Getting a chef whose cooking suits your household, not their showreel

A personal chef who understands your household is worth far more than one with a prestigious restaurant pedigree. The difference between a hire that works and one that leaves you frustrated isn't always about technical skill—it's about alignment. You might love that a candidate trained under a Michelin-starred kitchen, but if they default to elaborate plating when your family eats at 6 p.m. on weeknights and rarely entertains, you've hired the wrong person for your life.

Getting this right starts before you even see a CV. A chef's showreel—their previous employers, awards, or the complexity of their past menus—tells you what they *can* do, not what they'll *want* to do for you. The cook who thrives on preparing restaurant-quality tasting menus may resent being asked to make school lunch boxes or adapt recipes for someone's preferences. Equally, a chef trained to cook at volume for events might struggle with the intimacy of learning a single household's rhythms and preferences.

What matters instead is whether they're genuinely interested in *your* routine, your tastes, and your actual day-to-day needs. This is the core question that separates a good hire from a mismatch.

What your household needs from them

Before you contact anyone, be clear about what cooking actually happens in your home. Are you feeding a family of five where meals need to fit around school runs and sports? Is it two people working late who want a simple dinner ready at 7 p.m.? Are there non-negotiable dietary requirements—allergies, religious restrictions, medical conditions, or strong preferences—that will shape every menu? Do you want variety or are you fine with a trusted rotation of reliable meals? Do you entertain frequently, or is this purely for household eating?

Write these down. They're not constraints to apologise for; they're the job description. A chef who doesn't fit should not apply, and you should not hire them out of politeness or because they're available.

When you speak to candidates, resist the urge to be impressed by their résumé alone. Instead, describe a typical week in your household. Tell them what happened the last time you tried to cook for your family. Mention the dish everyone asks for, the ingredient nobody will eat, the time constraint that's non-negotiable. Watch how they respond. A good fit will ask clarifying questions, offer practical suggestions, and seem genuinely interested in solving *your* problem—not eager to demonstrate what they've learned at a fancy kitchen.

Ask them how they'd approach a menu if you had three nights a week for them to cook, and half your family are seafood lovers while the other half won't touch it. Ask what they'd do if someone's tastes changed mid-contract or you needed to shift to lower-sodium meals. The right chef will explain how they'd adapt; the wrong one might imply that compromise is beneath them.

Matching their cooking style to yours

A chef's *style* matters as much as their skill. One person might cook every dish from first principles, using whole ingredients and minimal shortcuts. Another might work efficiently with quality prepared components, frozen stocks, or trusted sauces—equally professional, completely different approach. Neither is wrong; one might be perfect for your home and the other disastrous.

During your first conversation, ask them directly:

• How do they feel about cooking the same meals regularly if your family requests them?
• Do they prefer working with set weekly menus planned in advance, or would they rather respond to what's in the market?
• How do they handle dietary restrictions—as a creative puzzle or a frustration?
• Will they meal prep and freeze portions, or cook fresh each time they're in your kitchen?
• What's their approach to shopping—will they use your preferred grocers, loyalty programmes, and budget constraints?

Their answers will tell you whether they're genuinely suited to *your* household or just taking a job. A mismatch here won't improve over time; it'll grow into resentment on both sides.

When you're ready to move forward, find a chef on Strove whose approach genuinely fits your household's reality, and arrange a trial meal or consultation. That conversation will confirm whether the alignment you're sensing is real.