According to the US Personal Chef Association, ''After two decades of growth and development, the [personal chef] industry is strong and is one of the fastest growing segments in the culinary arts. As a certifying body for the personal chef industry, the United States Personal Chef Association developed and standardized the educational requirements now used across the country in community colleges and culinary schools offering personal chef training and business education.''
According to the Department of Labor Statistics, there are now more than 9,000 private chefs and household cooks, an increase of 4,000 positions since 1992, and the number of personal chefs is expected to double in the next eight years.
The personal chef service industry began in the late 1980s and has grown in popularity as work schedules and commitments have become increasingly hectic and stressful.
''For many, simply finding the time each day to prepare the type and quality of food desired is no longer an option. Without a personal chef service, the alternatives are frequent restaurant visits, fast food outlets, or relying on instant dinners from a box. While this is not their first choice, many households face these minimally acceptable options each and every day,'' according to USPCA’s website.
Unlike private chefs, who work for only one client, personal chefs work for several and are known for prepared meals, custom in-home catering, party assistance, baking, and special services like holiday cooking. Some chefs may cook once a week for their clients, while others may work every other week or once a month, preparing and freezing meals for later consumption. They usually charge around $15 per person for each meal and may have more than a dozen clients, often preparing three or four weeks of meals in a six-hour session.
Though many assume personal chefs are only for the wealthy, clients range from working singles to large families and seniors. Many clients are seniors who find daily cooking too difficult but do not want to go into assisted living. Dishes clients request can range from fine dining to homemade comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, noodle soup, and chicken pot pie.
According to the Memphis Daily News, ''One of the downsides of the business is not being able to control the monthly income as you would with a typical job. [You] must take into account people getting sick or going on vacation. A slow time of the year is between Thanksgiving and Christmas when people attend holiday parties and take vacations.''
Personal chef training programs are offered through the American Personal & Private Chef Institute’s educational branch, and can be taken as home-study courses, live two-day seminar courses, or virtual seminar courses. These courses are the source material for the written certification exam offered through the American Personal & Private Chef Association and the American Culinary Federation Certification Partnership.
