What does a Personal Chef do?

Personal Chefs enable people to experience restaurant-quality dining at home. For dinner parties, a Personal Chef can develop a custom menu based on the needs of clients and their guests. Many Personal Chefs also prepare meals for clients to eat throughout the week. In doing so, they make it possible for busy families to avoid fast food and heavily processed foods without investing time and energy into cooking themselves. Because Personal Chefs customize meals for clients, they can also simplify life for individuals who follow restrictive diets due to allergies or medical conditions.

Personal Chef skills and qualifications

To attract quality candidates, you may wish to list the following qualifications in your Personal Chef job description:

• Understanding of how to combine flavors to create balanced dishes

• Interview skills to ask questions to gain an understanding of client needs

• Extensive knowledge of cooking techniques and ingredients

• Attention to detail to follow recipes and plate meals in an appealing manner

• Strong organizational skills to plan and prepare meals for multiple clients

• Basic understanding of nutrition and food allergies

• Ability to use kitchen utensils, ovens, ranges and small appliances, such as food processors, sous vide machines, mixers and blenders

Personal Chef experience requirements

To perform job duties proficiently, a Personal Chef may benefit from previous experience or formal training. A graduate from a culinary program may be able to succeed in the role after only completing a short restaurant internship or working as a chef in a professional kitchen for a year. Individuals who don’t attend culinary school may need a few years of restaurant experience to perform well as Personal Chefs.

Personal Chef education and training requirements

There are typically no education requirements for working as a Personal Chef, as someone with restaurant experience can execute their job duties well without any formal training. Some employers may prefer to hire individuals who have earned a certificate, associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree in culinary arts.

Some states and cities may require Personal Chefs to complete an approved safe food handling course before working in the field. This necessary training can be acquired through programs like ServSafe. If your new hire will be preparing complex dishes or catering to the needs of people with dietary restrictions, you may wish to list supplementary certifications from the United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA) or the American Culinary Federation (ACF) as a preferred or required qualification in your Personal Chef job description. To gain these certifications, Personal Chefs must meet training and/or experience requirements and pass an examination.

Job description samples for similar positions

If the characteristics of the Personal Chef role don’t fully align with your needs, explore the descriptions for these related job titles:

• Executive Chef

• Caterer

• Cook

Personal Chef job description FAQs

What’s the difference between a Private Chef job description and a Personal Chef job description?

Private Chef requirements for employment are similar to those for Personal Chefs, and you can find many of the same duties outlined above listed in a Private Chef job description. A Private Chef typically works for a single client and may even live in their home, while a Personal Chef usually provides services for multiple clients.

What’s the difference between a Personal Chef and a Catering Chef?

Catering Chefs are culinary professionals who prepare meals for large events, such as office lunches and weddings. Personal Chefs create meals for individuals and smaller families and may provide breakfasts, lunches and dinners for everyday dining, not just special occasions.

What qualities make for a good Personal Chef?

A love of food and cooking is an important characteristic of a Personal Chef. People who enjoy helping others may find the job rewarding, and a preference for independent work can also be beneficial.