A Matter of Taste
Personal Chef Service
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a personal chef?
A personal chef serves different clients and provides multiple meals that are customized to each client's particular tastes, dietary and food allergy requirements. These meals are packaged and stored according to the client's preferences to be enjoyed at their leisure.
Where are the meals prepared?
All the meals are prepared in the safety of your own kitchen, according to required food safety guidelines. On our agreed upon cook date, I will bring all the ingredients, utensils and equipment required to prepare your selections. At the end of the day, your kitchen will be left clean with nothing left behind except your delicious selections and the aroma of good home cooking.
How is a personal chef different from the new supper club concept?
The supper club concept has two major franchises currently operating in the U.S. and is catching on quickly in many areas. Basically, a menu of about 12 items that change monthly and that have general mass appeal is developed by the corporate office. The franchisee then offers the set menu at a storefront location, much like a franchised restaurant offers a corporate developed menu. The franchisee then provides the prepped ingredients for the set menu, which costs around $200. The customer schedules a time with numerous other people to assemble the meals at the location, this takes approximately two hours. The customer carries the assembled meals home, however, still has to cook them. If you require more than 12 meals each month for your family, you do the same 12 meals all over again.
Although the supper club concept works for people who still have the time to assemble ingredients and cook, an in-home personal chef service is highly personalized and the personal chef does everything for you. A personal chef works with their client's schedule and strives to meet the individual needs and preferences of each client. All the client has to do is heat and enjoy delicious, home cooked meals.
Why can't you cook everything in your home and deliver it to me?
Health department and zoning laws prohibit it. If a personal chef offers to deliver your meals, please ask them: Did you prepare them in a licensed, inspected commercial kitchen? Cooking everything at your home provides you with the freshest, safest food possible. A Matter of Taste will make every effort to make your service date as unobtrusive as possible.
How long will you be in my home?
Because all your meals are prepared from scratch with great care, I will be at your home anywhere from four to eight hours depending on the number of entrees you have selected. I will make every effort to accommodate your schedule.
What will you store the food in?
I will offer you several options at the initial consultation. This will range from disposable to a permanent Pyrex type container. Simply wash the containers in your dishwasher after you have enjoyed the meal and leave them in a predetermined location.
Do I heat the food?
Yes. The entrees and side dishes should be heated using the approximate heating instructions I provide. Heating instructions are approximate because all ovens and microwaves vary. Some fish and seafood dishes may be partially cooked by me and left for you to finish cooking so that they can be enjoyed at the peak of flavor. Those items will be clearly labeled.
What type of side dishes do you prepare?
Side dishes will be a seasonal fresh vegetable, potato, rice, pasta, grain, salad or bread. You may request a specific item or allow me to pair an appropriate side dish.
The cost seems to be about the same as what I would pay at a restaurant, why is that?
The fee represents all the components that make up the professional personal chef service. This includes a detailed assessment of your needs and dietary requirements, menu research and planning, shopping for ingredients, meal preparation, packaging and storing your selections. The cost of groceries is over and above my fee, this allows you to make premium menu selections such as veal, lamb or seafood if desired. You would buy groceries anyway, you are hiring me to cook them in a highly personalized way, tailored to your specific tastes.
A personal chef service may even help you to control your food costs, you will be less likely to impulse buy in the grocery store or resort to low-quality fast food, convenience food or restaurant food. Have you ever purchased fresh produce or meat with the intention of cooking and never got around to it, then had to throw it out?
When do you shop for my food?
I shop for the ingredients including produce, meat and seafood on the scheduled cook date. Since I am shopping prior to arriving at your home, I will be happy to pick up a few additional items you may need (milk, diapers, pet food etc.) for reimbursement.
Is it possible to order only one or two entrees?
I'm sorry that I cannot offer that type of service, because it still takes pretty much the same amount of time to produce half the food. As a professional personal chef, in order for my business to be profitable and offer my clients the best value -- three entrees, two servings each is the least amount of food I can offer.
How do I pay for the service and am I obligated for a period of time?
A check for the personal chef service in addition to the grocery deposit will be required in advance of the first cook date. Payment is required in advance because I am reserving an entire day for you. Service dates are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Because our relationship is based on mutual trust, please have a check ready for me when I arrive on each subsequent cook date. Our mutual arrangement can be terminated by either of us at any time with two days notice.
A Matter of Taste, Personal Chef Service
Tenna Ingle
(770) 487-7470
(770) 380-9860
cheftenna@personalchef.com
A personal chef serves different clients and provides multiple meals that are customized to each client's particular tastes, dietary and food allergy requirements. These meals are packaged and stored according to the client's preferences to be enjoyed at their leisure.
Where are the meals prepared?
All the meals are prepared in the safety of your own kitchen, according to required food safety guidelines. On our agreed upon cook date, I will bring all the ingredients, utensils and equipment required to prepare your selections. At the end of the day, your kitchen will be left clean with nothing left behind except your delicious selections and the aroma of good home cooking.
How is a personal chef different from the new supper club concept?
The supper club concept has two major franchises currently operating in the U.S. and is catching on quickly in many areas. Basically, a menu of about 12 items that change monthly and that have general mass appeal is developed by the corporate office. The franchisee then offers the set menu at a storefront location, much like a franchised restaurant offers a corporate developed menu. The franchisee then provides the prepped ingredients for the set menu, which costs around $200. The customer schedules a time with numerous other people to assemble the meals at the location, this takes approximately two hours. The customer carries the assembled meals home, however, still has to cook them. If you require more than 12 meals each month for your family, you do the same 12 meals all over again.
Although the supper club concept works for people who still have the time to assemble ingredients and cook, an in-home personal chef service is highly personalized and the personal chef does everything for you. A personal chef works with their client's schedule and strives to meet the individual needs and preferences of each client. All the client has to do is heat and enjoy delicious, home cooked meals.
Why can't you cook everything in your home and deliver it to me?
Health department and zoning laws prohibit it. If a personal chef offers to deliver your meals, please ask them: Did you prepare them in a licensed, inspected commercial kitchen? Cooking everything at your home provides you with the freshest, safest food possible. A Matter of Taste will make every effort to make your service date as unobtrusive as possible.
How long will you be in my home?
Because all your meals are prepared from scratch with great care, I will be at your home anywhere from four to eight hours depending on the number of entrees you have selected. I will make every effort to accommodate your schedule.
What will you store the food in?
I will offer you several options at the initial consultation. This will range from disposable to a permanent Pyrex type container. Simply wash the containers in your dishwasher after you have enjoyed the meal and leave them in a predetermined location.
Do I heat the food?
Yes. The entrees and side dishes should be heated using the approximate heating instructions I provide. Heating instructions are approximate because all ovens and microwaves vary. Some fish and seafood dishes may be partially cooked by me and left for you to finish cooking so that they can be enjoyed at the peak of flavor. Those items will be clearly labeled.
What type of side dishes do you prepare?
Side dishes will be a seasonal fresh vegetable, potato, rice, pasta, grain, salad or bread. You may request a specific item or allow me to pair an appropriate side dish.
The cost seems to be about the same as what I would pay at a restaurant, why is that?
The fee represents all the components that make up the professional personal chef service. This includes a detailed assessment of your needs and dietary requirements, menu research and planning, shopping for ingredients, meal preparation, packaging and storing your selections. The cost of groceries is over and above my fee, this allows you to make premium menu selections such as veal, lamb or seafood if desired. You would buy groceries anyway, you are hiring me to cook them in a highly personalized way, tailored to your specific tastes.
A personal chef service may even help you to control your food costs, you will be less likely to impulse buy in the grocery store or resort to low-quality fast food, convenience food or restaurant food. Have you ever purchased fresh produce or meat with the intention of cooking and never got around to it, then had to throw it out?
When do you shop for my food?
I shop for the ingredients including produce, meat and seafood on the scheduled cook date. Since I am shopping prior to arriving at your home, I will be happy to pick up a few additional items you may need (milk, diapers, pet food etc.) for reimbursement.
Is it possible to order only one or two entrees?
I'm sorry that I cannot offer that type of service, because it still takes pretty much the same amount of time to produce half the food. As a professional personal chef, in order for my business to be profitable and offer my clients the best value -- three entrees, two servings each is the least amount of food I can offer.
How do I pay for the service and am I obligated for a period of time?
A check for the personal chef service in addition to the grocery deposit will be required in advance of the first cook date. Payment is required in advance because I am reserving an entire day for you. Service dates are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Because our relationship is based on mutual trust, please have a check ready for me when I arrive on each subsequent cook date. Our mutual arrangement can be terminated by either of us at any time with two days notice.
A Matter of Taste, Personal Chef Service
Tenna Ingle
(770) 487-7470
(770) 380-9860
cheftenna@personalchef.com
