Food & drink
Booking software for Private chefs
The menu gets chosen and the allergies declared at booking, the price per guest and the travel work themselves out, and a Saturday night booked closes the date.
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The challenges facing private chefs
The menu and the allergies get declared at booking
Eight guests, one gluten free and two vegetarian, is not the same shop or the same evening. Collected afterwards, it is a menu to redo.
The price depends on the number of guests
Six or fourteen is neither the same time nor the same food cost. The quote gets built at booking or it gets redone three times by message.
Travel is part of the price
Twenty-five miles with the equipment is not the next town. Stated at booking, the fee does not get discussed on the doorstep.
A Saturday night booked closes the date
One booking per evening, and Saturdays make the year. A date held on a promise gets lost at the next call.
The job lasts much longer than the meal
Shopping, setting up, service, clearing down. The time billed and the time occupied have nothing to do with each other, and it is the second that fills the diary.
How Kagenda helps
The problem
The menu and the allergies get declared at booking
With Kagenda
Ask your questions at booking time: reason, history, expectations.
Custom fields
The problem
The price depends on the number of guests
With Kagenda
Clients book from your page, even while you are with someone else or closed.
24/7 online booking
The problem
Travel is part of the price
With Kagenda
Charge for the journey automatically by distance, for appointments at the client.
Travel fees
The problem
A Saturday night booked closes the date
With Kagenda
Take a deposit at booking time and get paid online before the session.
Deposits and payments
The problem
The job lasts much longer than the meal
With Kagenda
Each service gets its own slots: some in the morning, others late in the day.
Hours per service
The features that matter to you
24/7 online booking
Clients book from your page, even while you are with someone else or closed.
One central calendar
Every session in one place, by day, week or month.
Custom fields
Ask your questions at booking time: reason, history, expectations.
Deposits and payments
Take a deposit at booking time and get paid online before the session.
Travel fees
Charge for the journey automatically by distance, for appointments at the client.
Client records
History, preferences and follow-up notes gathered on one record per client.
Hours per service
Each service gets its own slots: some in the morning, others late in the day.
Email notifications
Confirmed, moved or cancelled — both you and the client are told.
Practical guide: Private chefs
- One service per guest band, each with its price and its real duration, setting up and clearing down included.
- Travel charges by area, shown before confirmation.
- A deposit at booking. A Saturday evening does not get held any other way.
- A required "allergies, diets, kitchen equipment" field. The last one surprises people, and it prevents bad evenings.
- A duration that covers setting up and clearing away, not just service. Otherwise the next evening is lost.
- A booking horizon open far ahead on Saturdays: family occasions get decided months in advance.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a private chef cost in the UK?
Around £60 to £120 per person for a full menu with shopping included, with a minimum number of guests, and £45 to £80 per person for simpler formats. Travel is counted separately. Set your own prices.
What food hygiene obligations does a UK private chef have?
You are a food business even when you cook in the client's kitchen, and the first step is not optional: register with the local authority where your business is based, at least 28 days before starting — it is free, it cannot be refused, and failing to register is an offence. You then need documented procedures based on HACCP principles adapted to working away from fixed premises, food hygiene training at least to Level 2, and traceability of what you buy. Cold chain in transport is what an inspector asks about first: suitable containers and temperature records. Allergen information for the fourteen named allergens must be given, and collecting it at booking is the practical way. If you prepare in your own kitchen for clients, that kitchen is inspected too — a domestic kitchen can be approved, but it has to be registered and seen.
Can I vary the price by number of guests?
Yes, with one service per guest band.
Can I charge travel automatically?
Yes, by area, shown before confirmation.
How do I collect allergies before the job?
With a required custom field.
Can I ask for a deposit to hold a date?
Yes, with the terms shown before payment.
Ready to simplify your bookings?
Create your account in minutes and let your clients book online starting today.
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