Career Spotlight: How to Become a Private Chef

What is a private chef?
A private chef is a chef who works part-time or full-time for private clients, sometimes on a freelance basis. These private clients might be individuals, families, or businesses. Unlike restaurant chefs, private chefs often work solo, rather than as part of a permanent brigade. The terms private and personal chef are used interchangeably, but “personal chef” suggests an exclusive role with an individual or household. This work could include day-to-day tasks such as meal planning and prep as well as some dinner parties and events.

What does a private chef do?
The job could involve anything from cooking family meals to hosting dinner parties and events for hundreds of invited guests. You’ve heard the saying “no job is too large or too small”? Well, that’s very much the case for private chefs who have to be flexible, versatile multi-taskers, ready for anything. Private chefs often have to work alone so must double up as kitchen porter, manager, party planner, waiter, and accountant. One minute they might be liaising with a VIP client, the next minute they might find themselves peeling spuds, arranging flowers, ironing tablecloths, or racing around unfamiliar food markets in search of fresh lobsters.

What qualifications do you need to be a private chef?
No formal qualifications are required. However, to stand out in a crowded field, it helps to have qualifications you can shout about such as certification from a highly regarded culinary school such as Leiths. Leiths Online offers a number of different professional courses including Essential Cooking, a 24-week course for beginners, Chef Skills, a 24-week course for more advanced learners, and Essential Bread and Patisserie. It can also be useful to have wine knowledge; WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) certification is widely recognised worldwide. An extra string to any personal chef’s bow would be a certificate in Nutrition in Culinary Practice. Leiths Online’s accredited course is taught over 20 weeks and offers a scientifically sound syllabus of nutritional theory and practice. Remember, you’re on your own out there so be prepared to learn the business skills you need to survive, as well as social media and marketing skills. It’s a legal requirement for food businesses in the UK to register with their local authority for healthy and safety inspections. First aid training is invaluable too. You should also have comprehensive insurance cover.

What experience do you need to be a private chef?
Again, there are no rules and regulations around it but any aspiring private chef would be well advised to have a minimum of a year’s experience – and, ideally closer to five years’ experience – in a professional kitchen, be it a restaurant, hotel or catering kitchen. If your job involves recreating restaurant-style meals in a private setting, then experience in a top kitchen is a must. It’s important to stay abreast of new trends in cuisine and keep those creative skills updated. Solid experience with an established name or brand will not only equip you with skills but will also help you market yourself. Testimonials and references speak volumes. Boost your CV with stints in professional kitchens, working as a stagiaire, or interning with private chefs you admire. Target those where you can pick up marketable skills or plug gaps in your CV.

What personal skills do you need?
It goes without saying that you need to be an all-rounder, able to handle everything from the nuts and bolts of the business to the creative brainstorming. Although you may work alone, you do need people skills. Not only will you have to manage your clients and their needs, but you may also have to recruit staff, collaborate with others, and liaise with suppliers. You will also have to be discreet; private chefs rarely disclose details of their clients or work, and never without permission. If you do land a VIP client, you might be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

What are the advantages of being a private chef?
Start-up costs are lower for private chefs than for restaurant chefs. You don’t need a bricks and mortar site as most of the time you’ll be cooking in your client’s kitchen. However, you will need to factor in transportation, your salary, food costs, equipment costs, and some marketing budget. Hours vary from client to client; the job’s flexibility is a big plus. Perks could include international travel.

How to get work as a private chef?
Some jobs are advertised in publications or with private chef agencies, other work you may find via word of mouth. Build a simple website with some examples of your work, a brief resumé, and testimonials if you have them, and use social media (Instagram and Linkedin, in particular) for marketing. Have a strong idea of your brand and personal style so you find the right types of clients; if you specialise in something, then say so.

How much do private chefs get paid?
You can expect to earn anything from £30,000 to £100,000 depending on your experience. Some roles will include accommodation and bills.

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