There are many things that you should consider when you are trying to choose the best chef in-home chef service in Austin, Texas.

I am going to break down a few of those things so that when you are shopping, you can know what it is that we are trying to accomplish on our end and also become educated on why this decision might be more important than you think.

I put together a list of 8 things that you want to consider when you are looking for a chef to come in and cook for your loved ones and friends.

1. Experience and Reputation: There are a lot of new businesses in this space that are sprouting up and I am all for it. Gather and Forge has been in business for 9 years and we pride ourselves on all the mistakes that we have made because that means that we don’t have to go through that again. The issue with making mistakes is that it reflects on YOUR party and makes you seem as though you didn’t do your homework. Cheapest isn’t the best when it comes to hiring a chef, it is the experience that you are paying for in this kind of situation. The other thing to look up is reputation. Reputation for any business is their backbone. We all do it, when you are shopping around for a product or service, you first go and look at that companies reviews. It is not different here, you should also go and see what the reviews of this company are and see how they have handled their business throughout the year. As one of the oldest private chef businesses in Austin, we pride ourselves on our reputation and if a company doesn’t- I would run.

2. Consultation and Communication: When you are woking with any kind of service based business, especially one that is going to be in your home, you want to make sure that they have a strong emphasis on great communication. Communication is what makes our business so fun but it also allows our customers to voice their opinions and concerns when we are going through the process of creation. The thing about food is that every single person on the planet likes different things and with that every single menu that we do is different. Communication allows us all to be on the same page so we can get to the fun stuff efficiently. Consultation is the expertise that you are paying for. When a business has done as many dinner parties as Gather and Forge has, we can help you through the process and guide you to a better experience overall. New businesses haven’t seen it all and don’t know where the shortfalls might lie which makes the entire process a little less fun than it could be.

3. Health and Safety Standards: This goes without saying but you would not believe it if I told you what I have seen in some kitchens in my time as a chef. Most places are decent at this but there are a select few that really go above and beyond when it comes to the food you eat. Things like washing your food before they cook it. It might take them longer but doing it is just that little icing on the cake that puts you at ease when shopping for an in-home chef. Gather and Forge holds our chefs to the highest standards when it comes to health and safety of our customers. Make sure that the business that you go with takes a strong stance on this aspect of your experience. A general rule of thumb is that if they don’t care about what their brand looks like, don’t think that they care that much more about their food.

4. Quality of Ingredients: When you are shopping for a chef, you want to make sure that they aren’t out there getting their food from Wal-Mart to make you a gourmet meal. No disrespect to WM but there is a place for that and hiring a high end luxury service isn’t that place. A true chef who cares about their craft wants to source the best ingredients they can and from responsible farmers at that. A lot of companies cut corners when it comes to getting their ingredients because they want to make more money. I get it and it definitely makes sense but there is a reason that the worlds best chef use farmers in their local area to source their food from. Great food is what we are known for and you simply cannot make great food unless you start with something that is great in and of itself.

5. Personalized Menu Options: Here is the thing about food… we all like and dislike different things. It is the way nature made it and there is no changing that. Some companies offer a series of menus to choose from that they haven’t changed in years. This to me is the cry of a dying chef, somebody that has lost their creativity and is now just doing this for the money. When you are hiring a private chef, you want to make sure that they are going to go above and beyond when they are making your menu. They should take time in hearing you out and collecting your preferences so that they can go dive into their creative world and create a menu that truly stands out to you. If they end up sending you a menu that looks canned and dry it is likely that they are doing this because it is faster to make and cheaper to execute.

6. Transparent Pricing and Packages: The world that we live in is all about fees and extra this and that. I get it, it’s expensive running and operating a business and sometimes new business owners try to slide in all kinds of fees into their pricing. The worst is when they slide it into your invoice after you have already paid a deposit. You want to hire a company with ethics behind it, a company that really tries hard to give as much value as possible when it comes to servicing their clients. Gather and Forge has been in business almost 9 years and the way we have been able to be so successful is to make sure that we are always transparent with our customers throughout the entire process. There is nothing worse than being given an invoice after your party just to find out it is more than what you originally paid for.

7. Professionalism of Staff: When you are looking for a chef to hire, you want them to be kind of like a character to your evening. They should show up looking sharp and ready to perform their job to the best of their capabilities. Austin is a place that in its nature is laid back but when you are spending thousands of dollars on dinner, you need to make sure that the business that you are hiring keeps it professional. From the time you inquire to the time the chef leaves your home, you should feel like a star because that is essentially what you are paying for. We are a service based business and if the company that you are trying to hire doesn’t seriously put an emphasis on being professional.. run.

8. Flexibility and Customization: Listen, we have been in business long enough to know that things change. You need to bring on a business that knows that things in this world change all the time and with that they need to be flexible on what they are offering. Sometimes its traffic, other times its a ride share that is late. If you want to push your dinner start time a little because some of your guests are running behind, that should be accommodated. Customization is comes in the form of being able to truly listen to what you as the customer is seeking and then being able to build an evening around that. If you are working with a company that does not offer any kind of flexibility or customization from their regular routine, I would highly suggest that you look elsewhere so you can truly bring your vision to life.

Gather and Forge has been in business for 9 years and we plan to be here for a lot longer than that. I wanted to write this because I think that people in general simply don’t know what to look for when hiring a chef service. There are many routes that you can take and many of them are great options, just know that some are better than others. As with any kind of business, there are the ones that really care and others that are simply doing this because they like the money. I am not bashing on the opportunity to make a good living while cooking but we take this seriously and we want our customers to have the opportunity to make their party one that will never be forgotten.

-Ryan