When hiring a chef to work in your home simply comes down to compatibility with the chef and your family as this relationship will become quite intimate over time. Key elements in your search should include:
1. Understand what you’re looking for in a private chef – Food preferences, household members dietary needs, style and frequency of entertaining (ranging from cocktail parties, private events or corporate events), expectations of days and number of meals to be prepared, include other staff in meal preparations, accompanying you and family on trips, expectations to feed your pets, partnership with a nutritionist, allowance for experimentation of other cultural foods (i.e. Chinese, African, etc.)
2. Background – Experience in cooking which could range from working in restaurants to servicing other families. Does this particular person’s passion for food, creativity and cultural background fit your wants and needs?
3. Adequate Liability Insurance
4. Affiliations with National Organizations – See below
5. Client References and testimonials
6. Sample Menus – Based on food preferences and dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, sugar-free, fat-free, etc.)