Everything you need to know about private chefs

Private chefs still have an aura of mystery surrounding them. When you hear of their existence, be it through the grapevine or because you’re attending an event where they’ve been hired, you might ask yourself exactly what’s involved in recruiting a private chef, why you’d ever need one, and where you’d go about finding these mysterious beings should an occasion call for it.

Well, we’re here to answer all your burning questions, so read on to discover everything you need to know about private chefs.

Private and personal chefs are the ultimate bespoke option

The wonderful thing about personal or private chefs is the fact you can hire them to prepare meals for you in your own kitchen or place of work. This naturally saves you time and effort, freeing you up to focus on other tasks that require your attention, be it that important networking event or equally important down-time that lets you socialise with your friends. What’s more is, all private and personal chefs will cook the cuisine of your choosing. This is especially helpful if you suffer from any allergies or have food intolerances/specific dietary requirements, as they’ll help you customize a meal plan and discuss how often each meal will be served, choosing allocated days and times known as ‘cook dates.’

They’ll fit around you and your requirements

Private chefs are there to accommodate your needs. So, whether you need them full-time or part-time, live in or out, or if you need them for formal or informal dinners (or both!), they’ll be able to slot in and around you and your needs. It’s worth noting that how often you need a chef will directly affect the type of chef you’ll need; for example, if you’re looking for a live-in chef as part of your household staff, choosing a private chef that runs your kitchen is your best bet. They will also travel with you, wherever and whenever they’re needed.

You’re in experienced hands

One of the best things about hiring a private chef is the fact you can almost guarantee their culinary excellence. From the moment the food is prepared, to the moment is ends up in front of you, every part of its journey will be top notch. Only experienced, confident and qualified chefs go on to become privately hired, and usually because their demonstrated passion and experience with food has made their careers flourish. You’ll often find that most private or personal chefs for hire have previously worked in the catering, hotel and/or restaurant industry, so you can be sure that whoever is cooking your meal/s is a complete professional. And remember, most health-department guidelines state that food must be prepared in the home of a client or kitchen that has passed an official health inspection; so, you can rest assured that hygiene standards are a given, meaning potential food poisoning is greatly reduced. (We recommend that you ask for any food safety certification when considering which chef to hire).

They’re on hand for household duties

It may seem too good to be true, but hiring a private chef means you’re hiring a household staff member responsible for everything that involves food preparation. That means they’ll go the extra mile by running the day to day responsibilities that are required to create the agreed meals and menus for your family or business, including any parties or special occasions coming up. Once you’ve set a budget, they will shop or order the required ingredients needed to satiate your appetite, before preparing and making the delectable feast you’ve concocted together. They’ll also clean what they use, meaning you can sit back and relax without worrying about the washing up, and if that isn’t value for money, we don’t know what is!

They’re not as expensive as you think

The general consensus is that hiring a private or personal chef is a luxury saved only for the wealthy. This is no longer true. In fact, it’s becoming so accessible that in the UK and France, hiring a private chef is seen as an actual alternative to eating out! As with all professionals, you get what you pay for, but depending on the hours you need your chef to work, they can cost between £20 – £70k+ a year. If you only need a chef for a party, those numbers obviously decrease, but the point is: private chefs are now far more affordable than before, so don’t write them off as an option before you’ve looked into what they can really bring to the table.

See our range of private chefs for hire here.

You’ll get free cooking tips!

Chefs sometimes get a bad reputation for being mean (we’re looking at you, Gordon Ramsey), but a private chef – especially if you hire them for a longer-term or live-in service – will undoubtedly have a smile on their face. Their interpersonal skills coupled with their talent for cooking means you have someone ready to not only rustle up delicious meals, but share their culinary hints and tips to satisfy both your hunger and your thirst for learning.

For more information, please visit our International Private Chefs Agency online here.