Private Chefs & Cooks

A private chef cooks for a family rather than a dining room, which asks for a different discipline entirely: restraint, seasonality, nutrition and unwavering consistency, often for the same people every day of the week.

We place chefs and cooks who have moved from fine dining, private members' clubs and country house hotels into private service, as well as career private chefs who travel with their principals. Many of our placements combine daily family cooking with formal entertaining at short notice.

• Private chefs
• Family chefs
• Cooks and cook-housekeepers
• Sous chefs
• Pastry chefs
• Temporary and private event chefs

• Daily menu planning around the family's preferences, health and season
• Sourcing produce, managing supplier relationships and kitchen budgets
• Family meals, children's cooking and dietary or allergen requirements
• Formal dinners, canapé receptions and private events at home
• Kitchen hygiene, food safety records and stock rotation
• Cellar liaison, service coordination and working with the household team
• Travelling with the family to other residences, yachts or chalets

Full-time private chef roles commonly run to around 45 to 55 hours across five or six days, shaped by the family's entertaining calendar.

Rota patterns are usual where a household or yacht requires continuous cover, and part-time or daily cooking is common in smaller households.

Temporary, seasonal and event chefs are engaged at a daily rate, and terms are agreed in writing before the placement begins.

As indicative guidance, experienced private chefs in the UK commonly range from £55,000 to £90,000 gross per annum, with senior, travelling and multi-residence roles above this. Cooks and cook-housekeepers more usually range from £38,000 to £55,000, and temporary or event chefs are engaged at a daily rate.

These figures are indicative guidance only. Salaries are agreed according to the specific role, setting and responsibilities, and may vary with:

• Location, both within the United Kingdom and internationally
• Length and depth of relevant experience
• Formal qualifications, training and languages
• The scope of responsibilities and any team management
• The size of the household, estate or organisation
• Live-in or live-out arrangements and the accommodation provided
• Travel requirements and time spent away from home
• Additional duties beyond the core remit

• Professional training with fine dining, hotel or private service experience
• Genuine range across everyday family cooking and formal entertaining
• Food safety certification and meticulous kitchen discipline
• Calm, unflustered and entirely discreet in a private home