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Q. How did you get started as a private chef? A. Several years ago, I read a profile about a Private Chef in the newspaper and I was intrigued. At the time I was putting in long hours at a restaurant and my wife and I were expecting our first child. I decided to pursue a position as a Private Chef since it would allow for more family time. Q. What is it you enjoy most about being a private chef? A. I love the interaction with people. In a restaurant you are restricted to the theme of the restaurant and you take a stab at pleasing a whole bunch of people. In a private home you can hone in on the person’s tastes. After a while you figure out their palate and can focus food towards it. You can also experiment with a wide range of cuisine. Q. What is most challenging about being a private chef? A. Communication. It is very challenging to get clear communication about food from people who are not used to “food speak”. With many clients you have to do a lot of guesswork to learn what they are looking for. Another challenge is working with a shrinking list of ingredients especially with specific diets such as the Atkins diet. There is only so much you can do with Jell-O unless, of course, you are an architect. Q. Describe a typical day. A. I usually wake up at 6 AM and run out to shop for ingredients and do a few household errands such as picking up the dry cleaning. My plans change quickly throughout the day - you really need to be on top of your game. I am always ready to prepare a meal for last minute guests or stand in as a tutor, computer troubleshooter, a children’s travel companion or chauffeur. Q. What is the most unusual thing you have been asked to prepare? A. My employer had read about the health benefits of bitter melon and asked if we could incorporate it into the household’s diet. So I did some research and prepared it as a side dish one evening. After serving the family, I noticed no one took more than one bite. Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, the staff, whom I also prepared meals for, was not shy about voicing their opinion on the dish. Bitter melon is called bitter for a reason and proved to be practically inedible. Needless to say it was never requested again. Q. Please share your favorite “On the job” success story? A. One memorable event was catering a Cherry Blossom Festival party in which I made a fabulous cherry white chocolate dessert for 30 people that was simply stunning (see photo to the left). We even had custom plates made for the dessert. Everything went perfectly and they have recently called me to re-create it for this year’s party. Q. What does it take to succeed as a Private Chef? A. Being a Private Chef is not for the faint at heart – you must check your ego at the door. A lot of chefs coming from restaurants have difficulty leaving the spotlight and taking a back seat. Some essential characteristics of a Private Chef are flexibility, easy going attitude, creativity, strong culinary skills and the ability to anticipate the unexpected. More on Town & Country Private Chef placements Browse our Candidates - Chefs Common questions Begin your search |
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2+ years of in-home Private Chef experience in multi-staffed homes. Duties included creation, preparation and plating of daily meals as well as catering all events.