Biography

Deniz Kurt has had a successful career over 10 years as a private chef/megayacht chef before establishing the international yacht crew agency ATLANTICO and the private chef agency ATLANTICA. Before becoming a chef she has had a colorful career as a concert promoter in entertainment and media world.  She worked behind the screen for hundreds of projects – famous singers’ albums, concerts, TV shows, TV series in ’90s.

This past life allowed Deniz to sample traditional foods of the towns and cities she was operating in as well as some of the finest restaurants this is where her passion for food was kindled.

She stepped into the kitchen leaving the music-organization-entertainment business career behind. Her life changed when she started and graduated MSA Culinary Arts Academy of Istanbul. Here she completed her basic culinary education. Then, she completed advanced Italian cuisine education in the Italian culinary school of Alma La Scuola Internazionale Di Cucina Italiana, becoming a master of region’s Italian Cuisine and obtained a Professional Italian Chef Diploma.

After the institution, she began to work under Executive Chef Daniel Canzian at “Il Marchesino” inside La Scala Theatre located at the heart of Milano; Il Marchesino was owned by the legendary Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi who has been modernizing Italian Cuisine and introducing it to the World since 70’s and who was granted Italian’s first Michelin Star and first 3 Michelin Stars. There, she had the chance to experience Italian Cuisine in the Michelin System. Following this, she worked in Armani Nobu Milano which is the Milan branch of the restaurant chain owned by the famous Japanese Chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, partnered by Armani. There, she also had the opportunity to experience Japanese Cuisine.

Traveling along Italy from end to end and discovering the flavors of each region in order to learn the real Italian Cuisine, she shoplifted taste and technique ranging from long established restaurants earning Michelin stars by using cured meat from their own pig farms with vegetables grown in their region and renown Michelin starred restaurants in metropoles like Rome, Milano and Florence, to regional trattoria’s and stone oven pizzerias on secluded streets; to this end, she even experimentally worked for short durations in these regional restaurants.

After these restaurant experiences, she decided to become a Private Chef and worked as the private chef of a well-known Italian family. For three years she performed her art consisting mainly from traditional Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. After these restaurant experiences, Deniz joined the international yachting industry. On sail yachts and motor yachts ranging from 30 to 90 meters, she has accumulated experience and knowledge working for yacht owners from different countries and satisfying their varying eating habits while cruising. Working on super yachts where she has had the chance to traverse the Mediterranean and the other side of the Atlantic discovering new flavors and cuisine for her guests to enjoy. In 10 years, she has sailed over 50.000 Nautical Miles around the World including 6 Atlantic crossings. 

After 10 years of experience in the superyacht industry, she has founded Atlantico – a Milano based international interior crew recruitment agency exclusively for the superyacht industry. Atlantico provides professional education programs for chefs and stewardesses and place them in their dream job on a super/mega yacht. 

In 2020, she has started the Atlantica – a land based private chef recruitment and placement agency. Both Atlantico and Atlantica continue to do what they are best at: Building good, safe and lasting relationships between professional chefs and customers.

Deniz Kurt is currently running Atlantico and Atlantica simultaneously as an owner and founder. She is also writing for Yacht Magazine as a columnist.