Hello, I have a question about working hours for a Personal Chef.

[AmyD]

Hello everyone. I am new to this board and pleased to have found it! I have a question for anyone who plans to be or is a Personal Chef. When is the usual time that a cook goes to their client's house to cook? Is it during the day, afternoon or evening? I plan to become a personal chef myself and still plan to keep my full time job during the day coz I can't afford do it any other way. Is anyone out there working as a personal chef AND have another job at the same time? I would really appreciate your comments on this. Thank you very much. AmyD

[ziggy]

I had a part-time personal chef business in Washington along with my full-time job before we moved to Arizona. I went to clients homes on weekend days and on the occasional holiday. I did not go in the evenings. I also limited my clients as I didn't want to be working 7 days/week.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[miahoyhoy]

I pc'd for a year.
Monday through friday and occational weekend parties.
Regular service I did mornings, like 8:30 am to 12 or 1pm.
I was quick because of my extensinve restaurant experience. Many pc'ers work 9 to 4 or 5.
I couldn't pc and work another job because I needed to be flexible and available for anything.
Check out American Personal Chef Association
read the visitors forum.
I was a member while active and it was invaluable. There are many details you don't think of both cooking wise and business wise.
lates,
Jon

[shroomgirl]

Define when YOU want to cook then let potential clients know when you are available....I'm off to cook right now....set rate I shop, cook, eat lunch with them then clean up and bug out....am done in usually 3-4 hours. They get 4-5 meals....several portions, they pay food costs and a set rate for me. So the quicker I work the more time available for other shtuff. I do a lot of other projects than just PCing...but pc is my bread and butter.
*Got a late start but cooked for a couple of hours... made chili, risotto with chicken and wine sauce, shrimp curry, pork loin with fig and ginger sauce. I didn't know what I was making until I hit the store.
The first gig I had was cooking in a wealthy home 3x a week 4-7pm cooking 3 courses for 2 people....$75 a night. It did not work for me on alot of levels. What I did was define what I do and then find people that want that service. Look in the archives for good discussions in the past on this very topic.