Ensure your job preferences are accurate and up to date

We use the details in your profile and particularly your job preferences to shortlist you for suitable jobs. Therefore if your details aren't correct then you might miss out on being con-sidered for your perfect job.

Regularly update your "Ideal Job"

What you are looking for when you initially register with us will no doubt change over time. Therefore make sure you update us regularly on the kind of job you are looking for so we can be sure to find you what you want.

Upload all current certificates & qualifications

If you apply for a position and we don't have current certificates and qualifications on file for you it may at best delay the process of your application or at worst mean that you get side-lined for another chef whose certificates are all up to date.

Keep your CV up to date

We’re interested in your most up to date work experience, so whether you’ve just finished a season on a yacht or simply cooked a private dinner for local client, make sure to add it to your CV and upload to your online profile. We suggest updating your CV at least every 6 months.

Upload menus and food photos

We don't recommend any chefs to our clients unless we have sample menus on file for them - it helps us to understand more about your style and repertoire. Tailored menus can always be provided at a later stage when we have specific guest preferences but in the first instance sample menus are still important. These days food photos are becoming an increasing requirement by our clients so you might miss out on being considered for a job if we don't have any on file for you!

Keep your location current

Just relocated? Let us know! By logging on to your Chef’s Corner profile and updating your current location, you may be opening up your opportunities for work simply by keeping your location details relevant.

Update your availability and tell us if you're looking for work or not

Keep us posted on whether you are actively seeking work by simply clicking on the Job Search Status on your profile. We will then contact you with prospective jobs accordingly. And if you're looking for freelance, seasonal or ad hoc work, let us know when you are available by using our helpful availability calendar on your profile. Don't forget that if you don't log in to your profile for over 6 weeks we will automatically change your job search status to "not looking".

General Responsibilities of a Private Chef

The following is a list of typical responsibilities of a private chef or yacht chef. Some of these responsibilities will vary depending on the seniority of the position and the type of job, whether on land or at sea, the number of other staff employed, the number of guests and of course any specific requests from the client. However, it is best to assume that unless otherwise stated you will be responsible for the following:

– Planning menus (liaising with the client before the job starts and agreeing menu plans)
– Managing special dietary requests & preferences
– Agreeing & managing a budget for food
– Food Provisioning – either sourcing your own suppliers or using the preferred suppliers stipulated by the client
– Keeping kitchen /galley spotlessly clean including dry stores, fridges & freezers which may not be in the kitchen/galley space
– Setting table & serving for up to 10-12 guests in a villa and if you are the Chef/Stewardess on a yacht
– Washing Up
– Emptying rubbish during and at the end of every day

Insurance for land based chefs

If you are cooking for clients on land then you must have your own professional indemnity insurance.

Manage the Customer's expectations

Whilst we will do everything we can to give you as much information about the job before we put you forward, it is important that once you have direct contact with the client you discuss and clarify the specific requirements of the job directly with your employer. If the job is long term then you should be given a job description, but for short-term placements, it is vital that you have clear guidelines from your employer indicating exactly what is expected of you before you start the job.

Equally, if you have a certain way of working and there are specific things that you need, to be able to do your job properly, then please make the employer aware at the very start of your job – or before you even begin if possible.

Presenting Yourself & Representing Amandine

LOOK PROFESSIONAL
Your general appearance should be clean and tidy. Unless otherwise specified or agreed with your client ALWAYS wear a clean white chefs jacket with black trousers and black flat shoes. If you would rather wear full chef’s whites then this is acceptable too. Please DO NOT wear branded uniforms. If you have long hair, ensure it is tied back. Please avoid using cookery books on the job – if you need to refer to a recipe then do so discreetly.

BE ON TIME
Arrive on time and serve your food on time. Liaise with the client and agree what time meals should be served. If for any reason you are late in arriving then call ahead to let the customer know. If your meal is going to be delayed, it is better to advise the client as soon as you are aware of this rather than waiting and serving the food late without any warning. Many clients have zero tolerance when it comes to food being late!

NO SMOKING & NO ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
Under no circumstances should you smoke or drink whilst working. This includes during your breaks. Please also ensure that you don’t arrive smelling of smoke.

Site Visits

For short-term placements we encourage you to do a site visit of where you will be cooking prior to the job starting (when it’s practical and feasible of course). If possible we will try and arrange this for you although often it may be easier to liaise directly with the client to arrange this once we have put you in touch with them.

Equipment

You must take your own knives and for short term jobs on land, if there is any specific equipment that you need it is best to take it with you – do not rely on villa or chalet kitchens being well equipped. It is always best to check with the client beforehand to see if the equipment you need is available to you (that’s if you are unable to arrange a site visit to find out for yourself!). Yacht galleys are usually well-equipped however if you have your ‘must haves’ then take them along just in case.

Cleaning the kitchen

You are expected to deep clean the kitchen/galley after every service, this includes emptying the rubbish, sweeping and mopping the floor and ensuring all work surfaces and cooking equipment (hob, oven and pots and pans) are properly cleaned and tidied up. Please pay particular attention when cleaning the kitchen to use the appropriate materials and products so as not to damage or scratch any surfaces.

Damages/Kitchen Inspection

We strongly recommend that you thoroughly inspect the kitchen or galley before you start the job and where there are already breakages, scratches, burn marks or stains please ensure you make the client aware before you start the job and document it with photographs and in writing to Amandine so that any damage to the kitchen is not wrongly blamed on you.

Menu Planning, Food Provisioning & Budgeting

Some clients know exactly what they want to eat and others will be looking to you for inspiration. Liaise with the client up front to plan menus and to understand what sort of food they will be expecting you to cook.

Some customers will want only the best Wagyu or Kobe beef, and others will be happy for you to buy it from the local supermarket. Our point is that no two customers are the same, so it’s important to ask the client if they have a preference for where they would like you to shop. Often clients have their own suppliers that they like you to use and even though we would like it to be the case, not all clients want to spend money on the best and most expensive ingredients.

Ask the client to provide a budget (even if an estimate) for the food either per person, per day or per week and make sure they give you an allowance for food up front. We do not recommend you pay for food out of your own pocket. Agree exactly when the client would like to sit down and reconcile costs with you. We suggest this is done on a weekly basis. When doing your food provisioning make sure you keep ALL your receipts for everything you’ve purchased and present these back to the client in an organized manner. If you do not have a receipt to show proof of purchase then it is possible that the client may deduct this amount from your salary.

Food Wastage

We encourage all our chefs to avoid wasting food, however we know that in some circumstances it’s difficult to avoid wastage. Our advice is simply to make sure you discuss these sorts of things with the client up front and wherever possible be creative and resourceful in using up ingredients already available to you.

If a client asks you to work for them directly

Please be aware that our clients enter into a contract with Amandine when booking any chef. The terms of this contract state that a client is not allowed to contact the Chef directly to ask them to work for them for a period of 18 months after the initial introduction. If the client does talk to you directly or contact you asking you to work for them again (or if they want to extend your contract) we kindly ask that you refer them back to Amandine to confirm the booking. Unfortunately, if we find that a Chef has been booked directly by a client with whom we have made the initial introduction we will no longer work with that chef and they immediately be removed from our books. If in any doubt, please call us and ask for help.

Total Transparency of Costs

Amandine firmly believe in honesty and transparency when it comes to pricing and we do not believe in surprising our customers with extra and additional costs at the end of a job. Therefore, when you provide Amandine with a quote for your fee, please make sure it includes TVA/VAT. Please also make sure that you provide details of any expenses that you expect to be re-imbursed for. If you do not make us aware of this up front we will assume it is included within the price you have quoted. We do not expect you to include the cost of the food in your prices unless we specifically ask you to provide this.

Payment Terms/Contract

Amandine specialize in the introduction and placement of professional chefs to prospective employers, their representatives and or agents. Our role is that of an introduction agency and we charge our clients an Introduction Fee for our services. Amandine do not pay your (the Chefs) fee. We ask that our clients pay you directly on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. It is important that you make us aware of any specific payment terms you may have, before being put forward for a job so that we can advise the client upfront. For positions that last less than a month we suggest that a client pays you at the end of the job. For longer terms positions we suggest that the client pays you at the end of the months that you are working and the remaining amount at the end of your contract if the contract finishes before the end of the month. If you do not make us aware of your own specific terms then we will revert to the above structure of payment as standard.

If a contract is not provided by the client the candidate is expected to be set up as self employed in the country where they are a declared tax resident.

We're here for you

Don’t forget that we’re here to help you. If you aren’t happy in your job for whatever reason then please pick up the phone and talk to us so that we can try and help. If you have any questions or concerns about anything then don’t hesitate to contact us any day any time.