becoming a personal chef.

[BillyJohnson]

How difficult is it to become a personal chef? What are the steps involved? Is certification necessary?

[bbally]

Dear Billie,

Might want to join the Professional Personal Chefs Association for starters that have all kinds of information.

Other than that you really need to understand balanced meals, how to cook, and how to cook so when it is brough back up to temp it still tastes great.

Then you need a decent contract that locks the clients in and makes sure you get paid.

Insurance would be required. You might also check with your local board of health as the local requirements can vary from state to state.

[BillyJohnson]

how much is insurance and where do i get insurance?

[lentil]

Originally Posted by BillyJohnson

how much is insurance and where do i get insurance?

I have mine through the same company that carries my home and auto insurance. I'm not strictly a personal chef as I have a shop that I sell out of and also do catering. I pay about $400/year.

[Ali1325]

I really don't know much about being a chef. I cook a lot and i am interested in becoming one, but the only thing i am concerened about is the hours. i hear that they are kind of long or whatever. I mean i am somebody who doesn't like to spend most of my time working. my uncle is a chef and i never see him or get to talk to him. is there anyway to get fairly good hours? maybe like in the morning till the evening???? i mean i know it sounds like a stupid question. but i am young and from what i have been reading about this stuff chefs have to work werid hours. is that always true?

[AprilB]

Product liability is probably the most important thing to get if you cook in your clients home. From all of the research I've done on the subject (I'm looking at doing the same thing) 4 - 500 is pretty standard, pretty reasonable and worth every penny.

If you get your own kitchen and have potential clients come to you, you'll have to get other types of insurance dealing with injury. Say, someone is clumsy and slips on your stoop.

You can look up personalchef.com or uspsa.com (I think that's it...just google for personal chef)

April

[lentil]

Originally Posted by Ali1325

I really don't know much about being a chef. I cook a lot and i am interested in becoming one, but the only thing i am concerened about is the hours. i hear that they are kind of long or whatever. I mean i am somebody who doesn't like to spend most of my time working. my uncle is a chef and i never see him or get to talk to him. is there anyway to get fairly good hours? maybe like in the morning till the evening???? i mean i know it sounds like a stupid question. but i am young and from what i have been reading about this stuff chefs have to work werid hours. is that always true?

Ali,

I would imagine that if you want work up to chef, you'll have to start out with the lousy hours. I mean you can hardly walk into a place and demand the choice hours. If you want to be a cook, then chances are you can be a breakfast cook and work only days, but starting out, weekends will probably be a must. NOthing comes without a price and if you want something badly enough, you'll do anything to get there.