A personal chef prepares meals for multiple clients on a weekly, bimonthly or other regularly scheduled basis. Small private dinners and catered events can also be part of the job. Clients are scheduled accordingly giving you total control of your time and earning potential. Personal chefs are self employed and you will have complete freedom over your schedule and earning potential. Many people use the terms personal chef and private chef interchangeably but the two are slightly different.
What is a Private Chef?
A Private Chef is typically contracted to one client at a time for a specific length of time. They prepare several meals each day and take care of grocery shopping, inventory and kitchen management responsibilities. A private chef might live and travel with the client. Private chefs are paid a salary by the client, who at this point would be considered their employer. As an employee of that family private chefs will likely be offered paid time off, health insurance and other benefits that are equal to or even better than those offered by top companies.
How I became a Personal Chef
In the early days of my career, long before starting my business. I worked really long, really hard hours in restaurant and hotel kitchens. I loved my work but I will be honest in saying that I was breaking down, mentally and physically. Everyday I had this increased desire to do something on my own , make my own money and take control of my schedule. Trying to figure ways to take my cooking skills and create a profitable business fast presented a challenge.
One day I came across an article interviewing Personal Chefs about their jobs. The creative freedom, flexible schedules, and premium pay described was exactly what i was looking for. Only problem, I had no idea how or where to start. It wasn’t the cooking that worried me but everything else. How would I format the menus? How much should I charge? How do I set up a business? and the questions just went on and on. The stops and starts along the way and costly marketing mistakes wasted precious time and resources. I only wish Personal Chef 101 was around to help.
Top 5 Reasons being a Personal Chef is great!
- Freedom to express your culinary creativity and talent.
- Complete control over you time and commitments that you take on.
- Goodbye burnout, hello work life balance.
- No more 50 hour work weeks. Personal Chefs command higher hourly rates meaning you’ll earn more money working less hours.
- The satisfaction of serving clients in ways that will transform their lives.
The best part of being a personal chef is that you’re able to combine you passion for cooking and entrepreneurial dreams. Follow your dreams and your work will never feel like work again.
Cheers!