The Pros & Cons of Hiring a Private Chef on Holiday

Dining while on holiday is usually straightforward - especially if you're staying at a hotel, as most of them have pre-planned meals and mealtimes. However, the experience is different when you opt to stay in an Airbnb. Last December, my family and I stayed at a villa in Diani. And for the duration of our stay there, our meals were prepared by a private chef.
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He arrived early in the morning (at around 7.00 am) to start our breakfast and left at 5.00 pm in the afternoon after cooking our supper.  
Based on our experience, I thought I’d share with you the advantages and disadvantages of having a private chef while on holiday in the hopes that it’ll help you decide whether or not to hire one on your next vacation.

The Pros
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1. Focus is on the fun: the first and most obvious advantage of having a private chef is that it sorts out the problem of who will cook for you while you’re staying in a rented apartment. You probably won’t want to be worrying about what to eat if your sole purpose for going there is to relax (or work, depending on why you travelled). It helps to know that a professional has the matter taken care of and guarantees that your meals are prepared to a high standard. 

2. Flexible eating times: having a private chef also means that you can be a bit more flexible when you eat your meals. Those who want to sleep in can have a late breakfast; and after a full morning spent swimming, you’ll have a delicious lunch to look forward to. This isn’t an option if you’re on a half-board package at a hotel. Also, if your chef must leave before dinnertime, you can ask him/her to cook something for you before doing so and keep it in the oven to be heated up later. 
 
3. More variety in your meals: the flexibility also extends to the types of foods you’re able to enjoy, which isn’t always the case when staying at a hotel. We had the opportunity to sample so many different dishes while in Diani, as everyone had a unique craving and wanted it satisfied before the holiday was over. It made mealtime a lot more interesting as we were always looking forward to trying something new

4. Dietary concerns: a private chef can cater to different diets more easily than a hotel can, so long as he/she is requested to do so in advance. What’s more, you can even hire a private chef that specialises in a specific diet.   

​5. Less food wastage: as you’re the one deciding what to eat, you’ll only need to buy the food you want to buy. So, not much is wasted. In contrast, having fixed meals at hotels gives guests little time to sample a large variety of foods, which mostly leaves them with regrets of not getting to try out everything that was on offer. In addition to that, if you’re dining at a restaurant where meals are served à la carte, you might feel like you’re not getting your money’s worth because of high prices or small portions.

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​6. Affordability: last but not least, having a private chef is quite affordable, especially if it’s included in the holiday package. Not only is the chef tasked with cooking, but he/she is responsible for sourcing the ingredients for the meals – which he/she usually buys in bulk – and cleaning up after themselves. The only other additional expense is buying drinks and snacks. This gives you, the guest, full control of how much money you spend on food while on holiday.
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The Cons
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1. Limited to what the chef can cook – although many chefs can cook a variety of meals well, most specialise in a specific type of food. So, you probably won’t be able to have your cake and eat it, too. However, if there’s something you’d really like prepared for a special occasion, e.g. a birthday cake, ask the chef whether he knows of anyone nearby who can make one for you. They are used to getting such requests and should be able to help.
 
2. Lack of balance – there’s the danger of overeating one type of food, especially when you’re the one choosing your meals. Be careful to balance out your carbs and your fruit & veg. so as to avoid unpleasant occurrences. Also, depending on when and where you’re going on holiday, make sure that you always have a large supply of drinking water as you can easily get dehydrated in warm locations.
 
If you’re sold on the idea of hiring a private chef for your next holiday, be sure to look out for the option of having one when booking your next Airbnb. Alternatively, you can make a request to your host to provide you with one or hire one privately. Best of luck!😉​

- ✗O✗O.