A private chef can give us all the things we love about restaurants in the privacy of our own homes or at a party venue. Win-win! Now, what should we think about when hiring a private chef? If you look online, you can find a lot of businesses and people in your area that offer this service. The last thing you want on your big day is to be sad. Even more so, the last thing we want is for a close friend or loved one who we are planning a special event for to be let down. Here are some useful tips on how to choose a private chef.
Reviews, reviews, reviews
We live in a time when a person's online reputation is important and can tell a lot about them. In the “good old days,” when we had a good or bad experience, we told a few friends or coworkers. We are happy to share with more people these days. Even more so online, where nothing can be kept secret.
Read reviews before choosing your private chef. When reading good reviews, pay close attention to what people have said. If the review is good, it's clear that they liked the whole thing. At the same time, people will pick out two or three things that they really liked. Check to see if you care about the same things.
Again, if someone gives you a bad review, find out what they didn't like. In an ideal world, a private chef wouldn't have any bad reviews. At the same time, everyone has bad days. When there are bad reviews, check to see how they have been answered and if they are recent or from a long time ago.
It's also important to look at “company reviews” separately from “personal reviews.” You can hire a Hibachi chef for private party Fort Worth TX. These are well-known businesses that connect private chefs with people who want to hire them.
Because these companies put more money into online marketing, they are also easier to find online. They will also be mostly well reviewed. Working with a reputable company is great, but you should also find out more about the person who will be cooking at your home or party location.
Knowledge both inside and outside of a professional kitchen
So, let's talk about this person some more.
First, we look at what they've done. Professional kitchen experience is very helpful, especially if the person has worked in many different places over many years. Why, you ask? It's easy to figure out. Experience helps you learn about different kinds of food, styles, and what customers like. Hibachi for birthday party Fort Worth TX with experience would be less likely to cook something “they like” and more likely to prepare what you and your guests would enjoy.
When it comes to going on the road and cooking for a group of people in a new place, experience is just as important. There are a lot of things to arrange and plan. All ingredients need to be purchased and packed for transport. Travel times, picking up waiters, arriving and getting ready, plating and cleaning up must all be done on time. A lot of time and effort goes into the preparation for every dinner.
Safety and health
I don't mean to scare you, but Chefs can make people really sick if they are not following safe working practices. Food related issues are rare but can be severe. It's good that there are rules in place in the UK to reduce the risks that come with handling food. In short, ask your chef if they have an up-to-date Food Hygiene Certificate, Food Safety Management as well as Food, Hygiene and Safety Certificate. The higher Level the better. Even better, if your private chef has carried out a risk assessment. Awareness of some common hazards helps minimize risks.
Talking to people and being flexible
It is difficult to gauge what the evening with the private chef will be like without actually experiencing it. At the same time from a chef's perspective, it is not always practical for private chefs to do a “free dry run” of the event due to expenses and potentially needing to turn down paying customers in order to do that trial.
What you CAN experience ahead of time is how organized, friendly, personable and flexible your chef is when arranging the booking. If you are left feeling confused about the processes, can't get a reply and are only given one menu option with no way of altering it to your requirements… Well, maybe there are other fish in the sea!
