Personal Chef Schools in the U.S.

What Do Personal Chefs Do?

Unlike restaurant chefs, who prepare meals in keeping with the theme or focus of the restaurant, its location, and its clientele, personal chefs focus on one or a handful of clients, preparing meals according to their particular tastes, desires, and needs. They plan, buy ingredients for, and prepare meals for clients. Some personal chefs may prepare meals on a weekly basis and freeze them so that clients may later reheat them as needed, while others may cook to order for one client each day.

Personal chefs keep their clients' dietary and budgetary needs in mind, which presents challenges that often require specialized training. They may even provide cooking and shopping instructions for clients.

Who Do Personal Chefs Work For?

As a personal chef, you may be self-employed, although many work for catering businesses or a growing number of dinner-assembly businesses. Some of them work in-house for businesses or corporations, government agencies, resorts, or nonprofit organizations, preparing meals for a small set of workers or participants on a regular basis. Others work in people's homes, preparing meals for two-income families who have little time to cook or who have special needs--for instance, they are disabled or seniors who are unable to prepare their own meals. Still others are contract employees with restaurants or hotels and are dispatched on a per-event basis to prepare meals for client parties or special events.

What's Involved in Becoming a Personal Chef: Training Requirements

Most personal chefs have at least one year of work experience in food preparation and service, and some type of formal schooling; the most common preparation is an associate's degree in culinary arts. Such training covers topics like

• Knife techniques
• Use and care of kitchen equipment
• Nutrition
• Menu planning
• Portion control
• Food storage and sanitation methods
• Food service management
• Inventory and purchasing

Additional certification from the American Culinary Federation (ACF) can also improve your salary and advancement opportunities.

While it's possible to become a personal chef without formal schooling--the food service industry is one in which workers don't have to pursue post-secondary training--those with the most opportunities do have this training. If you're concerned about the costs of such a program, know that there are many options for financial aid available to you, either through scholarships, grants, federal aid, and loans. Check out Chef2Chef's Financial Aid Guide for information.

Personal Chef Salary and Job Outlook

This small segment of food service workers is growing rapidly. In fact, the American Personal & Private Chef Institute & Association says that the profession is comprised of 9,000 people, but that number is projected to double in the next five years. Salaries for personal chefs vary widely depending on the employer, the number of hours worked (part- or full-time), and a variety of other factors. They report that member chefs earn from $200 to $500 an hour, depending on the market.

The majority of these jobs are found in areas with wealthy residents, business conventions, and resort destinations. The top cities for personal chefs are Atlanta, Beverly Hills, New York, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Palm Beach.