Have you ever wondered what’s the diff between personal or private chefs? If you’ve heard about a private chef but don’t know what they are, a client employs one on a full-time basis. They work in their client’s private residence, providing an in-home chef experience by preparing fresh meals and snacks for the daily consumption of the household members.
They also cook for private functions their client hosts in their private residence. As such, they are required to be “on-call.” With this arrangement, most private chefs live in their employers’ residences.
Some even travel with them on business trips or holidays. A private chef who works in large residences often has professional support, such as butlers and maids. Since they work for their client and their household, they are often treated as members of the family.
Duties of a Private Chef
Since a household employs a private chef, private chefs have more duties than a personal chef. This means they need to cook three fresh meals per day for each member of the family. They cook snacks too and prepare food for formal events.
The chef also needs to plan menus per their employer’s wishes. They are in charge of shopping for ingredients, keeping the pantry well-stocked, and organizing the kitchen.
Private chefs are expected to travel with their clients to provide in-home chef services. In short, they have to be on-call to meet their demands. But since the chefs have a staff, other food-related duties can be assigned to them.
What Is a Personal Chef?
A personal chef is a self-employed individual running a professional culinary business. They can select their clients, and unlike private chefs, they cook pre-prepared meals in their clients’ homes on a weekly or monthly basis.
The clients of a personal chef are diverse, from busy parents with children to individuals who require special diets. Since they are self-employed, they can set their schedule and select clients following it.
Some personal chefs continue to work in professional kitchens while cooking for one or two clients, while others run their businesses full-time. A personal chef can manage solo, but they might employ an assistant or two depending on the nature of their job.
Duties of a Personal Chef
The duties of a personal chef vary according to their clientele. They are responsible for discussing the dietary needs of their clients, and they need to plan and create appropriate menus by it.
These menus can cover a week’s worth of food or more, depending on the agreed time the personal chef cooks for their clients. The chef needs to shop for the ingredients and prepare all meals in advance in their clients’ homes.
They have to leave detailed instructions for reheating or freezing. They can cook and cater for formal events such as parties on certain occasions. Personal chefs can even include additional services, such as in-home cooking lessons.
Ending Note
As you can see, a private chef and a personal chef have general duties in common. Both cook fresh meals and snacks for their client’s households. However, the two positions require different levels of expertise and experience.
While a personal chef handles the cooking part of their services, a private chef needs to be a jack-of-all-trades. A private chef works full-time, while a personal chef is self-employed and works on a more flexible schedule. Hopefully, this solves the mystery what’s the diff between personal or private chefs!
With that said, if you’re looking for a personal chef in Nashville, search no further than Food Fire + Knives. We offer clients the ultimate personal chef experience. Contact us today to get started.
