So, you’ve tried your hand working as a Chef in restaurants. While it allows you to pursue your passion for cooking, you’re now looking to explore a more intimate setting — one where you can interact with customers more often, focus solely on cooking and prepare smaller quantities of food. To help you start a career as a Private Chef, we’ll guide you through some of the most commonly asked interview questions so you can secure a job in this role.
If you’re an interviewer, you’ll find this guide helpful in understanding the duties and responsibilities of a Private Chef and the skills you need to look out for so you can hire the right person for your organization.
Please note that Private Chef and Personal Chef are often used interchangeably to describe the same position.
Customer Service Questions Asked in a Private Chef Interview
Unlike Chefs employed in food service establishments, Private Chefs interact more with customers. Therefore, they must have active listening skills and emotional intelligence to ensure their customers are happy and any issues that arise are solved promptly. When answering, make sure to provide specific instances wherein you were helpful to customers and were able to stay calm under pressure.
Can you tell me about your experience interacting with customers?
Example answer: “I used to work as a Head Chef in a hotel in New York City for two years. One of my duties was to interact with customers and gather feedback, which I can honestly say was my favorite. Before deciding I want to pursue a cooking career, I was working as a Waiter. Waiters are required to have strong communication skills to ensure customers have everything they need. That job equipped me with empathy, confidence and verbal communication skills to provide great customer service.”
How do you make sure you understand your client’s needs and preferences?
Example answer: “To make sure I understand their needs and meet their expectations, I like to get to know my clients well, including their lifestyle. Do they work more than 40 hours per week? Are they trying to increase their protein intake? Maybe they’re trying to live healthier and want to start eating clean. I make sure to ask questions about things that are not clear and paraphrase what I just heard to ensure I understood everything correctly.”
Can you give an instance wherein you were given criticisms regarding your food? How did you handle it?
Example answer: “Yes, there was a time when a customer was unhappy with the Spanish empanada I served them. I listened attentively and understood where she was coming from. It turned out that she had Mediterranean roots, which means she was expecting a different flavor profile. To make her satisfied, I offered to cook another meal for her from scratch, adding more herbs and cheese. In the end, she was extremely happy with the results.”
Culinary Expertise Questions Asked in a Private Chef Interview
These questions aim to determine if you’ll be able to handle different food requests from clients. To answer these questions, provide detailed explanations of your knowledge, skills and experience to demonstrate to your potential employer that you’re capable of doing the job.
How familiar are you with nutrition?
Example answer: “Part of my training while in culinary school included nutrition and understanding how it affects the body. This knowledge is helpful when providing nutritional guidance to clients, especially those dealing with conditions such as heart disease. The meals they eat should always include vegetables and fruits. I’ll decrease their meat intake, making their source of protein derive primarily from plants. I’ll also limit the use of sugar and salt in their food to avoid aggravating their condition.”
What’s your experience dealing with customers with food allergies?
Example answer: “I had a customer who was extremely allergic to nuts. I know that even the slightest trace of nuts could cause her to experience severe itching and swelling. To ensure their safety, I used separate kitchen tools that were reserved for them only, so there was no way they could be cross-contaminated with nuts when working for a different client. I don’t take any risks when it comes to allergen management.”
Do you have any specialties?
Example answer: “I specialize in creating vegan meals. My mother had to start a plant-based diet ten years ago. I wanted to make sure she can still enjoy different kinds of food, so I began developing vegan recipes, from main courses to desserts. I took several cooking classes to learn the latest trends in vegan cooking, ingredients to explore and cooking methods.”
Organizational and Attention to Detail Interview Questions
To answer questions related to your ability to organize and pay attention to detail, provide a step-by-step process of your workflow.
How do you manage your time servicing different clients?
Example answer: “First, I use tools like a calendar, to-do lists or reminder alarms to organize my schedule for the week and allocate my time wisely. Second, I communicate often with my clients to give them updates. For example, if I’m running out of an ingredient and they weren’t able to include it in the shopping list, I’d make sure to let them know so I don’t have to go back to the store later on to pick it up, but with their permission since there’s already an allotted budget. Finally, I try to learn from my mistakes. If there’s a more efficient way to write out instructions for reheating food, I’d modify my process right away.”
Can you walk me through the cleanliness standards you implement to ensure food safety?
Example answer: “I wash my hands properly in between preparing raw ingredients, cooking food and storing them. I don’t wear any accessories at work as these easily collect germs. I also keep my nails short. Lastly, I keep my hair up to avoid hair falling into the food. While cooking, I make sure that everything is prepared at the right temperature to kill harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. After cooking, I ensure the food is properly stored using air-tight containers. Finally, during cleanups, I wipe and sanitize high-touch areas such as faucet taps, knobs of appliances and the fridge door.”
With the majority of meals having to be frozen for later consumption, how do you make sure they’re visually appealing?
Example answer: “I pay attention to details like garnishes and arrangements. I make sure the dishes don’t look bland by always adding a pop of color. Choosing fresh, high-quality ingredients makes all this possible. The colors are always more vibrant and the textures are always appealing when they’re newly harvested.”
Tips To Ace Your Private Chef Interview
Here are some tips to help you stand out against other applicants.
- Be respectful: Being a Private Chef means you’re in the business of being personable. If you’re liked by the interviewer, they’ll most likely feel confident that you’ll also get along with their customers. The easiest way to be liked by people is to be respectful and kind. Start with being on time for your interview, dressing appropriately by choosing clothes with an appropriate neckline and entering the room with a smile. A study shows that those who make an effort to be liked by the employer have better chances of getting hired.
- Present yourself as a solution: The nature of being a Private Chef is to be a solution for those who don’t have the time or capacity to cook. Present yourself as such by highlighting your commitment to helping customers achieve their health goals.
- Encourage potential employers to talk more about their business: Take this opportunity to determine if their goals are aligned with what you’re aiming for in your career. Remember that interviews are a two-way process. As much as they’re determining if you’re the right fit for the role, you also need to know if you’d be happy working with them.
Before ending your interview, make sure you’re clear about the next steps. Will they call you in a week to let you know if you got the job? Are you supposed to follow up? Asking about the next steps shows your enthusiasm for the role and your confidence in getting the job.
Tips for Employers Interviewing Private Chefs
Follow these tips to find a Private Chef who will help you grow your business.
- Look for those who can easily hold up a conversation: Look for applicants who are easy to communicate with so if there are any problems, you can tell them without stressing too much. It’s also inevitable in this kind of job to have last-minute changes, so it’ll benefit you to choose one who can manage unforeseen events with grace.
- Be clear about your needs and pay: Make sure the applicant understands what’s needed from them. This includes the number of hours they need to work per week and if they’re required to bring their own kitchen knives. Aside from your needs, be transparent with the pay as well. Let your applicants know how much Private Chefs in your company earn and how much they receive in tips.
- Do a background check: While this goes without saying, it’s especially crucial for Private Chefs as they’ll be going to clients’ houses. Statistics show that 70 to 100 million Americans have criminal records. You have to make sure that your interviewee has a clean criminal background and that they’re highly recommended by their previous employers and colleagues.
