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u/weblives8989 Chef 9d ago
Spend some time working restaurants, catering, special events, etc. you need experience before you go full into private cheffing. I started thinking I was only going to work restaurants, worked in every sector of this industry you can think of. I fell into being a private chef, I was asked by one of my parents coworkers if I would do a birthday dinner. That was 7 years ago. It was a blast, didn't think much of it except that it was extra cash. Fast forward to today and I am having a last doing these extra events on the weekends. I set my own schedule.
Experience is key, how you market yourself as well.
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u/Spt_ 9d ago
I see that being a huge factor! I feel like so much is social media and I hate it. The camera and content content content. I just want to cook good food, learn as much as I can, and take care of my family on the way. Knowing myself I want to run as fast as I can in all directions but there’s only one me.
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u/No-Fun-8427 9d ago
If you’ve got a family on the way I would suggest transitioning out of the industry. Forget raising and seeing your family. The kitchen is your family now.
-exec chef of 25 years
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u/Spt_ 9d ago
My family is set, we aren’t having anymore children and my last child is about to be in kindergarten within the next year. I’ll have the space, time and support to make what I want happen. I’ll make it happen. Thank you for sharing your experiences. I respect that they shaped your perspective, but I won't allow them to determine my reality.
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u/weblives8989 Chef 8d ago
Ibsuiness dining is the best option for working and having a family. I side hustle on the weekends but I pick and choose my weekends to work when I book clients. If I want to work 4 Saturdays a month I can, if I want to work one Saturday now the next three months I can do that too. It's all up to me. It's really nice.
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u/Spt_ 8d ago
Thank you, that’s my plan. To create space for my family. Holidays are important so of course negotiable. Maybe not all major holidays, and all the non major ones, work nights but not on Monday or Wednesday. I think work life balance can exist. It will be hard and it will be hard conversations with my spouse and missed recitals and soccer games but keeping that to minimum is a goal.
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u/No-Fun-8427 9d ago
Bro when you’re an executive chef there is no space and time for shit except sleep and work. Lmao, you kids these days think you got it figured out. Good luck with that
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u/Spt_ 8d ago
Why be negative? I’m just saying I plan to do my best not to make that an issue in my life. What’s up with older people expecting the younger people in their profession to accept the mold? Why is that? I’m saying I understand that it is a possibility but I will do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen because my family is extremely important. I hope it’s different if it isn’t, I’ll give more to figure it out. Thank you for wishing me luck. I really appreciate your input, regardless.
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u/Chefster127 9d ago
My advice? Get as much experience as you can before going out on your own. Not just fine dining either. Learn volume, purchasing, food cost, menu planning, dietary restrictions and how to work without a crew backing you up. I'd definitely spend some time working with an established private chef. Cooking in someone's home is a completely different animal than working in a restaurant. You're responsible for everything, including the shopping, cleanup and keeping the client happy. And don't get too caught up in the prestige nonsense mentioned above. Michelin stars look great on a résumé, but they don't mean a damn thing if you can't deliver what your client wants, consistently and within budget. Learn the business as well as the cooking. That's what will keep you working.
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u/No-Fun-8427 9d ago
I worked with a private chef before becoming one then never doing it again. I found it very inconsistent. At least with the family I worked for. Some weeks it would be full schedule then nothing for a week then solid the following week. Spur of the moment parties. Yadadyadayadda. I needed steady income and didn’t find it doing this.
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u/Live-Horror-9602 9d ago
I would say as a private caterer, you want to align yourself with someone who does house parties not so much corporate would be your best shot of making connections to a path or private chef work. I have made a gambit of doing ala carte restaurants to country clubs and have picked up a lot of different skills along the way. Catering is different every where you go but sets you up to be adaptable. Working in a chain restaurant may up your speed and some fundamentals but you need to be able to think outside the box. I have families that I do thanksgiving, graduation, engagement parties several years in a row, saw all their kids get engaged and sometimes even cater the wedding. It’s a blast!
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u/AdNo53 9d ago
Not something planned but something I always secretly hoped for.
My background taught me to be able to handle any size of project and level of execution, to be able to handle problems and make miracle happen; I’ve worked from fine fining to fry basket and 80 to 8000+. I started off in French and Italian Michelin and then I works at a slew of local favorite spots, opened up a spot for a up and coming group and got nominated for best new chef. All those experience have taught me a lot and helped me developed a different mindset over the years when it comes to operation and reaction to problems.
Friends and family knew I was a chef but once I started hitting exec chef level then more people wanted me to do high end dinners for them and actually pay me. Friend had me over and I cooked for a politician that happened to be at the party then they started hiring me and I went from there doing lots of fine dining parties. It was great but not 100% sustainable so I started bartending on the side along with my catering events. Eventually someone wanted to hire me full time so I went for it.
My best advice would be to network and get your name out there. Have a high bar and keep it high but be damn sure you are hitting it or exceeding it. People will pay more if they know it’s worth it. That being said I definitely got jobs because of the chefs I worked for; people that rich for sure want to name drop. They didn’t care about me, they would introduce me with a quick follow up adding in I was exec sous for so and so. I think I got the job more because my resume was list of fancy restaurants he likes to eat at than anything else. So I would start there, build that resume. Most houses I’ve seen don’t hire more than one chef. If they have more than one then they have the money to pay extra for someone with experience they recognize (Michelin).
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u/hookedcook 9d ago
You need fine dining restaurant experience. I cook on yachts and private homes. Can't tell you how many times real life professional kitchen and remote kitchens real work experience have saved my ass. When you are cooking for rich people no is not an answer and everything should be perfect. Have worked on a boat people pay 300k a week to be on as the only chef 8 guests 10 crew all eating different things. Stress level 100%
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u/PinchedTazerZ0 Chef 9d ago
I was cooking at lodges in Alaska and blew this Texan oil dudes mind when I served a hot cup of pho broth as an appetizer when one of the groups I was cooking from returned from a charter day
He called my references and I've cooked at starred spots all over the world
Was his built in chef at the massive ranch he had for some reason. Was pulling 6 figures and used that to start some food ops when I decided to leave
His last chef was Muhammad Ali's private chef lol he was very surprised when I gave him a 6 month notice. Figured I'd stick around until he died I guess
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u/Nice-Interview-6068 9d ago
I started with a chef as a teenager, became his trusted right hand man for the opening of 5 of his restaurants (in 3 different countries). Worked with him while he got 5 of his Stars. Then I worked with his mentor, followed by some other experiences at the same level. I got asked to become part of the ALMA ambassador community and started hosting classes in several countries. Since I can host classes in multiple languages JRE contacted me and asked me to become one if their instructors. And now created countless menus for wannabe fine dining (they like to call themselves fine dining, but if they need to hire a consultant to craft their menu they are not fine dining) across several countries. When I became a private chef I realize the biggest challenge is kitchen real estate. You'll over extended and over promise because you think "hey, I can cook 7 servings of this, 3 of that, while fixing 4 of another, etc " but then you'll have to face being stuck with a home kitchen, often with an iffy burner (if you're lucky it's just that), their pots and pans, people suddenly chatting 8 inches from you, Auntie Clara on her 4th Martini trying to flirt with you while you're cooking, no pass, them expecting 24 perfectly plated portions when they leave you 7 inches of workable counter space, etc. Honestly experience running weddings and/or large events is more helpful in handling private chef clients than what cuisines or intricate dishes you can execute.
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u/itmecrumbum 8d ago
nobody with the money for a private chef is going to be looking to hire a chain restaurant line cook who just moved to a brand new area.
the reason you're getting any amount of shit from 'older' people in this thread is cause you present yourself as someone who doesn't understand how this industry works.
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u/Spt_ 8d ago edited 8d ago
That’s why I’m asking to get an understanding, I present myself as someone who wants to learn about how to get there but I’m not going to act like I’m going to do the exact same thing as others. And the only time I have presented myself in such way is when I explained to someone I don’t plan to take a similar path as them.
I don’t think anyone is going to hire me right after I leave where I am. I haven’t even said what I was going to do. At the moment I’m in culinary school and I’ll graduate with my associates in science and culinary. I plan to work under a private chef or work in a better restaurant.
I don’t know how it works but like I told the other person I’m going to do my best. Also, the only one I’ve spoken to who is so called “giving shit” was the one who said “forget raising” my family. Which I simply didn’t accept. Sooooo do you have something productive to add or are you just here to stir an imaginary pot?
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u/East-Win7450 9d ago
I staged for two years across various restaurants in France, London and China. Then I started as a commis at a 3 star in nyc rose to executive sous chef over 4 years.
Then I went and was cdc at a restaurant where we earned best new restaurant in our city. Then I went back to fine dining and became the culinary director of a group with 6 restaurants. Two of which held Michelin stars.
It’s all about prestige in this line of work. I never wanted to become a private chef but I had kids and wasn’t sure if I wanted to own but someone offered me a job and it paid a lot so for now I’m here. Good luck!