The Private Chef Life Seems So Glam on the Surface, But Here’s What Really Happens When You Hire One

People view the job of a private chef as something completely glamorous. They get to cook for rich people and famous celebrities and spend time with them. And the money? They surely must get paid a ton of money for what they do. However, there is another side to the business, and it’s not as fun for the chef as one may think.

Documentation Is Extensive

Chefs develop and go through intense questionnaires with their clients that strongly resemble a matchmaking service. The questions are about anything from the personality and style they’d like to see in the chef, what kind of food they prefer, to what they’re allergic to.

It’s a long question-and-answer form that needs to be filled out and followed strictly by the hired private chef. The same goes for the NDA form. Many chefs need to go through a background check and sign a confidentiality agreement before they even find out their client’s name.

The Salary of a Private Chef

The money a chef can make for private events and parties differs from their day-to-day rates. It all depends on the hours spent working and the status of the employer. It also depends a lot on what a chef can show in terms of experience.

The location, the client who is hiring, and the resume all play a big part in the salary. It could be as little as $400 a day or $1,000,000 a day. If a chef’s experience and resume are impressive enough, the salary goes up and vice versa.

Reality Is Much Different

On TikTok, the social media platform that has been taking over the world, there are plenty of videos to watch related to cooking. There’s a popular channel that summarizes what it’s like to be a chef, and it’s called Private Chef-Tok. You can watch all their hard work in short videos typical of the platform, but of course the reality is much different. Those clips actually show off the work of a full day.

Those who still think having a private chef gig is all fun and games should think twice. Sure, the money may be good; after all, the more experienced you are as a chef, the better. You might also work with famous celebrities or other famous clients. However, you have to prepare a whole lot of fancy food and sometimes the guest list might even jump from 12 to 50!