Kriti Mehrotra
Ben Robinson is undeniably one of the most recognizable individuals from Bravo’s ‘Below Deck’ franchise, owing to the way he has always carried himself with passion and compassion. He has been featured in the original ‘Below Deck’ series, ‘Below Deck Mediterranean,’ and ‘Galley Talk,’ and now he is getting ready to leave a new mark with ‘Below Deck Down Under.’ Therefore, of course, it comes as no surprise that after seeing him on our screen so often, fans are all the more curious about his current standing on both a personal as well as a professional level.
Ben Robinson Hails From a Creative, Supportive Family
Born in Oxford, England, to Suzanne Robinson and Patrick Robinson, Ben Robinson grew up as one of four children. He has two brothers, Andrew Robinson and James Robinson, and a sister by the name of Kater, all of whom were raised surrounded by love. He attended boarding school in his homeland after his parents relocated to the US for work, but he had a sound structure with them and still maintains a close bond with his family. In fact, he credits his parents for his passion for food, the confidence to follow his dreams, and his work ethic because they showed him firsthand how incredible these things can be.
“I was 5 years old when I first realized I was interested in cooking,” Ben once said in an interview, “I had an amazing relationship with my mother, and she taught me to cook. I knew all of my mother’s sauces—gravy, béchamel, and vinaigrette—by the time I was five and a half.” He has since also asserted that his experiences in England following his parents’ move ignited in him a sense of appreciation for different cuisines, too. After all, that’s when he was introduced to unique vegetation, poultry, and river fish dishes.
As for Ben’s relationship with his family today, they remain in close contact and are incredibly proud of what each of them has been able to achieve. In fact, in 2024, Ben posted on Instagram to celebrate his father’s career as an author, sharing, in part, “My amazing father, Patrick Robinson. Who has written 22 best sellers, and now at the age of 83 years old, he is releasing his first book in 5 years.” Coming to his mother, Ben has long asserted that she has been so supportive of his cooking and reality career that she often becomes quite sad when he takes breaks because that’s how much she enjoys watching him in his real element.
Ben Robinson is a Trained Chef With Significant Experience
Having discovered his passion for cooking at an early age, Ben knew he wanted to pursue a career in the same field and thus began working at restaurants at an early age. He then embraced every opportunity he could, leading him to work under some of the most renowned names and establishments in the world. According to his bio, he even got to learn from Italian master chefs in Florence and later completed an apprenticeship at the 3-Michelin Star restaurant The Fat Duck in his homeland. It was then that he evolved into a chef on yachts because he realized it was a great way for him to blend his love for cooking and travel.
Ben was in his late 20s when he was appointed head chef on Athena, which is the largest sailing yacht in the world, owned by James Clark. That’s when he realized he absolutely loved the fast pace of yachting, so with the 2008 recession affecting stability for a lot of people, he decided to try something new in this same world. He had found an advertisement for ‘Below Deck,’ so he applied in a rather funny e-mail while intoxicated, which turned his world upside down as he ended up being shortlisted and then cast.
Ben was initially terrified of having cameras everywhere, but cooking settled him, and the demanding nature of the job distracted him, enabling him to quickly find his rhythm. Since then, he believes he has also found his style as a chef, which he has been developing every single day for the past couple of decades. “With any artist, I think the goal is to become stylized,” he once said, “You have to have your own signature and develop that. Mine leans toward classic with a modern fusion.” As if that’s not enough, the now Florida resident has since even established his own catering company, allowing him to travel all across America to cook for clients. In other words, today, he is a yacht chef as well as a private chef.
After a Broken Engagement, Ben Robinson Has Been Focusing on Things That Make Him Happy
Although Ben was in a happy, public relationship with a woman named Kiara Cabral for a long while, things did not pan out between them in the way he had hoped. He had proposed on May 11, 2024, after 4 blissful years together, sharing that he “feels like the luckiest man alive” to have her by his side. In the since-deleted post, he added, “Thank you to Kiara for saying yes and making an honest man out of me. I love you.” However, the chef confirmed their split merely 4 months later, penning, “We have decided to go our separate ways, and I think that this is the best decision for both of us… I would rather not discuss the reasons behind these decisions, but I feel it’s important for me to express my circumstance.”
That’s why, in one of his first confessionals on Bravo’s ‘Below Deck Down Under’ season 4, Ben candidly stated, “This might come as a shock to everyone, but I am actually single. Fairly recently, I broke up with my fiancée — having spent $50,000 on a wedding I didn’t attend. It’s odd when your future’s been solidified, for it all to vanish into thin air. [But] Yachting was a big part of my formative life. It’s actually nice to come back to it.” In fact, from what we can tell, since the split, Ben has simply been focusing on his passions by taking up new opportunities and cooking up a storm across the globe. Most recently, he served as a chef for a private event around his base in Florida and on a Caribbean cruise that sailed from January 25 to February 1, 2026.
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