Despite his charming nature, chef Ben Robinson from Below Deck has popped off at a stew or two in the galley. He recently discussed how many great chefs can be an “a**hole” in the kitchen when it comes to their food.
Robinson also told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that being a little grumpy in the kitchen is the norm for most good chefs. “I think every serious or good chef does have that moment because the food can’t be compromised,” he said.
“And if we see it being compromised by the staff or whatever, then that’s a problem,” he said. “Food is all about timing and if it’s not going out, it’s getting cold or it’s getting soggy, or whatever it is. [So] I do think good chefs should throw their toys occasionally. I think if you’re a pushover as a chef, then your food is going to be compromised. I believe that.”
‘Every good chef has to be an a**hole,’ Chef Ben from ‘Below Deck says
Robinson reiterated this sentiment on Brandi Glanville’s Unfiltered podcast. “I’m actually not an a**hole, alright?” he joked. “My point is, every good chef has to be an a**hole.”
“Because otherwise, everyone’s going to run all over you,” he insisted. “Your food is going to be compromised. So if you’re not like, What the f*** are you doing? These plates need to go outside. Like, if that doesn’t happen, you’re compromising the food. And if you’re not organized in the back of the house, or the front of the house isn’t sort of delegating well enough. And you don’t have clear direction of what you’re doing, you have to be a d*** about it.”
Chef Ben Robinson from ‘Below Deck’ can hurt feelings in the kitchen
Robinson said a strong chef will keep their end of the bargain, so having someone else ruin the food due to timing or organization can make anyone blow.
“We work too hard, hours and hours and hours on one bloody dish,” he asserted. “And I’m damned if someone’s going to screw that up for me. To be honest, I’m sorry, but if I hurt your feelings, then all good.”
Robinson didn’t hold back on Below Deck Season 3 when stew Raquel Dakota had to help him in the galley after he slashed his finger. He laid into her when she wasn’t prepping to his standards, but she took it and ended up being an asset when he was injured.
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During his final Below Deck season, he simply bounced people who annoyed him in the galley. “Aesha’s got, excuse my French, but she has verbal diarrhea and it’s kind of tough in the kitchen,” he recalled to Showbiz Cheat Sheet of stew Aesha Scott from Below Deck Mediterranean Season 4.
“I mean, it’s funny, but when you’re trying to concentrate, you’ve got Aesha talking about poo,” he recalled. “And d*** sizes. Stuff like that, it’s just like, wow, just please take a step back. I mean, it’s hilarious. [But] I think I actually had to ban her from the kitchen.”
Which chief stew could have put Chef Ryan in his place?
During his interview with Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Robinson was asked about chef Ryan McKeown‘s demeanor on Below Deck Down Under. He butted heads with Scott, who was the chief stew that season. Plus McKeown snarked at Captain Jason Chambers.
McKeown told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that former chief stew Kate Chastain could have put him in his place. Chastain wasn’t sure she was the right one for the job and that former Below Deck Med chief stew Hannah Ferrier could. Robinson agreed.
“Kate is right,” Robinson said. “She is more passive. I feel like, you don’t really want to piss Kate off because it’s almost like she drags you down a black hole and you start questioning a lot. Actually, I wouldn’t get on the wrong side of Kate. Hannah would just be almost like a brawl. She is confrontational. And I’m confrontational because it’s timing and stuff like that. So I think I could deal with Hannah probably more on a sort of a human level than Kate. But I think I respect Kate more.”
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