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Personal Chef Industry

I've just begun researching the personal chef business. Do personal chefs need to go to the homes of their clients to prepare their food?

Shar,

Hello, and yes Personal Chefs prepare all of the food in the clients home. One is bound by health codes/regulations when preparing food in their own home and delivering to another location. There is a WEALTH of information in the archives. I highly recommmend getting a fresh cup of coffee (or whatever your poison might be) and browse through the archives. I have learned a tremendous amount by doing just that! Good luck!

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Originally posted by shar:
I've just begun researching the personal chef business. Do personal chefs need to go to the homes of their clients to prepare their food?

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Sher,
If i was going to have a personal chef I would want to know that they are complying with health codes, and one of the great things about doing personal chef work is that you can cook from your home and then just take the food to the different people. I would not want someone coooking in my Kitchen at my house unless i was there and i would not want them to cook for all of their clients. Just some ideas for you to think about from the customers view.

Angela

Hello Angela!
Welcome to the open forums! I think there is some confusion. As Pesonal Chefs, we do NOT cook in our OWN kitchens but rather in each CLIENT's kitchen and ONLY cook meals for that particular client. ]
We are cooking in their kitchen so that we DO indeed comply with health codes (most PCs do not have home kitchens that are "commercial" and up to health dept. regulations/standards.)
If PCs were to cook at home and then delivery the food, as you stated, this would be ILLEGAL both for cooking at home and then for transporting the food. As for cooking while our client's aren't home - many clients work outside the home and those who either don't work or do so at home actually prefer not to be there while their PC is working. But all PCs have some sort of liabilty insurance for their own sake, as well as their clients!
Sorry to ramble, just wanted to clear up some things.

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Vunay Sawyer
Tastefully Yours, Personal Chef Service
vunaycooks@aol.com

As Pesonal Chefs, we do NOT cook in our OWN kitchens but rather in each CLIENT's kitchen and ONLY cook meals for that particular client.

How would this translate for a dinner party (large or small) that the client hosts in their own home? I would not be interested in full blown catering however, could I offer a previously prepared 5 course meal for say 12-15 people if I prepared it in advance in the hosts own home where it would also be served by the host?

Three ways to go about a dinner party.

1. You cook the entrees, sides, desserts, etc., either the day of or in advance and either chill or freeze, as appropriate. The client thaws/heats, etc. the night of their party. (one of my clients sometimes just tacks this on to their regular service, which is cheaper for them and better for me since it doesnt' include a separate trip to their house)

2. You go in the day of the party, fix everything, maybe set the table, and leave things either chilled or room temperature as appropriate, and the customer can either serve or heat and serve. You can time this so that you come later in the day so that you're done just as the guests are arriving and things can be cooked and then held at a safe temperature for serving.

3. You can come later in the day, cook, and then do service and clean up throughout the dinner. I usually don't do this one. (I offer it, I just make it so expensive that they opt for #2 or #1.

Some PC's only offer this service to regular clients as opposed to new clients (still requires a mini-assessment, picking up keys if necessary, getting used to kitchen, etc., but for a probable one-or seldom-time deal.) And it can be tough to cook for a regular client during the day and then do one of these in the late afternoon/evening.

Others, especially when launching their business, or during dry spells, see this as a way of snagging an eventual client.

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Meredith
Whisk For Hire
Kensington, MD