How do you become a private chef?
I've always dreamed of pursuing a career as a private chef and have decided to give it a shot. Before I dive in, I want to learn more about the steps I need to take to get there. Should I go to culinary school? Are there certifications or licenses I need? How do I get restaurant experience? How do I develop my cooking skills? I really appreciate the info.
If you want to become a private chef, I'd recommend having an attorney set up all your paperwork. Then get an accountant to set up all your finances to make sure that you get your tax ID number and get filed with the state and federal taxes. They can also get your liquor license if that's something that you want to pursue.
Social media is also important. Find somebody that can help you with social media because that's what gets you going now. Work to ask other private chefs questions to learn from them. We're out there to help each other. So talk to other private chefs to find out what they do, what works for them, and what doesn't work for them.
Finally, find an area where there may not be a lot of high-end chefs. Maybe there's a niche in there where you can go in where it's not as high and you don't need to be as proficient with wine pairings and stuff like that. Find a niche that's out there, know your area, and learn the area that you're in.
Social media is also important. Find somebody that can help you with social media because that's what gets you going now. Work to ask other private chefs questions to learn from them. We're out there to help each other. So talk to other private chefs to find out what they do, what works for them, and what doesn't work for them.
Finally, find an area where there may not be a lot of high-end chefs. Maybe there's a niche in there where you can go in where it's not as high and you don't need to be as proficient with wine pairings and stuff like that. Find a niche that's out there, know your area, and learn the area that you're in.
To build up your cooking skills, experiment and practice as much as you can. For example, try to get some decent technical knife skills down. Knowing how to cut things, how to hold the knives, and how to hold your hand is important.
To develop a good palate, taste things, taste everything that you can and do basic recipes. For example, learn how to make roasted chicken or how to make chicken soup and how to cook a steak, learn how to saute vegetables, how to mince and dice your onions and garlic. Get the basics down first.
To develop a good palate, taste things, taste everything that you can and do basic recipes. For example, learn how to make roasted chicken or how to make chicken soup and how to cook a steak, learn how to saute vegetables, how to mince and dice your onions and garlic. Get the basics down first.
While you can become a private chef without culinary school, I'd say that it's worth it. Culinary school will make sure you have the solid foundations you need to cook anything that's thrown at you, and that's important because your clients can request any dishes they want from you. It'll be helpful for you to get a lot of experience with a variety dishes so that you're not cooking something for the first time for a client who just paid you thousands of dollars. Culinary school can also help you make connections in the culinary industry, which can be valuable for getting a job where you can gain restaurant experience. Culinary school may also help you find clients. Also, keep in mind that a lot of your clientele is going to be wealthy individuals who value things like culinary school training and a background in fine dining, so going to culinary school can be important for getting clients before your reputation is big enough to pull people in.
I improve as a chef by constantly learning and evolving. I read a lot of different cookbooks, I go on to YouTube a lot, I watch a lot of cooking shows like Food Network or Tastemade or any other type of cooking channels or shows. I watch YouTube and see what other people may be doing and allow that to inspire me and just put my spin on it. Same thing with social media. I can go on there and get ideas for certain things and then, again, have a way where I can go into my twist on those things.
I wish I had known more about the business side of things when I first got started as a private chef. I wish I had created business plans and knew more of the logistics and admin side behind it as far as setting up an LLC, how to establish business credit, and other things of that nature. I believe, if I knew more or was a little bit more educated on that back then when I got started, then I may be at a different level or place business-wise than I would be now.
I wish I had known more about the business side of things when I first got started as a private chef. I wish I had created business plans and knew more of the logistics and admin side behind it as far as setting up an LLC, how to establish business credit, and other things of that nature. I believe, if I knew more or was a little bit more educated on that back then when I got started, then I may be at a different level or place business-wise than I would be now.
When it comes to cooking skills, learning how to chop things is important, as well as how to roast and how to sauté. I think you can cook almost anything if you have those two skills.I think some basic safety things like how not to chop off your fingernail, how to store food, how to clean up properly, etc. are also good to know.
One lesson that I think is important that people just don't seem to understand, and I didn't either (I only know now from experience) is that you are almost always going to be undercapitalized… Something like 90% of ventures fail? It’s because they don't have enough money. You've got to have enough money to make payroll, to buy everything you need to operate, and to keep this going without making a profit for at least a year. If you can do it for two, you're probably going to be just fine, but I would say one is a minimum. It's necessary because you need time—people have to discover you, you've got to market yourself, you’ve got to get the name out there.
One lesson that I think is important that people just don't seem to understand, and I didn't either (I only know now from experience) is that you are almost always going to be undercapitalized… Something like 90% of ventures fail? It’s because they don't have enough money. You've got to have enough money to make payroll, to buy everything you need to operate, and to keep this going without making a profit for at least a year. If you can do it for two, you're probably going to be just fine, but I would say one is a minimum. It's necessary because you need time—people have to discover you, you've got to market yourself, you’ve got to get the name out there.
When developing cooking skills, it's important to learn how to handle your knife, practice different size cuts, and learn how to plate. And also a good book is called Culinary Artistry. It teaches you how to put flavors together and learn to experiment by being comfortable with having disasters and learning from them.
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Reader Tips from How to Become a Chef
If you're getting a lot of feedback and direction when you first get started, don't get discouraged. The chefs in charge are just trying to make everything run efficiently, so pay attention to what they're doing and follow their instructions.
When you go to a restaurant and eat something you think is delicious, try to recreate the dish when you go home without the recipe. This can help strengthen your knowledge and learn new techniques.
Reader Tips from How to Be a Great Cook
Broaden your horizons and try food from different regions around the world. You may discover new foods and flavors that you want to incorporate into your cooking!
Try changing one or two ingredients in a recipe to experiment with different flavors and food combinations.
Reader Tips from How to Make a Culinary Portfolio
Make sure you have clean and simple plating. Wipe any sauce or drops that are out of place so the main course is the focal point of your photo.
Make sure to also make physical copies of your portfolio that you can take with you and give to potential clients.
Include testimonials from previous employers to showcase your work ethic.
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