Are you a talented chef feeling constrained by the traditional restaurant scene?

Imagine a world where you're the boss, setting your own prices and crafting your schedule to fit your lifestyle. By becoming a chef on The Chef, opportunity awaits!

Be Your Own Boss:
At The Chef, we empower you to take control of your culinary journey. You set your prices, based on your expertise and the demand for your unique skills. This is your chance to earn what you deserve, without the limitations often found in conventional kitchen roles.

 Flexibility at Your Fingertips:
Tired of the grueling hours and rigid schedules of restaurant life? The Chef offers unparalleled lifestyle flexibility. Choose when and where you work, allowing you to balance personal commitments and professional aspirations.

Diversify Your Culinary Portfolio:
With The Chef, every day is a new adventure. You'll have the opportunity to meet a diverse clientele, each with their unique tastes and preferences, challenging you to expand your culinary repertoire. 

Join a Community of Passionate Professionals:
By joining The Chef, you become part of a community of like-minded professionals. Share experiences, learn from each other, and grow together. We provide support and resources to help you succeed in this exciting new chapter of your culinary career.

If you're ready for a change, ready to take charge of your career, and eager to cook with passion and purpose, join us now and start the journey towards a more rewarding culinary future!

FAQs

Why do I need to create a menu?

Creating a menu is key because it simplifies the process for everyone involved. Think of it this way: it's challenging for clients to choose a chef based on broad skills alone, but selecting from specific dishes? That's both enjoyable and straightforward. Your menu is essentially your culinary portfolio, showcasing your unique talents and style. The more enticing and well-crafted your menu is, the more it will attract potential clients to your services.

What dishes should I put on my menu?

Your menu should be built first around dishes that you know you make well - your specialties, so to speak. From there, round it out with a range of dishes to accommodate multiple tastes. At a minimum, we recommend including 5-6 dishes each for chicken, beef, pork, and vegetarian. Make sure to include a number of dishes that are well-suited to big batches (e.g., soups, lasagnas), and meals that freeze well.

What if the client doesn't have necessary ingredients or tools?

Clients won't always have the perfect kitchen. As a professional chef, you should be able to work around most problems, even if doing so requires alterations to the recipe (e.g. substituting spices). We recommend bringing a set of your own knives and utensils if possible. In the rare event that the client does not have something absolutely necessary (e.g., the oven is broken), please contact us immediately for assistance.

What if the client books an insufficient amount of time for the requested dishes?

Each booking comes with a menu and a booking length (number of hours). The menu for a booking is a joint effort between you and the client: the client communicates what they want, and you confirm what is possible. 

You will approve all menus in advance, so if you notice an issue with time, communicate with the client and suggest modifications to the menu (e.g., adjusting the menu, removing a particularly time consuming dish, increasing the time for the booking).

Whenever possible, provide options - for example, "there isn't enough time to make both A and B in 3 hours; would you like to extend the booking to 4 hours, or replace A or B with C, which can be completed in 3 hours?"

Remember that you are the expert here. If a client's desired menu and requested booking length don't work, it is your responsibility to let them know and help find alternatives. Spend the time reviewing the menu, and requested booking time, prior to accepting the booking to make sure the requested menu is feasible in the allotted time. Mistakes can be costly - you are committing to the agreed-upon menu in the agreed-upon length of time; if it takes you longer than the booked time to complete, then you're working for free.

Why is the client entitled to a full refund if I don't fully clean the kitchen before I leave?

There is no meal in the world good enough to make up for coming home to a dirty kitchen. If you leave a client's kitchen dirty, the client is entitled to a refund from us - and that means a refund from you. Good kitchen management requires cleaning as you go, so that you aren't left with a huge mess at the end to clean up. When approving a booking request and menu, make sure to leave yourself sufficient time to tidy up at the end.

Prior to leaving, take photos of the cleaned kitchen and upload them to The Chef. This protects you from any potential issues that may arise.

Do I need to bring anything with me?

Technically, no - but realistically, you should. We advise bringing your preferred utensils and knives, aluminum foil or disposable trays for quicker and easier clean up (time is money), and some key spices just in case.