As a personal chef and someone who loves food I enjoy sharing what I have learned with my clients.  It is one of my passions to share what I know, and one way of doing this for me is by passing along tips and suggestions that people can use in their own kitchens and in their lives.  If your business does not include cooking classes you are still making an impact in the lives of everyone you cook for.  When people come looking to you for personal chef services they are attracted to what you offer.  If one of your intentions is to make a difference, you will do that, by just being you and staying true to your unique style of cooking.

Recently I had a couple from Arizona who came to Maui for vacation.  They had been on a very strict diet for 30-days and had just lost a lot of weight.  They wanted some tips that they could use to create healthy and delicious meals at home.  At their request we created a meal together that used no butter, white sugar, flour or dairy: Ginger Teriyaki Prawns; Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup; Roasted Tomato, Onion, Zucchini, Herb and Red Wine Ragout with Fresh Fish (opah); Cilantro Lime Mahi Mahi Tacos with Fresh Fruit Salsa; and Berry Crisp with Frozen Mango Coconut Cream.

I think they were surprised at how flavorful and satisfying real food that was low in carbs could be when you combine a variety of fresh herbs and flavorful ingredients.  What I love most about this story is that they emailed me when they returned to their home after trying the recipes that I shared with them.  At my suggestion they also discovered their own local farmer’s market to source some fresh ingredients to use in their kitchen.  This is the email they sent to me after trying the recipes at home, “All I can say is WOW and THANK YOU!”  Remember, you do make a difference in the lives of the people you touch through your food.

It doesn’t matter if you have had your own business one month or ten years.  Your clients want you to bring your wisdom and knowledge into their lives in some way. If you have a passion for food then you have something unique to share.  Even if you are cooking for someone for only one meal you are creating a memorable experience that may last a lifetime.  People celebrate many occasions through food and for most people food plays a very important part of each day and as a personal chef you directly impact people through the food you make.

This week I went to a client’s home to empower her to cook healthy meals.  She has been my weekly client for a number of months and she now wants to be able to cook healthy dishes for herself and her husband. I helped her think outside the box and encouraged her to not be afraid to experiment in the kitchen.  We made five versatile sauces that could be interchanged with a variety of her favorite vegetables, different types of pasta and a selection of fish, chicken and even beef.  The sauces were: Orange-Ginger Teriyaki Sauce; Cilantro-Basil Onion Citrus Sauce; Basil Pesto with Macadamia Nuts; Sesame Dressing; and Red Wine Mixed-Herb Sauce with Mushrooms.  I gave her the recipes and information that she can now use in her everyday life.  When you help people do something in a new way you are giving them a gift for a lifetime.  I think of it as unleashing people’s creativity and providing them a starting point where they can then continue to invent and create dishes that work for their lifestyle and individual tastes.

Being a personal chef YOUR way is the only way.  Remember, when someone chooses you for your services there is something about you that attracted them to your style of cooking.  It is very important to stay true to your culinary point of view because what you do is unique to you and you alone.  If you are being excellent in what YOU do then you are doing all that you can do.

Ann-Marie Burtell is Culinary Artist/Owner of Maui Fresh Chef www.MauiFreshChef.com. Offering: Personal chef services which include private dinners and events; daily and weekly meal services; shopping and preparation; personalized classes with farmer’s market tours in Hawaii.

See Ann-Marie Burtell's Chef profile on Sneak Peek Eats.

Why hire a personal chef versus going to a fine-dining restaurant?  Over the years after many unique requests I am much clearer on the value of having a personal chef come to you.  In essence, I am bringing the restaurant to you.  You do not have to do anything but enjoy the meal in the comfort of your own home or space with your family, friends and invited guests.

Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Personal Chef:

1. As a personal chef I design  the meal with your tastes and dietary requirements in mind from beginning to  end.  For example, I have had  requests for everything from the Paleo Diet (no dairy, grains or sugar) to a  Gluten-Free Meal and for specialty desserts not on my menu such as crème  brûlée (now on my menu!) to specialty drinks made to order.  And for clients who hire me for a week  I create menus just for them.   When you hire me I am very  accommodating and make sure that you get exactly what you want with my expert  guidance.  I have a style of  cooking and starting point but will always create a unique menu for you and  your guests.  If you want  something that’s not on my various menus you just need to ask.  I will come up with new recipes if I  don’t have one that will satisfy your needs.  I created a pineapple macadamia  upside-down-cake that was gluten-free for a group of women that couldn’t even  have rice flour, used a combination of millet, tapioca and potato  flours.

   ---

2. The quality of food you get  from me is extremely high and I have quality control over the products I use  and the end result.  When I shop  for you I go to the market with your menu and with you in mind.  I choose vegetables that are in season  and specifically for the dishes I am creating for you.  I select the fish and meats that are  for your meals.  I have organic  farms bring me fresh herbs that I use in my dishes.  I enjoy selecting the avocados and  the asparagus and the ahi that I am going to cook for you.  It’s important to me as a personal  chef that you get personal service from the first point of communication to  the last bite of your dessert and when I walk out your door and say  goodbye.

   ---

3. Another advantage of hiring a  personal chef is that the meal is served in the comfort of your own space,  whether it is your home or a condo you are renting while you are visiting  Maui. The space where you get to eat your  meal is yours.  One thing I have  found is that parents enjoy being able to put their young children to bed  while they enjoy a relaxing meal overlooking the ocean while the sun goes  down.  The parents do not have to  hire a babysitter or worry about what time they have to come home.  Another advantage is that you can  drink a couple of glasses of fine wine or a specialty drink and not have to be  concerned about who will be the designated driver.  The other significant value-added of  having a fine dining experience brought to you is that it is private.  I am focused on you and your guests  and there are no distractions keeping me from providing you from an  unforgettable dining experience.   One of my fondest memories was when I was cooking the meal at a luxury  condo in Wailea and the couple wanted to know what I was doing and wanted to  learn some cooking techniques.   The most memorable experience was when a husband hired me for a  surprise anniversary-dinner for his wife and 7 others. All of the children sat  out on the lanai overlooking the ocean and the 4 adults sat at the granite  countertop in the kitchen while I prepared their lobster dinner and served  them. The adults wanted to be involved, and it was all part of the evening’s  special experience.

   ---

4. With your assistance I create  a memorable experience that is so much more than a meal.  When you can design your meal, choose  the location, invite your guests and select your chef you have a lot of  control over the entire event.  I  recently was hired for a surprise 40th birthday dinner.  There were only 2 guests; the husband  who hired me and his wife.  They  had rented a beautiful oceanfront condo and as they relaxed on the beach I  came in and set the table with a white tablecloth, heart candles, a specialty  bouquet of flowers handpicked from the local market, put chilled fruity  sangria with organic wine in a pitcher and placed their printed menus for the  evening on the plates. The wife returned from the beach and knew she was in  for a memorable evening when she saw the table. I took videos, shot photos for  them and the husband surprised his wife with gifts as they ate the meal that  was planned with the wife’s tastes in mind from appetizers to dessert.  It was a special experience for both  of them and they didn’t have to worry about anything but enjoying the evening  breeze and the chocolate cupcakes with raspberry cream.  Yes, it’s about the food, but it’s  also about creating moments that last a lifetime.  It’s not how many breaths you take,  it’s how many moments that take your breath away.

   ---

5. The value in a personal chef  comes from the quality of food, personalized service and the overall  experience.  I enjoy being a  personal chef because I have control over the quality and personal service in  intimate environments with small groups.   I love food, but I also love and enjoy seeing the appreciation in  someone’s eyes when they know that someone cared enough to surprise them with  a special meal or that I provided more than I promised.  I believe the value is not just in the  food but the attention to detail and care in the preparation of your  meal.  If you appreciate good  food, love experiences that are memorable and enjoy personalized service then  you will enjoy what a personal chef offers.  It’s more than a great meal, it’s also  about the time spent with friends and family in the environment that we create  together.

Welcome to the world of personal chefs and the ever-evolving world of food.  The Personal Chef Industry is fairly new and still evolving, just as the way we eat in 2010 is so different than 20 years ago.  When you begin your profession as a personal chef it will be up to you to determine the direction of your business, along with listening to the needs of your customers in your particular region of the country or world.  It is also important to highlight your cuisine with local specialties or unique flavors that are specific to your part of the world.

Working as a personal chef versus a chef in an established location you can be more creative and flexible, but at the same time you have to create a system and format that works for you and your style of working and cooking.  I tell my clients it’s all about personalized service and creating a menu and experience specifically for their needs.  As a personal chef it is important for you to stay true to your culinary point of view and expertise.  One advantage of being a personal chef is that there is creative license that you can bring to the table to each of your clients.  What’s exciting is that when you work with clients who want you to be creative you have exceptional opportunities to stretch yourself and go places that may not have been possible in the past.

When I am first contacted by someone new I always ask them their likes and dislikes, whether it is for a week’s full of meals or just one dinner.  It doesn’t matter what’s on my menus, I try to accommodate diverse palates whenever possible.  If someone says they love Italian food or do not like mushrooms then a dish or meal can be specifically created with their tastes in mind.  It’s important to listen to the client, because as a personal chef you are being hired to create an individualized experience.  The client is choosing to hire you as a personal chef because there is something unique about you and your services that caught their attention, and it’s important to remember that.  The client doesn’t get to try the food until after you are hired and so communication and how you sell yourself is a key element to running a successful personal chef business.

It is also important for you to be willing to experiment with new dishes that someone may want, because it could mean getting the job or not.  I am always willing to do a little research and experimentation if someone wants something that I may not have on my menus because it’s important that at the end of the day they are happy with the meal.  It’s because of clients that I have developed signature dishes and recipes, including papaya seed dressing, macadamia-coconut crusted mahi mahi, coconut prawns, and mango cheesecake with gingersnap crust.  I created versions of these recipes that fit my culinary point of view and now these menu selections are requested time and time again.

If you are a customer seeking a personal chef it’s important in the beginning to get an overall feel that you and the chef are a good match.  I have been told many times that I was chosen because the client enjoyed my style of communication and approach.  Customer service is extremely important.  If it’s a special event you are hosting then you and the chef need to be able to communicate clearly from the very beginning, from the first point of contact.  It’s key that you ask the right questions of the chef and that the chef is able to ask you enough questions to know what you want.

What I know for sure is that life is about the journey and not the destination.  Through my exploration of food I have discovered a world that continually expands and grows.  Just as we need food to fuel our bodies I have found that creating amazing food experiences brings joy to people.  I love when I can wow the taste buds and give people a new perspective on the food that they are enjoying.  Experiencing a unique culinary journey can awaken your palate and enliven the spirit.  Bon Appetit!

Ann-Marie Burtell is Culinary Artist/Owner of Maui Fresh Chef. Offering: Personal chef services which include private dinners and events; daily and weekly meal services; shopping and preparation; personalized classes with farmer’s market tours in Hawaii.