When Abby Cheshire steps into a yacht’s galley, she carries more than knives, produce, and carefully labeled containers. She brings with her generations of Italian tradition, the precision of Disney training, the curiosity of a global food explorer, and the heart of a teacher who believes cooking should never feel intimidating.
“I’m a chef, content creator, and teacher with a passion for bringing people together through food,” Cheshire said. “Whether I’m at sea, in the classroom, or in front of the camera, my goal is the same: to make cooking approachable, inspiring, and fun.”
That mission has taken her from Florida’s Space Coast to Walt Disney World kitchens, from high school culinary classrooms to private yachts in the Bahamas and British Virgin Islands – and now into homes everywhere through her debut cookbook, Passport to Flavor.
Cheshire was born in Gainesville, Florida, while her father attended dental school, and raised along Florida’s Space Coast. Her family valued creativity and passion – and in the kitchen, it was all heart.
Her grandparents, “straight off the boat from Italy,” shaped her earliest food memories.
“They would never measure anything,” Cheshire said. “It was always, ‘Throw in a little bit of this, a little bit of that.’ That’s how I learned to cook.”
Those early lessons planted something deeper than technique – they taught instinct.
Cheshire’s family fell in love with Hilton Head Island during family vacations, drawn by its natural beauty and beach biking. In retirement, her parents made it home. Now Cheshire visits frequently when she’s not working on the water, strengthening her connection to the Lowcountry and planning upcoming book events there.
Hilton Head, in many ways, has become her land-based harbor.
Abby Cheshire, author of Passport to Flavor, pours a glass of champagne.
From Pre-Med to Chef’s Galley
Originally, Cheshire planned to follow her father into medicine. “I was going to school for pre-med,” she said. “I loved the idea of being a doctor and following in my father’s footsteps, but my real passion was in food.”
She pivoted, enrolling at the University of Central Florida to study food service management. UCF’s hospitality campus is just minutes from Walt Disney World, and she quickly stepped into the industry, working at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Fort Wilderness Resort.
There, she learned scale, timing, and discipline. “You understand consistency at a different level,” Cheshire said. “When you’re cooking for that many guests, every detail matters.”
But even while working at Disney, she was building something of her own. On weekends, she launched a catering business along Florida’s east coast. During the school week, she returned to her alma mater to teach culinary arts – a position she still holds 10 years later. “I’ve been teaching alongside everything else I’m doing the whole time,” she said. “And I love it.”
For Cheshire, teaching isn’t separate from cooking – it’s an extension of it. “I want my students to feel confident,” she said. “A lot of them come in scared to even hold a knife properly. By the end of the year, they’re executing full dishes. That confidence carries into other areas of their lives.”
Though she grew up on Italian food, Cheshire’s culinary curiosity expanded in college. “I was constantly in the library reading cookbooks,” she said. “Cuisine, culture, spices – I just loved learning about it.”
She developed a particular fascination with Thai and Vietnamese food. Instead of creating trendy fusion dishes, she chose to study regional authenticity. She frequented Asian grocery stores, asked shop owners questions, tasted, experimented, and refined. Over time, Thai and Vietnamese dishes became staples in her repertoire.
“Everything I do comes from learning,” Cheshire said. “From cookbooks, restaurants, conversations. It’s pulling pieces together.”
Her approach mirrors travel itself – respectful, curious, immersive.
Passport to Flavor is available on Amazon or anywhere one typically buys cookbooks. If you’d like to shop local, you can visit BookShop.org, which supports local bookstores in your area.
Summers at Sea
When the school year ends, Cheshire trades her classroom apron for yacht whites. She works for the same private family each summer, though rarely on the same boat. “The patriarch likes to get a bigger and better boat every year, so it’s always a new galley adventure for me,” she said.
Unlike charter yachts that rotate guests weekly, Cheshire serves the same family and their invited friends for extended summer voyages. Last year included a two-month trip through the British Virgin Islands.
“The family is super down to earth,” she said. “That makes all the difference.” Still, yacht cooking requires precision planning. Provisioning for remote islands is one of her biggest challenges.
“For our two-month trip, I spent about $18,000 on food out of Miami,” Cheshire said. “We broke down half of a cow and brought it onboard. I have eight freezers for proteins.”
Because produce shipments to island destinations can be inconsistent – sometimes arriving wilted or partially spoiled – Cheshire builds menus around proteins first, adjusting vegetables and garnishes based on availability. “You learn to be flexible,” she said. “You can’t panic if the spinach isn’t perfect.”
Cooking during rough seas presents its own obstacles. Knives, pans, and plating must all account for movement. “If we’re underway and I need to serve a meal, I prep everything before we leave,” she said. “Trying to chop during rough seas isn’t ideal.”
On those days, Cheshire leans into simplicity – poke bowls, composed salads, and other dishes that require only final assembly rather than active cooking. “It’s about strategy,” she said. “Planning ahead.”
Whether she’s plating Thai curry on a moving yacht, mentoring students in a high school kitchen, filming behind-the-scenes moments for her followers, or dreaming up her next culinary venture, Cheshire’s philosophy remains rooted in her grandparents’ kitchen wisdom: Throw in a little of this, a little of that. Cook with heart.
Writing Passport to Flavor
The cookbook was born from repeated requests online. “People kept saying, ‘That looks amazing. I want the recipe,’” Cheshire said. “So, I started measuring everything and taking notes.”
What began as recipe documentation evolved into a two-and-a-half-year creative project. Her mother, Janice, stepped in as ghostwriter and editor – her “momager,” Cheshire jokes – helping transform the recipes into a travel narrative.
“It’s like you’re traveling with me,” Cheshire said. “You board the yacht. We go to different port cities. You learn about the culture, the spices, the food.”
Each chapter unfolds like a day onboard: Breakfast, lunch, cocktail and appetizer, and a three-course dinner.
The photography was nothing short of intense. With support from HMY Yachts in Miami, Cheshire secured a yacht for three days.
“We shot 70 recipes in three days,” she said. “It was insane.”
Her car arrived packed with prepped ingredients. The team cooked nearly nonstop. Her father, Gregory, served as official taste tester, financial advisor, and emotional anchor.
“He’s my finance dude and moral support,” Cheshire said. “He tasted everything.”
Passport to Flavor: 100 Global Dishes You Can Make Anywhere Beyond the Galley
Book by Abby Cheshire · AbbyInTheGalley.com
Book Signings:
Hilton Head Island: April 11, 10-11:30 a.m.
Barnes and Noble, 20 Hatton Place
Savannah: April 12, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Coastal Table and Tales, 408A Bull Street
(Limited engagement for book signing, cooking demonstration, brunch; register at CoastalTableAndTalesSavannah.com/collections/book-signings.)
“My work includes brand collaborations, cooking classes, private chef experiences, and the cookbook,” Cheshire said.
Her content spans Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, where longer-form videos capture the process from provisioning in Miami to chaotic cookbook shoot days.
Through @abbyinthegalley, she shares life behind the scenes – from yacht galleys and event kitchens to filming cooking adventures.
“Food has always been my passport to connection,” Cheshire said. “A recipe tells the story of a place, a culture, or a memory.”
She favors fresh, seasonal ingredients, classic dishes with thoughtful updates, and playful touches that make meals memorable without being complicated. “I see chefs make food look so intimidating,” she said. “But cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Just keep it simple and make it taste good.”
On social media, Cheshire affectionately calls her followers “little chefs.”
“I call everyone my little chef,” she said. “Young or old.” The nickname stuck. “People love it. It makes them feel like they can do it.”
That sense of empowerment mirrors her classroom. Students who begin hesitant often finish the year capable and confident. “Cooking builds independence,” Cheshire said. “It builds creativity. It builds pride.”
Cheshire favors fresh, seasonal ingredients, classic dishes with thoughtful updates amd playful touches that make meals memorable without being complicated.
Coming Home to Hilton Head
Passport to Flavor is available on Amazon or anywhere one typically buys cookbooks. If you’d like to shop local, you can visit BookShop.org, which supports local bookstores in your area. And, of course, you can check out more at AbbyInTheGalley.com.
Additionally, Cheshire has a Hilton Head book signing scheduled for Saturday, April 11, from 10-11:30 a.m. at Barnes and Noble; and another, in Savannah, on Sunday, April 12, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Coastal Table and Tales.
For her, it feels full circle – returning to the island that has become her home away from home, now carrying a story shaped by sea voyages, classrooms, and kitchens around the world. From Space Coast beginnings to international waters, Cheshire’s journey has been guided by curiosity, courage, and connection.
Whether she’s plating Thai curry on a moving yacht, mentoring students in a high school kitchen, filming behind-the-scenes moments for her followers, or dreaming up her next culinary venture, her philosophy remains rooted in her grandparents’ kitchen wisdom: Throw in a little of this, a little of that. Cook with heart.
And to every aspiring cook watching from shore or scrolling from home, she offers the same invitation: “You can do it, little chef.”
For more information, visit AbbyInTheGalley.com.
