Last night, I attended a panel called "How to Become a Personal Chef" sponsored by Women Chefs and Restaurateurs (WCR). Presenters included a women who runs an agency placing private chefs, 2 culinary-school placement officers, and 2 personal chefs. In 2 hours, they barely scratched the surface. But here's some of the stuff I found interesting:
What are the differences between a personal chef and a private chef?
There are many. A personal chef is an entrepreneur, often a sole-proprietor business, who contracts with multiple clients to cook for them on a regular basis. S/he may cook at each client's home, at a commercial kitchen, or a combination of the two. Must provide own insurance coverage for liability (as well as own benefits, of course).
A private chef is the employee of one family or person, and cooks ONLY for them. Could be live-in or -out; is on-call according to the arrangement made with the employer. As an employee, is covered by the employer's insurance regarding liability, etc., and might receive benefits including health insurance, retirement plan, and so on.
Do you need culinary training to become a personal chef?
Not really -- just as you don't need it to cook in a restaurant or other facility. One PC on the panel had been to I.C.E. (Kump's); the other was self-educated.
What skills do you need, besides being able to cook?
People skills: you have to negotiate menus, fees, limits of what you will and will not be responsible for.
Business skills: as a PC, YOU are the business. You have to deal with pricing, insurance, taxes, contracts or service agreements, billing, banking. Also, you have to be able to market yourself, whether with ads or by word-of-mouth references.
Time-management skills: since you have many clients, you have to be able to get the work done for each in the time you allot. VERY IMPORTANT. And you need time to handle the business details, to keep up with food trends, etc.
What is a typical day like?
Both PCs work differently. One will shop, bring the groceries, cook, pack and store the prepared food, and clean up, for 2 or 3 different clients each day, four days a week. On her "off" time, when she's not handling business details, she's reading and researching. The other may only work for one client a day, also shopping, cooking, packing and storing, and cleaning, but might then do dinner parties in the evening and on weekends. Both said that sometimes they only use the equipment at the client's home, sometimes they bring their own (always their knives, sometimes pots and pans).
How do you charge? What do you charge?
One charges a daily rate for about a 7-hour day (5 - 6 hours on site, the rest doing the shopping), plus food costs, plus other fees for disposable packaging materials, travel (if necessary), etc. The other charges by the hour, with a 3-hour minimum, including the cost of groceries.
That's about what I can recall.
Here are a few websites to check out:
US Personal Chefs Association
American Personal Chef Association and Institute
Personal Chefs Network, Inc.
Canadian PC Association
What are the differences between a personal chef and a private chef?
There are many. A personal chef is an entrepreneur, often a sole-proprietor business, who contracts with multiple clients to cook for them on a regular basis. S/he may cook at each client's home, at a commercial kitchen, or a combination of the two. Must provide own insurance coverage for liability (as well as own benefits, of course).
A private chef is the employee of one family or person, and cooks ONLY for them. Could be live-in or -out; is on-call according to the arrangement made with the employer. As an employee, is covered by the employer's insurance regarding liability, etc., and might receive benefits including health insurance, retirement plan, and so on.
Do you need culinary training to become a personal chef?
Not really -- just as you don't need it to cook in a restaurant or other facility. One PC on the panel had been to I.C.E. (Kump's); the other was self-educated.
What skills do you need, besides being able to cook?
People skills: you have to negotiate menus, fees, limits of what you will and will not be responsible for.
Business skills: as a PC, YOU are the business. You have to deal with pricing, insurance, taxes, contracts or service agreements, billing, banking. Also, you have to be able to market yourself, whether with ads or by word-of-mouth references.
Time-management skills: since you have many clients, you have to be able to get the work done for each in the time you allot. VERY IMPORTANT. And you need time to handle the business details, to keep up with food trends, etc.
What is a typical day like?
Both PCs work differently. One will shop, bring the groceries, cook, pack and store the prepared food, and clean up, for 2 or 3 different clients each day, four days a week. On her "off" time, when she's not handling business details, she's reading and researching. The other may only work for one client a day, also shopping, cooking, packing and storing, and cleaning, but might then do dinner parties in the evening and on weekends. Both said that sometimes they only use the equipment at the client's home, sometimes they bring their own (always their knives, sometimes pots and pans).
How do you charge? What do you charge?
One charges a daily rate for about a 7-hour day (5 - 6 hours on site, the rest doing the shopping), plus food costs, plus other fees for disposable packaging materials, travel (if necessary), etc. The other charges by the hour, with a 3-hour minimum, including the cost of groceries.
That's about what I can recall.
Here are a few websites to check out:
US Personal Chefs Association
American Personal Chef Association and Institute
Personal Chefs Network, Inc.
Canadian PC Association