Hiring a Private Chef: What High-Net-Worth Families Need to Know
By Peter O’Donovan, Founder of International Domestic Consulting
For most families, hiring a private chef can be one of the most rewarding additions to the household—and one of the most difficult placements to get right.
I understand this firsthand because I began my own career in private service as a chef. After training at the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland, I moved to Palm Beach, where I became the youngest private chef working in the area at the time. I was also trained in white-glove service and went on to work in homes that ranged from highly formal estates to relaxed family residences.
Those experiences taught me that a successful placement is not simply about finding someone who prepares exceptional food. It is about finding a culinary professional who understands the daily rhythm of the home, respects the family’s privacy, anticipates changing needs, and manages the kitchen without adding friction to the principals’ lives.
Here is what principals, family office directors, and estate managers should consider when hiring a private chef.
Private Chef vs. Personal Chef: Understanding the Role
The terms “private chef” and “personal chef” are often used interchangeably, but they generally describe two very different working arrangements.
A personal chef is typically an independent contractor who serves multiple clients. The chef may visit a home once or twice a week to prepare several days’ worth of meals, label and refrigerate them, provide reheating instructions, and then move on to the next client.
One of my own private-service positions operated in a similar way. The family lived in a beautiful historic home on the Battery in Charleston, South Carolina. My responsibility was straightforward: prepare the family’s meals for the week and leave everything organized so the principals and their children could heat and enjoy the food when it suited their schedules.
A private chef, by contrast, is ordinarily a dedicated household employee working exclusively for one family. The chef may oversee every aspect of the kitchen, including daily meals, menu planning, provisioning, inventory, kitchen accounting, sanitation, and vendor relationships. The role can also include accommodating last-minute guests, catering private events, and traveling with the family among multiple residences.
When you hire a private chef, you are not merely hiring someone to cook. You are hiring someone to assume responsibility for the household’s culinary operation.
The Michelin Trap: Restaurant Experience vs. Private Service
Families are often drawn to candidates with Michelin-starred restaurants or other impressive fine-dining establishments on their résumés. While strong culinary training and technical ability certainly matter, restaurant experience alone does not guarantee success in a private residence.
Commercial kitchens are structured environments with prep cooks, dishwashers, line cooks, and other support staff. In a private home, much of that infrastructure may disappear. Depending on the household, the chef may be expected to plan, shop, prepare, cook, serve, and leave the kitchen immaculate—with little or no assistance.
Restaurant cooking is also driven by the chef’s menu. Private service is driven by the family.
Throughout my career, I worked in positions where I was expected to provide formal dining service at an exceptionally high level. Everything—from the menu and plating to the table setting and timing of service—had to meet exacting standards.
But I also worked at a large vacation residence on Sea Island where the atmosphere was considerably more relaxed. The home could accommodate as many as 28 overnight guests and was frequently used for family vacations and business/philanthropic functions. In that position, I managed a staff of approximately 20 people, and our culinary responsibilities often included buffets, informal family meals, and large catered events.
Each position required a different style of service. That is precisely the point: the best private chef is not necessarily the person with the most prestigious restaurant résumé. It is the person who can understand what a particular household requires and adapt accordingly.
A talented private chef must be equally comfortable preparing a formal four-course dinner, a buffet for a houseful of guests, children’s meals for the week, or a simple late-night sandwich. Temperament, flexibility, and a lack of ego are every bit as important as culinary ability.
Full-Time, Part-Time, or Seasonal Support?
Not every household requires a full-time or year-round private chef. The correct arrangement depends on how the family lives, how often the home is occupied, and the level of service expected.
Some families need a dedicated chef five or six days a week, particularly when the household entertains frequently, includes several family members, or follows complex dietary programs. Others may only need a chef several days a week, on weekends, or during periods of heavier entertaining.
Seasonal placements are especially common in resort communities and second-home markets. I just placed a part-time private chef with a family in the Hamptons whose culinary needs were limited to the summer. The family did not require a permanent employee. They needed an experienced professional who could step into a seasonal residence, quickly understand their preferences, and deliver the appropriate level of service while the home was most active.
A seasonal position should still be approached with the same care as a permanent placement. Availability, flexibility, housing, travel, work schedules, entertaining requirements, and the expected end date should all be clearly established before the chef begins.
Managing Dietary Needs, Travel, and Discretion
Modern household menus are rarely simple. Principals and their guests may have food allergies, medical considerations, or specific preferences involving organic sourcing, anti-inflammatory diets, performance nutrition, religious observances, or carefully timed meals built around travel and athletic schedules.
Years ago, I served as estate manager for a recently divorced CEO living at the St. Regis Residences in Buckhead. Although I oversaw the broader operation of the residence, cooking was also an important part of my responsibilities. The principal was struggling with morbid obesity and significantly elevated A1C levels. Long before the current popularity of GLP-1 medications, he and I worked together to fundamentally change his diet. I created meals that supported his health goals while still being flavorful, satisfying, and appropriate for his lifestyle. Over time, I’m proud to say I helped decrease his levels by several points.
That experience reinforced something I have believed throughout my career: a skilled private-service professional can do far more than prepare excellent meals. With collaboration, consistency, and a clear understanding of the principal’s goals, the right chef can help support meaningful and sustainable improvements in health—without making food feel clinical or restrictive.
The chef must also be resourceful. When a family divides its time among homes in locations such as Palm Beach, Dallas, Aspen, or the Hamptons, or even on a yacht traveling between destinations, the chef should know how to develop relationships with local farmers, markets, butchers, seafood suppliers, and specialty purveyors. Maintaining quality in an unfamiliar location is part of the job.
Discretion is equally critical. The kitchen is often at the center of the home, placing the chef near private family conversations, financial discussions, and sensitive personal matters. Professionalism, confidentiality, and a calm, unobtrusive presence are non-negotiable qualities for anyone working inside a private estate.
Finding the Right Match for Your Estate
Every household has its own culture and requirements. A chef who excels in a highly formal, structured estate may not be the right fit for a relaxed, family-focused vacation home. Likewise, a wonderful family-style cook may be uncomfortable with the precision required for formal entertaining and white-glove service.
Having worked personally in a wide range of private-service environments, I know how important it is to understand the position before introducing candidates. The search should begin with more than dietary preferences and salary. It should examine how the family lives, how frequently it entertains, whether the chef will travel, the number and ages of the children, the expected style of service, the length of the assignment, and how the kitchen interacts with the rest of the household staff.
At International Domestic Consulting, we evaluate both culinary ability and cultural fit. Our process considers each candidate’s technical skills, adaptability, temperament, discretion, and record of success in private service, along with professional references and comprehensive background screening.
Whether a family needs a dedicated full-time private chef, a part-time chef, seasonal support, or weekly meal preparation, the right placement begins with an honest understanding of the household. When the chef’s experience, personality, and availability align with the family’s lifestyle, the kitchen becomes what it should be: a seamless and enjoyable part of life at home.
