What kind of events suit a private chef

A private chef suits any occasion for 2–15 guests where you’d rather sit at the table with your people than stand at the stove. The dinners I cook most often in the Helsinki region are birthdays, weddings and engagements, surprises for a partner, client dinners, and plain good evenings with friends.

How a whole evening runs is on the private chef at home page. A summer cottage further away works too, by arrangement.

Birthdays and milestones

A birthday is the classic reason to book a chef. A big birthday, a graduation or a name day becomes a proper celebration at home, without a restaurant’s timetable, and the person being celebrated gets to spend the evening with the guests.

I arrive about three hours before the guests with the ingredients and my equipment, set the table, and cook and serve every course. A typical menu has four or five courses: a welcome from the kitchen, a starter, often a granita or sorbet in between, a main course and dessert. At the end there’s espresso or cappuccino from the machine I bring along. Kids can be there too, and nobody has to watch the clock.

If the guest list grows to around 20 or more, a seated dinner at home stops being the right format. Then I handle it as catering, with a buffet, a grill station or a served table. My other services cover that, plus a barista service if you want a coffee bar at the party.

Weddings and engagements

For a small wedding dinner or an engagement among close family, a chef at home works well. The menu is planned around your taste, the evening moves at your pace, and you drink your own wines in your own home.

We plan the menu together. After your inquiry I reply with menu suggestions and a price estimate, and we adjust the courses, allergies and diets until it feels right. Gluten-free, lactose-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan guests are planned for the same way as everyone else. The booking is confirmed once we’ve agreed on the menu, date, guest count and price, and the invoice follows the same or next day, 7 days net.

After that I recommend a wine for each course. My rule is that the wine has to be good, rated at least 4.0 on Vivino, and available at Alko. You buy the bottles, and at the table I explain in plain words why each one suits the dish. Alcohol-free pairings can be planned too.

For a larger wedding the same limit applies as for birthdays: from around 20 guests up, catering is the better fit.

A surprise for a partner or someone close

An evening the other person doesn’t have to organise is a good present. A dinner for two at home works for an anniversary or a birthday, and it’s easy to keep quiet about, since I bring everything with me and leave the kitchen clean. You can also give the evening as a gift card: ask about a gift card.

One thing worth knowing: dinners for two or three cost more per guest than bigger groups, because the planning, shopping and travel take the same time whatever the number. Menus are typically about 130–170 € per guest including VAT, depending on the menu, ingredients, group size and location.

Business events and client dinners

When you want to thank a team or host clients, a dinner at home makes conversation easier than a busy restaurant. Nobody is talking over the next table, and the evening ends when the conversation does.

For around 10–12 guests or more, I bring a server or kitchen helper along when needed. With nine or more guests I ask about the kitchen beforehand, though an ordinary home kitchen is enough. For a team day with more doing and less sitting, a cooking school is another option: 5–15 people cook together for 1.5–2 hours with me guiding, and then you sit down and eat what you made.

Simply a good evening

A chef isn’t only for the big days. Sometimes the best reason is to invite friends over and eat well together, with no occasion at all.

I focus on Scandinavian, Italian, French and Spanish cooking, and other wishes are welcome. A Spanish evening of shared tapas suits a relaxed group of friends especially well. It’s also a good chance to follow the season: chanterelles from midsummer into early autumn, other mushrooms from August to October, Finnish berries in summer. My sample menus show what each cuisine looks like on the table.

Whatever the occasion, the cooking happens in your home, so the labour share of the invoice can qualify for the household tax deduction. Ingredients don’t count, and the rules change yearly, so check the current figures on vero.fi.

Common questions

How many guests can a private chef cook for?

A home dinner works for 2–15 guests. From about 10–12 guests I bring help when needed, and for around 20 or more I switch to catering.

How far ahead should I book?

Most people book 1–2 months ahead, and the earlier you ask, the better the availability. Short notice is still worth asking about, even for next weekend.

What if the guest count changes?

Changes are free with at least three days’ notice. Cancelling the whole dinner is also free more than three days before; after that, 50 % is charged.

What do I need to provide myself?

You buy the wines and other drinks based on my recommendations. Tableware and table linen aren’t included either; if you’re short on plates or glasses, you can rent them through my partner Jubilee. I bring the ingredients, the equipment and the espresso machine.

Have an occasion in mind? Tell me about it and we’ll shape the right evening together.