A professional private chef's responsibilities cover the full food service lifecycle, from initial planning through post-service cleanup:
Menu planning and consultation: Before the engagement, the chef works with you to design a menu aligned to your preferences, dietary requirements, and occasion. This may be a brief WhatsApp conversation for a single dinner, or a multi-day tasting menu consultation for a week-long villa stay. The menu plan sets the grocery list, identifies sourcing requirements, and allows any allergen or preference flags to be resolved before service day.
Market and grocery sourcing: At myCHEF, groceries are provided at cost — the chef sources all ingredients and charges you the exact market price with no markup. This is a core part of the role: a private chef who knows which wet market to visit for which produce, and what to look for in terms of freshness and quality, is not the same as using a delivery service. The sourcing decision directly affects the quality of your meal.
Mise en place and kitchen preparation: The chef arrives at the villa at the agreed time (typically 2-4 hours before service for a dinner), organises the kitchen workspace, and begins mise en place — the professional kitchen practice of preparing, portioning, and organising every element of a dish before cooking begins. This stage determines whether service will be smooth or rushed.
Cooking and plating: The core of the role. A trained private chef manages multiple dishes in sequence, times the service to ensure nothing is cold or overcooked, and plates each course to a presentation standard appropriate for the occasion and the food type.
Service coordination: In a villa setting without dedicated waitstaff, the chef often manages plate delivery as well as cooking — moving between the kitchen and dining area. For larger or more formal events, myCHEF can provide dedicated service staff to allow the chef to focus entirely on the kitchen. See our fine dining service page for full-service setups.
Kitchen cleanup: After service, the chef is responsible for returning the kitchen to its original state: washing up, disposing of waste properly, storing any leftover ingredients, and ensuring the villa kitchen is clean. Most clients specify whether they want the chef to clean as they go (preferred for multi-course dinners where kitchen cleanliness between courses matters) or clean at the end.
