Whilst many people believe that hiring a private chef can be expensive and unnecessary – there are many benefits to hiring one for your next event. They are able to cater to a range of dietary requirements, and cook a variety of different foods for your guests to enjoy. This can help you save time, and give you the peace of mind that the food will be of great quality and presented to a high standard.

What can private chefs offer?

Chefs will arrive 1-2 hours prior to your event commencing, to get everything prepared and set up, this could be earlier for larger dining parties. Your chef will arrive with all the ingredients to create the meal or dishes that you have selected, and they will serve and clean up after they have finished – leaving your kitchen as good as new! This means that they will use all the kitchen equipment that you provide – so try to ensure that you have sufficient pan sets and cutlery for all your guests.

How popular has this service become?

In the United States, there are more than 9000 private chefs that cook for over 72,000 different clients, and this is set to continue to rise across the country and into Europe.

How to become a private chef

Becoming a private chef is a varied and interesting role – not to mention it can be very well paid if you find the right clientele. If you would like to become a private chef, you first need to consider what skills and qualifications that you currently have. Being a private chef is different to working in a restaurant, as you need to be very well rounded and competent at a variety of different jobs. Completeing a course and gain a qualification can give you a competitive edge, and give you further insight into what to expect in this role. Gaining experience in a high quality restaurant can also be advantageous, as you are able to see the end to end process – and create an idea of what is expected from you.

One of the most difficult parts to being a private chef is to find clients. This will mean networking, using social media to spread the word and create your own brand so people are able to easily see your services and testimonials. You will need to register as a business, and pay your taxes which can be tricky to navigate at first – but don’t let it put you off! Being self employed can give you the opportunity to create your own brand, increase your work life balance and to potentially earn more money.