Below Deck Down Under's chef Tzarina Mace-Ralph has proven throughout the charter season that she's not the best manager the franchise has ever seen, but her lack of ability to supervise shouldn't be something that gets her fired from Katina's crew. While I've enjoyed Below Deck Down Under season 3 so far this season, Tzarina has surprisingly been one of its weak points for me. Tzarina, who worked with Captain Jason Chambers during the last season of the series, has made it clear that though she's been able to work through issues in the galley, management isn't her strong suit.
Throughout the season, Tzarina has shown a stunning amount of change in the way she operates. After watching her work throughout Below Deck Down Under season 2, it was clear that she was a great chef who knew how to work well in high-pressure situations. Depending on herself, Tzarina was often stressed by the way the charter season unfolded, but didn't have many resources that could help her in the nitty-gritty of the work in the galley. Now, Tzarina has a sous chef working beneath her, and though Alesia Harris is great, Tzarina is accustomed to flying solo on deck.
Hearing Tzarina actually admit to being a poor manager was exciting to me, as there are rarely self aware yachties on Below Deck.
Tzarina Has Been A Bad Manager For Alesia
She's Too Much Of A Control Freak
Although Tzarina's ability to move through drama was tested on Below Deck Down Under season 2 when she had to handle huge asks from charter guests on her own while handling the crew issues, seeing her with a sous chef at her disposal surprisingly hasn't made things easier. While Tzarina was excited to have a sous chef aboard at the beginning of the season, her first second-in-command, Anthony Bird, wasn't the right fit for the galley. Though it wasn't easy for Tzarina to admit that she needed help, Anthony's help wasn't something she could rely on, and he was fired.
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After Anthony's time on Below Deck Down Under season 3's crew came to a close, Alesia was brought in as his replacement. Far and away a better sous chef, Alesia has been a great asset for Tzarina, but she doesn't know how to best utilize her extra set of hands. Alesia is often delegated to prep work and lower level tasks, rather than helping Tzarina to prepare full meals for the guests. Though she's a great chef in her own right, it's clear Tzarina doesn't know what tasks to offload, nor does she trust Alesia to get the job done.
Tzarina Recognizes She Doesn’t Know How To Supervise
She's Self-Aware Enough To Notice It
While Tzarina may not be the best manager because of how little work she seems to trust Alesia with, she also seems to understand that she's not the best manager on deck. Tzarina has made it clear that she knows she's had a hard time letting go of the responsibilities she needs to hand over to Alesia, and she's admitted that management isn't her strong suit. Hearing Tzarina actually admit to being a poor manager was exciting to me, as there are rarely self aware yachties on Below Deck, and especially not those who find themselves working in the galley.
Tzarina Shouldn’t Be Punished For Not Having A Management Background
Her Cooking Should Be The Main Focus
While Tzarina admitting that she's not a great manager doesn't fix the problem, it does open the doors for more solutions to her issues with Alesia. Though Captain Jason hasn't made any intentions of firing Tzarina part of the overall conversation, it's clear she's been struggling this season with her professional tasks and her interpersonal relationships. I don't think Tzarina has reason to be fired generally, but especially not because of her poor management. With enough self-awareness to admit to the issue, Tzarina could overcome her inability to manage and delegate the way she should on Below Deck Down Under.
