This is the way you negotiate your future contract as a private chef, making sure every detail is covered — salary, daily rates, travel, accommodations, uniforms, working hours, overtime, and bank holidays. Hi I want to ensure we are fully aligned on the terms of my employment and service. To avoid any misunderstandings, here is a complete outline of my expectations and contract structure: 1. Base Salary & Extras Net salary in Monaco: €8,000/month 13th month bonus included, paid at the end of the year Uniform/chef’s clothes allowance included as part of the contract If French tax applies, the net salary must maintain this level. Considering real French income tax brackets, this corresponds to roughly €72,840 net per year, or approximately €1,400/week. 2. Daily Rate for Special Assignments or Travel Standard daily net rate: €280/day Additional daily allowance for travel, private events, or full 24/7 service: €300/day This covers all active days, including holidays when traveling with the family. 3. Working Hours & Overtime Standard work week: 45 hours Any hours worked beyond 45/week are considered overtime, compensated either by: Payment at the agreed daily/hourly rate, or Additional days off, as mutually agreed Weekly schedule: Two weekends off per month (every second weekend) Two Wednesdays + Thursdays off per month (alternating with weekends) Clear weekly schedule agreed in advance Flexibility is acceptable, but all changes must be confirmed in writing in advance 4. Travel & Accommodation Any travel required as part of my service is fully covered by the employer, including flights, transfers, accommodation, and reasonable daily expenses. Additional travel-related days beyond normal working schedule are compensated at the agreed daily rate. If travel days are not specified annually, compensation is calculated per actual day worked. 5. Bank Holidays Bank holidays are paid if I am working If I do not work on a bank holiday, additional days off are provided in lieu

Many chefs think private work is just a restaurant job in a nicer kitchen. It’s not. In a restaurant, you have structure: – a team around you – a fixed menu – suppliers already set – clear service hours – a head chef making the final decisions In private work, you are everything. Chef. Menu planner. Buyer. Nutritionist. Organizer. Sometimes even psychologist. There is no one to help if something is missing. No one to cover your mistake. No one to take over if the day becomes difficult. And the biggest difference: In a restaurant, the guest leaves after the meal. In private work, the client lives with your work every day. Their mood, their schedule, their habits — everything affects your job. This is why many good restaurant chefs struggle in the private sector. Cooking skills get you the opportunity. Independence and mindset keep you there. Do you feel more comfortable working with a team and structure, or do you actually prefer working alone and managing everything yourself?

I remember my first step into the private chef world very clearly. I even remember the exact day of my first interview. At that time, I was working in South Wales as a head chef in a hotel. One evening after work, I went for a drink with another chef. We were talking about our careers when he mentioned something I had never seriously considered before — the private chef world. He spoke about Monaco, the South of France, and the opportunities in private villas. Until that moment, I didn’t know much about this industry. I had experience in luxury hotels and two Michelin-starred restaurants, and I spoke some French, but private service was completely new to me. He told me honestly that he had tried to enter this world himself but hadn’t managed to secure a position. Then he said something that stayed with me. “I think you have a strong CV and the right skills. You should try.” He gave me the contact details for an agency based in Nice — Amandine Private Chef — and an email address for someone named Kate. At first, I didn’t take it seriously. But after a week or two, curiosity got the better of me, and I sent my CV just to see what would happen. A few days later, I received a phone call. They asked about my experience and arranged a short interview. After that conversation, they told me they would present my profile to a client. Less than a week later, I was invited to the South of France for a cooking trial. Everything happened very quickly. That was my first lesson about this industry: decisions are made fast, and opportunities often appear when you don’t expect them. I remember the date exactly — the 26th of April. In South Wales, the weather was cold and rainy. When I arrived in the South of France, it was sunny and warm. The next morning, sitting on a terrace with a coffee, I told myself that whatever happened, I would give everything I had. During the trial, the head chef placed a basket of vegetables and fish in front of me. “Create a menu. You have two hours.” There was no time to think too much. I put on my apron, took my knife, and started working.

When you hear the words private chef, you probably imagine something glamorous. You might be thinking about luxury villas, yachts, beautiful kitchens, and perfectly plated dishes made from the best ingredients in the world. Maybe you picture yourself cooking fine dining every day for wealthy clients who truly appreciate great food and an exceptional lifestyle. Sometimes, that’s exactly what the job looks like. But most of the time, the reality is very different. The first thing you need to understand is this: as a private chef, you are not working in your own kitchen. You are working inside someone else’s life — their home, their habits, their routines, their moods, and their expectations. And that changes everything. You’re not cooking for restaurant guests who come for an experience and leave a few hours later. You’re cooking for real people. People who are busy, stressed, tired, health-focused, emotional, or sometimes completely uninterested in food. Some clients are true food lovers. Others see food simply as fuel. Some days they are relaxed and appreciative. Other days they are distracted, under pressure, or going through something difficult. Whatever their situation is, your role stays the same: stay calm, stay professional, and adapt. Private cheffing is not only about cooking. It’s about understanding people, their lifestyle, their expectations, and their habits. And those expectations can be very different from one client to another. The range of this profession is huge. After many years in this profession, one thing became very clear to me: Private cheffing is not defined by luxury ingredients or complicated techniques. It is defined by service. Your job is to understand people, adapt to their lives, and deliver exactly what they need — whether that means searching the world for the perfect product or simply cooking a bowl of pasta that a child will happily eat. That’ s what a private chef really is.

If you’re here because you think private chef life is luxury and travel, this community may not be for you. Private chef work is: – long days – high expectations – working alone – zero mistakes I’ve worked internationally in luxury villas and private households, and this space is about the real industry — how to enter it, survive it, and build a serious career. If you’re serious, introduce yourself: Where are you working now, and what is your goal in the private sector?