Chefs make house calls, can prepare 10 days’ worth of meals in the client’s kitchen.
The Press Enterprise:
Lynn Thilman worked in sales and marketing for a travel agency for about 20 years. She was happy and doing well, but when the Internet began competing with travel agents, her job was cut. ‘It was not as rewarding as it had been,’ said Thilman, 49. ‘The face of the industry was changing dramatically.’
So, 4 years ago, her alias - ‘The Food Fare-e’ - was born. She’s now a certified personal chef, based in Edwardsville, Mo.
The personal chef industry is a relatively young one and is separate from restaurants. It even has a trade association, the United States Personal Chef Association, which says it’s a $100 million industry today that is expected to grow to about $150 million over 5 years.
Many personal chefs leave jobs in restaurants - or even nonfood jobs - to pursue their love of cooking by working for themselves, in someone else’s kitchen. ‘I wanted to do something that I would really enjoy, and hopefully I could help my clients add to their quality of life,’ she said.
Chefs are paid a flat rate per cooking session, do the grocery shopping on their clients’ dime and pay for their own cooking utensils. This business model is more attractive than running a restaurant because personal chefs don’t have to worry about rent, electric bills or salaries for other chefs, waiters and hostesses.
For a family of f4, Thilman charges $495 and everything is included. The food prepared will last up to 10 nights.
Personal chefs are almost always associated with the wealthy, but experts say busy, working families are hiring personal chefs as disposable income grows. Personal chefs tout their ability to provide custom meals that cater to clients’ specific needs.
With dietary and health issues being the main ingredient for healthful living, people are concerned more about what they eat, said Robert Hertel, chair of hospitality studies at St. Louis Community College.
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