personal/private chef requirements

[Panthers65]

Searching hasn't brought up anything relevant (and I must suck at searching), can a private chef use their own tools, or must those be provided by the home owner as well? I know the food itself can't be supplied by the chef, but what about everything else?

[JD McGee]

First stop...your local Health Department/Dept. of Licensing website...you should find what you are looking for there.

[smoque shack]

most real chefs will have their own cutlery.....they work with what you have in the kitchen, as far as pots pans etc.

[Slamdunkpro]

Most health departments don't have any jurisdiction over personal chefs - even here in the land of never ending regulation.

Back to the OP's question - Take your own tools and any specialty equipment you might need. Usually you've met with the client prior to cooking and have an idea what they might have in their kitchen. You also usually know the menu. When I PC for contact cook for people I travel with an assortment of unusual / odd / favorite equipment in addition to my knife/tool bag.

[Panthers65]

well there in lies my question, I'm wanting to cater, but every caterer in gwinnett has to have a commissary with a singular license to a kitchen (IE I'd have to sell at a business, can't just use a church or school kitchen)

Personal chefs can use their own stuff, does that include smokers? Where's the line?. Whats to prevent someone to open two businesses, a delivery business and a personal chef business. The delivery business delivers the meat to the house, then the personal chef cooks it. As far as I know, a delivery business/personal errand business doesn't have anything to do with the HD either....

yea yea, it's stretching the rules, I know. but in theory, as long as you have two separate businesses, each with their own business license.....

even not stretching the rules, they provide the meat and sides straight from Sams club, and I bring the smoker and all materials materials to cook the food with.....

[Slamdunkpro]

I don't know GA, but here in NoVA if you are picking up foodstuffs, taking them directly to the client, cooking them on site for the client and the client isn't charging admission then it's a private party and the health department has no jurisdiction - you are a contract cook / personal chef, not a caterer.

I actually had a client call the police to have the health department inspector removed for trespassing when she showed up at a function. They showed up and made her leave.

[txschutte]

Originally Posted by Slamdunkpro

I don't know GA, but here in NoVA if you are picking up foodstuffs, taking them directly to the client, cooking them on site for the client and the client isn't charging admission then it's a private party and the health department has no jurisdiction - you are a contract cook / personal chef, not a caterer.

I actually had a client call the police to have the health department inspector removed for trespassing when she showed up at a function. They showed up and made her leave.

How does this work with liability as far as insurance is concerned? If you are not paid by the party goer, but by the host (just as you are in catering), are you still on the hook even if you didn't do anything but prepare the food? I would interpret that you are still held liable, therefore wouldn't the HD have jurisdiction to regulate food safety for the public?

I'm in no way doubting your situations, just playing devil's advocate here.

Bottom line: If insurance and HD pressed the issue, couldn't you, as a professional food preparer, be held financially responsible for the safety of the public?

[Slamdunkpro]

Originally Posted by txschutte

How does this work with liability as far as insurance is concerned? If you are not paid by the party goer, but by the host (just as you are in catering), are you still on the hook even if you didn't do anything but prepare the food? I would interpret that you are still held liable, therefore wouldn't the HD have jurisdiction to regulate food safety for the public?

I'm in no way doubting your situations, just playing devil's advocate here.

Bottom line: If insurance and HD pressed the issue, couldn't you, as a professional food preparer, be held financially responsible for the safety of the public?

Liability insurance covers it for me with the host. It's a private party - the HD has no more jurisdiction than they would trying to come into your house when you are having a dinner party and trying to stick your pot roast or showing up at your 4th of July cookout to temp your burgers.

[txschutte]

Originally Posted by Slamdunkpro

Liability insurance covers it for me with the host. It's a private party - the HD has no more jurisdiction than they would trying to come into your house when you are having a dinner party and trying to stick your pot roast or showing up at your 4th of July cookout to temp your burgers.

But, unlike you cooking a pot roast for the family dinner, you are being paid either a per hour, per head, or per event price for your services.

Unless you are a paid salaried employee (not a contractor) of the event holder, with all of the tax withholdings and worker's comp insurance, you are still a cook for hire or a caterer.

This is just my understanding as explained by my HD.

[Slamdunkpro]

Originally Posted by txschutte

But, unlike you cooking a pot roast for the family dinner, you are being paid either a per hour, per head, or per event price for your services.

Unless you are a paid salaried employee (not a contractor) of the event holder, with all of the tax withholdings and worker's comp insurance, you are still a cook for hire or a caterer.

This is just my understanding as explained by my HD.

(Again this may vary by jurisdiction)
Getting paid or how you get paid has nothing to do with it. The difference (here and in every state I've investigated) is the chain of how the food is prepped. (same or multiple days) Store ==> holding==> offsite prep ==> party = caterer; HD has regulatory authority over caterers. (same day) Store==>party location==> cook==> party = private cook; HD does not have regulatory authority. They think they should, they've tried to bully contract cooks about it, they'll tell you they do, but until the law is changed, they don't.

[Hoosier Chef]

Hello. I am a personal chef in Indiana. I am interested in getting into BBQ catering (this is my first post). I don't know the laws where you are, but I bring everything...pots, pans, tools, knives, bakeware, food, spices and everything else you can think of. You are prohibited by the DH from preparing anything in your home kitchen, although it is a rule that is bent by all and broken by many. For example, if you need to marinate an item overnight, you can't exactly do that at the clients' house. I also know many chefs that cook a lot of the food in their home kitchens and then do part of it at the clients' house. I try to fly the straight and narrow, but I have yet to hear anyone being caught in a personal chef sting by the DH. My advice would be to do a high majority of the work at the client site and check your local HD for the rules in your area. If, for example, your client got sick by your food, the DH is going to do an investigation into where you prepared your food. If they find that you broke the rules, you are in a world of hurt. I doubt your insurance company would cover you at that point. Better safe than sorry.

[Panthers65]

hummm, interesting..

So according to your research, there is no need to form the 2nd company, I private chef can pickup, deliver, and cook food for a private client? as long as all the prep/cooking is done on site.

[txschutte]

I'm not saying Slamdunkpro is wrong, but I'd check your local circumstances. Your liability coverage may not apply among other things.

As he said though, make sure that some of your best and favorite tools are on hand, or see ahead of time what the host has.

Good Luck!!

[Slamdunkpro]

Originally Posted by Panthers65

hummm, interesting..

So according to your research, there is no need to form the 2nd company, I private chef can pickup, deliver, and cook food for a private client? as long as all the prep/cooking is done on site.

In most jurisdictions, yes. Just remember that pickup, delivery, prep and cook has to be contiguous. You can't buy food on Thursday, store it in your fridge / cooler then cook on Saturday. It has to go right from the market to the client for this to apply.

[smoque shack]

health departments have bigger fish to fry[pardon the pun]. they cant and do not cover every thing that is going on out there.........unless they recieve a complaint, then they have to look into it. but by that time[a single event]. the event is over and done........dont worry about it!