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How much does private chef cost UK? Hiring a private chef is becoming increasingly popular in the UK with many startups and agencies in the marketplace now. Depending on what you're looking for, we think having an initial consultation is important where you can outline what your budget is per head and then the chef can offer you what is realistic around that price point & based on the number of guests. When booking through a larger platform or website, they will typically charge a commission of up to 25%, so you need to bear this in mind when booking. The experience offered can also vary drastically, with larger companies typically outsourcing all the actual event to freelance contractors rather than working closely with screened candidates. For this reason, we would always recommend booking with a smaller, local service directly who can customise menus to your guests, needs and dietary requirements. Per-event pricing is a fixed fee for the entire event which will cover the chef's initial consultation time, menu planning, procurement of ingredients, transportation & logistics, any on & off site preparation, cooking and cleaning and the administrative time spent while operating as a freelancer or limited company. The typical cost of an 10-guest event is around £680 or £68 per person, at time of writing in January 2024. . What is the difference between a personal chef and a private chef? There are some differences between private and personal chefs, although there's also some crossover between the two. Personal chefs often work on a fixed, permanent contract for an employer, often an UHNW individual. Private chefs might be full time freelancers, or they might do it as a side hustle outside of their main employment. Many of customers book a chef whilst staying in an Airbnb for a family holiday, while on a stag or hen party, or for a special occasion anniversary or birthday dinner. They're also especially popular for families who have children as it eliminates the need for childcare or transportation while dining out at a restaurant. How much does it cost to hire a Michelin star chef? Chefs with an extensive background in Michelin Star restaurants will likely charge a day rate. This could be anywhere from £400 - over £30,000 depend on the profile of the chef and their availability. Anyone who is publicly famous will likely charge thousands while chefs with a smaller public profile will likely charge between £300 - £650 per day. How much does it cost to hire a chef for a week? When hiring a chef for multiple days or a week there will typically be an added cost due to accommodation and the length of the working day involved. If you are looking for breakfast, lunch & dinner, you will need to cover a chef's day rate and potential include overtime if the days are going to be especially busy and long. The best thing to do is to have an initial consultation to discuss what meal services you require so your chef can put together a detailed cost estimate that works for everybody. Do you tip private chefs? We would always recommend tipping a private chef, especially if they are serving you at the table. You should bear in mind that in a restaurant, there could be up to 3-4 people doing the serving, cooking, plating, cleaning & washing up at the same time. So although there are less customers to serve, there can definitely be a lot going on at once! In a world where time is of the essence and culinary experiences are valued more than ever, hiring a private chef has become a popular choice for those seeking a personalized and gourmet dining experience in the comfort of their own homes or holiday rental. How to Get the Best Value Communicate Clearly Clearly communicate your expectations, dietary preferences, and budget constraints upfront. This will allow the chef to work within the budget and parameters to ensure you end up with a great experience that works for all parties. Book in Advance Booking well in advance may secure lower rates and ensure the availability of your preferred chef. Read Reviews Research and read reviews to ensure the chef's style aligns with your culinary preferences. Check out the company's portfolio website & gallery to ensure the food looks appealing and up to date. Hiring a private chef is an investment in a unique culinary experience tailored to your tastes and preferences. By understanding the factors that influence costs and considering hidden expenses, you can make an informed decision to turn your dining dreams into a reality. Whether it's a romantic dinner for two or a grand celebration or special occassion, the cost of hiring a private chef is a small price to pay for the unforgettable memories and exquisite flavors they can bring to your table, leaving you free to enjoy your evening rather than worry about cooking & cleaning.

These little strawberry yoghurt mousse pots are a great little breakfast treat or a light pre-dessert. We use a Thermomix with a steamer attachment to set the yoghurt into the glass jars so we can adjust the flavour and consistency.

When hosting your next party or event, you might be struggling to think of some new wines to offer to your guests. We'd highly recommend trying South African wines having visited the country & wine regions extensively, and in this post we'll go over some of our favourite wine regions of South Africa. Introduction to South African Wine REgions South Africa was a bustling wine scene and offers fantastic value for money compared to Old World wines. The style is a fusion of old & new world, with old world varieties being brought over by Dutch settlers. The sweet Muscat de Frontignan Constantia wine was popular and famous in the West as far back as 1700 and is deservedly still popular in the UK & Europe today and fetches a high but reasonable price when compared with a Sauternes or Mosel valley sweet wine. South Africa has a hot climate meaning bold varieties flourish such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon & the native Pinotage. Cooler microclimates produce good examples of Pinot Noir & Chardonnay and increasingly varieties such as Riesling & Malbec do well. Coastal Region Franschoek Franschoek is setup nicely as a tourist region with tastings readily available and a wine tram available to take you between the different vineyards so there's no need for anyone to drive. The wines of Franschoek are Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon heavy as well as being a centre for production of Method Cap Classique, made in Champagne Traditional Method. Stellenbosch The beautiful Stellenbosch Region produces some great wine, as does the nearby Paarl. The local university has a specialist Viticulture & Oenology unit that trains a lot of South Africa's winemakers. Top Producers from the area include Meerlust, Waterford Estate, Rust en Vrede, Raats Family wines & Rustenberg. Constantia Close to Cape Town is Constantia, home to Klein Constantia & Groot Constantia who both produce some fantastic sweet wines from Muscat de Frontignon which are popular and offer excellent value for money compared to some of the more expensive Old World sweet wines. Elgin The Elgin wine region on the South Coast is a less well known region in the Western cape. The coolest wine region in South Arica and well known for it's apple orchards, it's emerging as a developing wine region. Paul Cluver is one my favourite producers (from anywhere in the globe) and is one of the pioneers of developing the area. We particularly enjoyed the Pinot Noir, Riesling & Noble Late Harvest Riesling from them. Hemel-en-Aarde The Hemel-En-Aarde valley in the Walker Bay district is widely regarded as the Pinot Noir capital of South Africa. Situated close to the seaside town Hermanus, popular with Whale Watchers in the relevant season. Producers in the Hemel-En-Aarde Heaven and Earth in Afrikaans) valley are the popular in the UK Hamilton Russell vineyards, Newton Johnson, Southern Right & Peter Max. Conclusion If you're not sure where to start in choosing matching wines for a meal, hiring a private chef from Yuzu Private Dining would be a great start. With extensive experience in restaurants, visiting the vineyards and wine regions, one of our experts will be able to guide into selecting a match for your food menu.

These crispy fried snacks are a fantastic breakfast, and they’re totally vegan. Sabudana Vada are made from Sago (Tapioca pearls) soaked overnight and mixed with black pepper, Ginger, Garlic and chilli flakes and some curry leaves & peanuts. The patties are deep fried and served with a classic green chutney made from coriander, green chilli & mint. If you'd like to hire a Gujarati private chef, then contact us here and fill in our booking form.

We love making these little cheesy Parmesan Sables for canape parties or as a pre-dinner snack.

These Gujarati rolls are made of Yoghurt, Besan spread out thin and rolled up. Gujarat is a region on the West coast of India around the city of Ahmedabad. It's a major area for the production of pharmaceuticals, with a number of the major producers having production units & offices in the area. They have a unique & distinctive food style, with a sweet & salty palate and some unique dishes. These Khandvi rolls are made by making a mix from Yoghurt & Besan, then spreading it out thin and rolling it up. Its then coated in curry leaves, sesame & mustard seeds which are fried in hot oil. It’s then coated in Grated fresh coconut, curry leaves & tempered mustard seeds. They’re an absolute treat, but definitely not an easy thing to find! You can find a recipie for Khandvi here.

Becoming a private chef is a highly varied and rewarding career choice, which can offer good pay & better working conditions than working in a restaurant or hotel environment. If you're looking for private chef jobs, then this is the post for you. In this post, we'll go over how some of the ways in which you can become a private chef, some of the background & experience you'll need and who to contact. A restaurant or 5* Hotel background Most private chefs will have had an extensive career in restaurants & hotels before moving into private chef jobs. A solid training in Michelin star restaurants and a good all round knowledge of all sections of the kitchen will mean you can deal with any requests that you receive competently & calmly. A superyacht or chalet chef background Some private chefs come from a superyachting & ski chalet background, where you would have similar experience of small teams or cooking single handedly for smaller size families & parties, which can provide a solid foundation for working as a private chef. What skills do you need to be a personal chef? Flexibility is a key skill you will need to become a private chef. Your job is to cook what your client wants or feels like, and being able to quickly respond to requests will make your life both easier and mean they are happier with your work. Time management is also a fundamental part of being a private chef. Without the safety net of an extensive team behind you, running late will be very clear, so it's fundamental that you are able to manage your time effectively and make sure you are running on schedule. Communication skills are vital as you will need to be able to communicate menu & dish ideas in different formats, as well as making sure your clients know what to expect when they book you for an event or private dinner. Marketing & Social Media skills will also be important as you will need to build up a profile in order to take bookings & enquiries from clients. If nobody knows you exist, you won't make much money! Cooking skills are also fairly fundamental! Obviously, having all of the skills above will be helpful, but if you can't put out a good standard of food, then your clients won't be too happy and might be unlikely to rebook you! How much does a private chef make? There can be a huge range of earning potential as a private chef, but it would be possible to earn over £100,000 in 2024 for a chef with a good background working in a UHNW household in London or the surrounding areas. For freelancing and day rate work, you could expect to earn between £300 & £800 per day, depending on the client, job requirements and the chef's background & experience. This could easily be higher for a chef working in Abu Dhabi, Dubai etc. or as a travelling chef who would move around with a family. While starting out or as a freelancer without any permanent contract, this could be significantly lower, although there would be some more freedom with that kind of role that might suit some people better. A private Chef Agency Many private chefs work through a specialist recruitment & freelancing agency who can pool contacts & resources to find jobs & client to work for. They can vary in size from a small independent agency with a few close freelancers working together like Yuzu Private Dining, to a larger specialist recruitment agency who only match people with bookings and take a commission. Booking Platforms There's been an increase in the number of AirBNB style booking platforms. Some of these allow you to pick your own menu & prices, although they often charge a high commission, between 18 - 20% of your total revenue, before deducting any costs. They have a good amount of web traffic so might be able to bring in a regular source of income, however you'll need to make sure you price in their commission & don't get undercut by other local chefs. Some examples are Take a Chef & Yhangry. Private Chef Job Groups Facebook is becoming an increasingly popular way for private chefs to find jobs, including freelancers & private chefs. There's a huge number of groups out there, so monitoring all of them can become difficult to make sure you don't miss the best opportunities out there. They might be themed based on location, so you might find a private chef London group or a freelance job group based in Edinburgh. Conclusion If you're interested in joining our network of freelance private chefs, pop your details into the contact from on our contact page & we'll contact you to discuss and register your details on our website.

Dumplings are one of the best foods you can eat. They're light, healthy & come in different varieties so knowing where to start can be overwhelming for people new to eating Dim Sum. In this post, we'll try to shed some light on some of the most common & popular varieties to help you choose well while you want to order. What are some of the Best Types of Asian Dumplings? Xiao Long Bao What are Xiao Long Bao (Soup DumplingS)? Xiao Long Bao or soup dumplings are one of my all time favourite foods. They're made by mixing the meat mixture (usually pork) with some pork soup jelly and assembling the dumplings while they're still cold. When the dumplings are steamed and hot, this jelly melts back into a soup and gives them a liquid centre. They're typically eaten with chopsticks and a soup spoon. You'll be given some dark, black vinegar with some pickled ginger to go with it. Where can I Try Them? You can get some excellent Xiao Long Bao from Din Tai Fung in Central London (although you should be prepared to pay a bit more than in your average dim sum restaurant), or they're readily available in any good dim sum restaurant. Momos What are momos? Momos are a Tibetan & Nepali dumpling that has grown in popularity across India. They're an interesting fusion of Indochinese influences which make them interesting to try for anyone looking to try something different. Where can I Try Them? In London, you can get Momos from House of Momo. In Edinburgh you could try Momo Nepalese kitchen. Gyoza or Jiaozi What are gyoza? Gyoza or Japanese potstickers are one of the best dumplings. They're typically fried and steamed in the same pan, giving a crispy base and a soft dumplings. The filling can vary, with pork & prawn, pork & chive being some of the more popular flavours. Where can I get them? You can get high quality frozen gyozas in any good Oriental supermarket in any major Chinatown. They'll also be able to sell you some gyoza wrappers if you only want to make the filling and save some time. Wonton Wontons are Cantonese dumplings made from a Wheat Flour dough. The name roughly translates as "swallowing a cloud" and they're most commonly served in a warm bowl of wonton soup with some warm broth. Siu Mai Siu Mai are a unique looking dumpling style, with an open top exposing the pork mixture in the bright yellow wrapper. The filling is normally fatty cuts of pork, meaning they are moist & flavourful. Har GaU Har gau or crystal shrimp dumplings are made with Tapioca & wheat starch dough, giving a characteristic translucent wrapper surrounding the prawn & pork mixture inside. They're a standard item in any dim sum restaurant, and are often considered a test of a dim sum chef's skill. Conclusion Dim Sum and dumplings are fantastic food and one you can find good examples of in almost any city. Hopefully this guide will give you the confidence to know some of the different types of dumplings & order when you feel overwhelmed by a menu and don't know where to start or what to expect from the different types of dumpling.

This Goat's Cheese Tart recipe is cheap, easy & delicious You'll love making these easy Goat's Cheese tarts. Ingredients 4 Shallots, Sliced Thinly 50g Caster Sugar 75g Red Wine Vinegar Aged Balsamic vinegar or Ruby Port. 1 Roll of Shop-Bought Puff Pastry 1 Goat's Cheese log, sliced or crumbled Method Firstly, add the caster sugar to a medium sized pan (with enough room to add the shallots) and put onto a medium heat. Allow the sugar to make a medium coloured caramel before adding the shallots. Allow the water to cook out from the shallots before adding the red wine vinegar & port or balsamic and continue to reduce until sticky, syrupy and making a nice glaze on the shallots. Assembly Lay out the puff pastry sheet flat and cut out shapes using a ring cutter. Fill the centre of the disc shape with the glazed shallots and egg wash the edges. Bake on a Silpat on a metal tray until golden brown. Allow to cool and cover with the goat's cheese disc or crumbles and eat while warm.

Having the best BBQ is fundamental to cooking good food While tools alone won't mean your food comes out to Michelin chef standards, having the right tools will get you moving in the right direction. Here's 5 of our favourites for your next summer party or weekend. Konro Grill The most popular grill in Michelin star restaurants in 2024 due to it's light weight low heat and small footprint. It's often used just to quickly impart a smoky flavour to cooked meats and vegetables rather that to cook them from raw. Big Green Egg The Big Green Egg is a kamado-style grill known for its versatility and ability to grill, smoke, and bake. It's made of high-quality ceramic material, providing excellent heat retention and distribution. It can be fitted with a number of accessories, such as a pizza stone, allowing you to use it as a small pizza oven as well. There's also some high quality tables & custom made benches available, meaning it can look quite classy and elegant in your property as an outdoor entertaining area. Kamado Joe Classic III The Kamado Joe Classic III is a ceramic kamado-style grill known for its durability and innovative features. Popular with food bloggers, YouTubers and Instagram chefs for it's cheaper price point than the Big Green Egg . It includes the SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber for improved smoke and heat distribution. Weber Kettle style Barbecue Weber is a renowned brand in the BBQ world, and they are often praised for their build quality and performance. It features a spacious cooking and airflow controls on the top and the bottom like a firebox, allowing you to control the cooking temperature and do some slow and indirect cooking techniques to give a nice smoked flavour to your meat. Weber Go-Anywhere A portable grill, the Go-Anywhere by Weber is popular for its compact size and versatility. It's ideal for those who want a portable option for camping or tailgating or that packs up nicely in a campervan if heading out on a road trip. Remember that the best BBQ for you depends on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. Consider factors such as size, fuel type, temperature control, and additional features when making your decision. Always check for the latest reviews and customer feedback to ensure that you're getting the most up-to-date information.

Sri Lankan food is having a bit of a moment in London at the moment. With many similarities to Indian food, but it's own individual style, it can tend to be pretty spicy. I was given a tip off by my sister to check it out after she had a great meal, and it did not disappoint and was one of my favourite meals of 2022. Restaurant Paradise, soho Paradise restaurant's website lists it as "Ingredient Focused Cooking with a Fiery Island Accent". There's certainly some excellent produce and cooking on display. We started with some nice cocktails, with some Indian flavours like curry leaf & guava imaginatively used and some homemade tonics in small glass flasks. Most of the dishes were small dishes made for sharing. Some of the highlights were the sea bream & citrus ceviche with orange and grapefruit segments & some umami chilli powder. The grilled prawns were great quality & we loved the scallops with the curry sauce & curry leaf oil. But the dish of the evening was probably the grilled marinated pineapple, served with some fermented red chilli relish & crispy curry leaves in a delightful sauce. Definitely a restaurant worth visiting and one I would happily go back to. The price was extremely reasonable considering the quality of the cooking on offer and I loved the minimal design of the restaurant interior. It is relatively small inside, so you would definitely need to book a table.

Pakora are a great little snack. Made from salted onions, potatoes, spices which is fried twice. We love them served with a nice date & tamarind chutney and sprinkled with some chaat masala.