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What’s the best path to becoming a private chef? Being a passionate home cook is a great start, but the added structure of hospitality experience and training can help you build the solid foundation you need for professional work. I’d argue that the most important thing is to find a few good mentors, whether that means working as an assistant to a private or personal chef or starting with some time in the restaurant business. The discipline, time, effort, learnt in the industry helped shape me as a chef, and learning to perfect someone else’s vision helps you figure out a vision of your own.

Then I have been lucky enough to have a partner and kids in my life that have supported me and offered strength, love, and a push when I needed one to succeed.  Every private chef job you do, every new client is like doing a job interview over and over again.  Getting to know a kitchen in a mere few minutes so that one is able to work oneself around a kitchen in no time is so vital.  One becomes one with the kitchen you are working in, every time a different one.

While you may be getting into this business to cook, you’re also going to need to do a little PR. You’ll need a website, business cards, and a way to get the word out about what you do.

Of course, word of mouth is really the best form of advertising. I cultivate that by working my ass off to please my clients and hoping that they will tell their friends and offering an experience and concierge services on top of our private chef service always offers gives the  client a memorable holiday.

Being a private chef is knowing as much as possible about your client, you become literally a stalker, finding out their loves, such as kayaking, and what activities to offer in the area, to what food they hate.  Knowing everything about their preferences makes them feel more comfortable with you.