Hiring a private chef at home: how a memorable dinner comes together

When you hire a private chef at home, I bring the ingredients and equipment, cook and serve the whole menu, and clean the kitchen at the end. You get to stay with your guests, and the evening runs at your own pace, with no reservations and no watching the clock.

I’m a trained chef and have cooked in Helsinki restaurants, in Italy and briefly in a Michelin-starred kitchen; I’ve run this business in the Helsinki region since 2012. Here’s how the evening works, what you need to sort out beforehand, and what shapes the price.

What does a private chef do during the evening?

I handle the whole dinner, from menu planning to the last plate. I arrive about three hours before your guests with the ingredients and specialist equipment, lay the table and start the prep.

Once your guests are there, I cook and serve every course myself. A typical menu has four or five courses: a welcome from the kitchen, a starter, an intermediate course (often a granita or sorbet), the main course and dessert. With each one I tell you briefly what’s on the plate and why the wine works with it. To finish, I make espresso and cappuccino on the espresso machine I bring along.

While everyone moves on to coffee, I clean the kitchen and leave it at least as I found it. Glasses and plates used to the end can stay in the dishwasher.

Is an ordinary home kitchen enough?

Yes. A normal stove and oven are all I need, and I bring any specialist equipment myself. For nine or more guests I ask about your kitchen in advance so I can plan the work around the space.

From roughly 10–12 guests upwards, I bring a server or kitchen helper when needed. A private chef dinner works for 2–15 guests. Parties of around 20 or more I handle as catering, which you’ll find on the page for my other services.

How do I prepare?

Your part is small: tell me the number of guests, any allergies and your wishes, and buy the wine. Everything else is on me.

The price includes menu planning, wine recommendations, ingredients, cooking, service, table setting, espresso drinks and clean-up. Drinks, tableware and table linen are not included. You buy the wines based on my recommendations. I pick wines that are good (rated at least 4.0 on Vivino) and available at Alko, and I can plan an alcohol-free pairing too. If your own tableware won’t stretch far enough, you can rent it through my partner Jubilee.

Special diets get planned the same way as the rest of the menu. Gluten-free, lactose-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan all work. Let me know about allergies by the time we confirm the menu.

How does booking work?

Most people book 1–2 months ahead, but short notice is worth asking about, even for the following weekend. The earlier you get in touch, the more dates are open.

1. You send an inquiry through the form, by email or by phone.
2. I reply about the date and send menu suggestions with a price estimate.
3. We refine the menu together: courses, allergies, diets.
4. The booking is confirmed once the menu, date, guest count and price are agreed.
5. I send the invoice the same or the next day, payable within 7 days.

You can get a feel for the options from the sample menus. I focus on four cuisines, Scandinavian, Italian, French and Spanish, and I’m happy to hear other wishes. If something is out of season, I suggest a better alternative.

What makes the evening memorable?

Usually it’s simply that everyone gets to be together without hurrying. A dinner at home is more relaxed than a restaurant: your own wines in your own home, the kids can be there too, and nobody has to watch the clock. The menu is designed around what you like.

If you want, you can add small moments to the night, like a speech, live music or a surprise for the guest of honour. I gathered ideas for the evening’s programme in a separate piece.

How much does a private chef cost?

Menus typically cost about 130–170 € per guest including VAT. The final price depends on the menu, ingredients, party size and location, and I don’t have a fixed price list.

More guests means a lower price per person, so a dinner for two or three costs more per guest. Further away, a summer cottage for example, works by arrangement, and travel affects the price.

The labour share of the invoice qualifies for the Finnish household tax deduction when the dinner is in your home or holiday home. The invoice itemises labour and ingredients separately. Labour is typically about 60–70 % of the total: say 8 guests × 150 € = 1 200 €, of which labour is roughly 720–840 €. Ingredients don’t qualify. Rates and caps change every year, so check the current figures on vero.fi. I’ve written a separate guide to the household tax deduction.

Common questions

How early does the chef arrive?

About three hours before your guests. That gives me time to set the table and prep without rushing.

Can I cancel?

Yes. Cancelling more than three days before the dinner is free; after that I charge 50 %. You can change the guest count for free with at least three days’ notice.

Does the chef clean up?

Yes. I leave the kitchen at least as clean as I found it.

Interested? Tell me about your occasion and we’ll plan your evening together.