meals would need to be a higher caliber for the charter guests, as the primary was a friend of hers. While Jono agreed that he’d be able to work well with the menu they’d discussed, his dishes were lackluster. Preparing boring dishes that the guests weren’t happy with, Jono found himself being criticized and asked to provide alternate options. The majority of the meals that Jono has made thus far in the season haven’t been satisfactory, and Captain Sandy is starting to notice that guests are unhappy.
Chef Jono Is More Interested In Himself Than His Cooking
While Jono has been happily employed on Mustique and doing his best to provide meals for the charter guests, for the chef, his time on the superyacht hasn’t been about the meals he’s made. Jono’s attitude throughout the charter season has been difficult to fully grasp, as he’s talked a lot about how cooking wasn’t his first passion or even his first career choice. Jono has had other jobs prior to becoming a chef, and while he enjoys working in a galley, it clearly isn’t something that he’s always wanted, making it difficult to see his passion in his meals.
After Poor Service & Poor Attitude, Jono Should Be Fired From Mustique
While Jono could still redeem himself in the upcoming charter, the fact that he’s made some bad meals for important charter guests is enough of a strike for Captain Sandy to hold him accountable. On top of his poor service, it’s likely that Jono’s bad attitude will continually worsen as his time aboard Mustique continues. With the chef’s issues aboard the superyacht, it seems probable that Captain Sandy will give him at least one more chance, but Jono will struggle to perform as he moves through the season and eventually be fired from Below Deck Mediterranean.