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Hi! I'm Chef Shelley.

061725 newsletter

Published 29 days ago • 2 min read

from the desk of Chef Shelley

personal chef biz info + inspo

Day in the Life of a Personal Chef

Behind The Scenes: A { Not-So-Exciting } Day In The Life Of A Personal Chef

Sure, sometimes I'm dropping hundreds of dollars on a bizarre kitchen appliance or cooking for Leonardo DiCaprio (I swear we had a moment over that warm chocolate chip cookie). But that's really the exception. Most days are refreshingly low-key—and that's just how I like it.

While restaurant chefs are still sleeping off their late nights and private chefs are heading to their day of indentured servitude, my day starts with leisurely coffee before shuttling my family out the door.

7:30am - The Shopping Marathon I'm at my favorite grocery store bright and early when it's blissfully empty. The magnetic signs on my car always spark conversations—everyone wants to chat with a chef. Sometimes I go incognito if I haven't had enough coffee yet.

I know everyone by name at this point; we're practically coworkers. Robert in produce digs through the back for my fresh herbs, Don in seafood promises sole within 24 hours, and I grab prime ribeye for a client's Mongolian beef (yes, prime beef for Chinese stir fry—they want only the best!).

Checkout is a breeze since I'm the only customer. I bag my own groceries to prevent cross-contamination and protect my eggs from overzealous baggers.

9:00am - The Real Work Begins This is the part people actually think my job consists of! I get the oven preheating, chicken stock going in the pressure cooker, then juggle multiple dishes simultaneously. Soon the kitchen fills with delicious smells of herbs, citrus, and roasting meats.

Tasting everything means I have the most eclectic breakfast ever. Luckily, I have the digestive system of a goat. The toughest client? The one on a no-sodium diet—nothing tastes "right" without salt!

1:00pm - Packaging & Cleanup Each finished dish gets quickly chilled, packaged, labeled, and stored. Some clients want family-style containers for the week, others need 40+ individual portions for the freezer. Then comes the unglamorous part: washing dishes, sterilizing counters, sweeping, mopping.

2:00pm - Early Finish If I'm hungry after all that "quality control," I grab lunch before school pickup. The rest of the afternoon is pure gold—time with my kids before getting back on my feet to cook dinner for my own family.

And that's a typical day for a personal chef. Any surprises?

Cooks Collective

free facebook group

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Questions about bookkeeping apps and taxes, pics of fish tacos, celebrating new members and 6 month member anniversaries, and more - don't miss the fun in my free fb group 🌟

Still guessing what to charge for weekly meal prep services and small event catering?

If pricing your personal chef services makes you feel stuck, nervous, or unsure 😕— you’re not alone.

Maybe you’ve been quoting off the top of your head... hoping you’re not too expensive.

Maybe you’ve tried hourly rates, all-inclusive bundles, or “whatever feels fair” — and none of it feels quite right.

Pricing is one of the most confusing, paralyzing parts of starting your personal chef business. But once you get this piece right, everything else gets easier.

​Price Like a Pro​

This 60-minute workshop will walk you step-by-step through what to charge, how to say it, and how to finally feel good about your pricing.

What's Cooking

Father's Day

We picked up bbq from 1050 BBQ, and I ended up making Panzanella, Roasted Shrimp & Orzo Salad, and a Tart Cherry Crumble Pie. If you voted on the salad choice last week - evidently I didn't setup something right to tally the votes, oops!

Tart Cherry Crumb Pie

Client Recipe

Beef and Broccoli - a simple stir fry with deep flavor and plenty of sauce. Get the recipe here from my Copy Me That.​

YouTube

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​Learn the 3-step system ​that took my cook days from chaos to calm

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​Do this first ​before you start trying to get clients.

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​Ultimate guide to starting your personal chef biz​ and getting paid to cook on your own terms

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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Hi! I'm Chef Shelley.

I help passionate cooks start a personal chef business they love.

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