Picture the scene

It’s a special occasion. The Cannes Film Festival perhaps or the Monaco Grand Prix? Throwing a birthday party or celebrating an anniversary? Whatever the event, it’s definitely a time to relax and experience some truly memorable food amongst good company. That’s where Amandine comes in. Our chefs will take care of all the shopping, chopping, preparing, perfecting and serving. You simply enjoy the company of your guests while we take care of the rest.

Many of our chefs are used to catering for large numbers and have experience of working for corporate as well as private functions. So if you’re looking for someone reliable, professional and personable to cater your event then look no further.

We can also help to find waiting staff or bar staff for smaller functions. We should mention however that we are not event caterers or party organisers. If this is what you’re looking for then we would be happy to recommend people that we know are very good. We can also put you in touch with companies that hire out equipment, crockery, cutlery or glassware.

Request a Chef

    If you would like to know more about any of our services or have a specific request then please complete the form below and we will be in touch with you shortly. Alternatively you can call us on +33 (0)9 67 31 96 62, +44 (0)207 193 7306 or +1 954 607 2153

    Test a chef

    What to expect

    Right first time

    Great chefs select the finest ingredients, and fine tune their dishes drawing on years of experience and detailed knowledge. At Amandine, we work the same way. We don’t throw endless CVs at you, hoping something sticks. Instead, you get a hand-picked shortlist of chefs, filtered initially using 40 different levels of compatibility including ability, style, character, location and availability. The end result: right chef first time!

    Read more about our carefully tailored and rigorous process:

    Chef Selection

    All of our chefs have to complete a 7 stage application process online before they are even considered for an interview. Many other agencies ask only for a CV and written references but at Amandine our in depth registration process requires our chefs to answer over 70 questions relating to their job preferences, style of cooking, work experience, location, availability and detailed employer references that we check verbally. Once they have completed this process our team then review the quality of their application and only the most promising of chefs get to the next stage of being interviewed.

    Interview & Skills Test

    Every candidate recommended by Amandine will have been interviewed - and we don't just mean a quick telephone chat. We conduct at least an hour-long interview either face to face or via video skype. All of our chefs will tell you that the Amandine interview isn't quite like other recruitment or crew consultants. We talk extensively about food with our chefs and take time to really get to know their individual stories and what makes them tick. When required we conduct skills tests in the Amandine kitchen and all of our chefs are offered the chance to cook a trial dinner for our judging panel of industry experts in order to become an accredited Amandine chef.

    Getting to know you

    We like to try and meet our customers in person. We think it’s a better (and much nicer) way to do business. And after all, it’s just as important to get to know you as well as we know our chefs if we’re to get the mix right. If we aren't able to meet with you to discuss your request, we always follow up by phone to find out as much about your specific requirements as possible. The more details we can obtain from you about the kind of food you or your guests like and the type of chef you are looking for the more likely we are to find you the right match.

    Compatibility Matching

    After confirming your request for a chef we put a shortlist of suitable candidates together. Our proprietary software allows us to search for the right chef using at least 40 different criteria to create an initial list of candidates that "on paper" fit with your requirements. From here we then fine-tune the selection based on our knowledge of the individual chef, discussing the role with them and further cross-referencing your criteria with our notes and other information such as previous employee references. Normally we recommend a short list of no more than 3 candidates who we think are suitable unless specifically asked for more. If there is just one chef who perfectly matches all your criteria then we will only recommend that one chef rather than ten others who aren't suitable.

    Verifying Chefs' Details

    In addition to thoroughly verifying all documents, written references and qualifications we speak to at least two verbal references for each candidate. These have to be people that the chef has worked for in the past two years or their most recent two jobs.

    Personal Service

    When we recommend a chef we provide a personalised profile that summarises the key relevant experience of the candidate and any personal details worth noting. The aim of this is to give you more of a personal picture of the chef and to share with you some of the details we have uncovered that you may not find out on a CV. We provide sample menus for all of our chefs when we send you their profiles along with references and food photos on request.

    Private Client (Crans Montana)
    “I’m happy we found your services everything was very smooth and professional. Chef Eric made our holiday”
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    Our week with Eric was fantastic, he’s really made our holiday a holiday.

    His meals were wonderful, delicious and innovative and he really understood what we needed from our initial discussion. He was patient, flexible and calm in a chalet full of chaos with 7 small children and 7 adults.

    Eric is also just a really nice guy who was a pleasure to have around and it really felt like he took great joy in our happiness in the tasty dishes he created. We wish we could have Eric as a personal chef 365 days a year!

    I’m happy we found your services Kate, everything was very smooth and professional.

    Many thanks

    Zsofia,
    Private Client (Crans Montana)
    Private Client
    We had the most superb holiday, five days none of us will ever forget… and one of the reasons was the brilliance of chef François.
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    Dear Kate

    Many thanks. We had the most superb holiday, five days none of us will ever forget. Truly wonderful – and one of the reasons was the brilliance of Francois.

    I have sent him an email “reference” for his website. It says exactly what we all thought about him. What he cooked for us was absolutely superb in every way – and he couldn’t have been nicer.

    He looked after us for the five days of our stay in St Paul de Vence. There were six of us and we are all agreed that his selections of what to give us for breakfast, lunch and dinner were superb and his cooking outstanding. Before we met him, he gave us a list of the menus he liked to cook, so we knew what to expect. Every meal we had was based on fresh local produce bought that day from the market. That includes the croissants and the bread we had at breakfast, the wonderful salads we had at lunch, and the fish and meat we ate. Every dish was prepared beautifully, and tasted wonderful.

    Chef Francois consulted us each day about what we might like to eat. (He made a point of asking if any of us had things we couldn’t eat so, if necessary, he could make an alternative choice). We asked for a light lunch, two courses usually, a salad followed by fish, and then a three course meal in the evening. On our last night, his piece de resistance was an incredible chocolate soufflé that was light as a feather and absolutely delicious.

    Chef Francois himself could not have been nicer or more easy to deal with. He is a most charming man. He speaks perfect English. We can only say that he gave us a gastronomic experience that we will never forget. It made our holiday truly memorable.

    I cannot recommend him too highly.

    You have a truly gifted chef on your books – and one of the nicest people one could meet, a winning combination.

    Francis Bennett,
    Private Client
    Director, 5* Luxury Chalet Company, French & Swiss Alps
    “Amandine are always supremely honest about a candidate’s suitability, quick to respond and hugely efficient”
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    At Bramble Ski and Haute Montagne we need world class chefs, sometimes at short notice, they have to have a very broad repertoire to suit our international clientele and be great with the guests.  Kate, Nicola and the team at Amandine have always been our go-to agency. Amandine totally understand our products, are always supremely honest about a candidate’s suitability, quick to respond and hugely efficient. I have used them for several years and look forward to many more years of collaboration!

    Natasha Robertson,
    Director, 5* Luxury Chalet Company, French & Swiss Alps
    Sea-Alliance Group
    “With challenging tasks and very tight timeframes, you put all your effort into ensuring that the chefs you suggested were a good fit for our requirements.”
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    We were very happy with the highly professional service that we received from the Amandine team. With challenging tasks and very tight timeframes, you put all your effort into ensuring that the chefs you suggested were a good fit for our requirements. It’s been a pleasure to work with Amandine and we look forward to working with you again in future.

    Emma Eriksson,
    Sea-Alliance Group
    Chef
    “Amandine is what I believe both chefs and clients need from an agent.”
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    What is Amandine to me? Amandine is what I believe both chefs and clients need from an agent. Kate got to know me before she considered me for any positions. She finds out all she can about the clients with whom she suggests a match for placement and then runs the position past me before putting me forward on as informed a basis as she possibly can with the facts available to her. I went freelance in summer 2011 and Kate has found me short term placements over the greater part of the summer and into the winter. Amandine is my first port of call when I am looking for my next assignment.

    Fiona Thomas,
    Chef
    Sailing Yacht Marie (54m)
    “…incredibly professional, quickly compiling a selection of top quality candidates that not only matched but surpassed all criteria given.”
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    Thank you for all your help in our search for a high end Private Chef. You were incredibly professional, quickly compiling a selection of top quality candidates complete with references and tailored menu plans that not only matched but surpassed all criteria given.

    We will certainly be employing your services in the future.

    Thanks and best regards,
    Emily

    Emily Zobel,
    Sailing Yacht Marie (54m)
    Private Client (Mandelieu)
    “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do a holiday without a chef now, such a game changer!!”
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    Lisa was fantastic! She put together a great menu, exactly what we wanted and we enjoyed everything she made. She was extremely organised, calm and tidy in the kitchen and worked discreetly and efficiently given the kitchen is small and everything was new. We were able to relax and enjoy our lunches and dinners knowing everything was in hand. She was a pleasure to have around and we all thoroughly appreciated her help.

    Thank you for all your help with the booking, your timely replies and sourcing appropriate chefs to meet our brief. We were thrilled with the result and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend your services to any friends and family. I’m not sure I’ll be able to do a holiday without a chef now, such a game changer!!

    Aileen Tappin,
    Private Client (Mandelieu)
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