10 reasons to book a cook through Sugarella Cooks...

1. We meet all our cooks before using them, have a good chat and really try to get to know them
2. We fully reference check our cooks and do not use anyone that cannot provide two references from their most recent employers
3. We offer a very personal and bespoke service, we listen to your needs and help match the right person to your job. Ella has done private cooking jobs herself for many years so has a clear understanding of what is required and what the jobs entail.
4. It is important that the cooks are as happy as the clients. Therefore, we do not suggest jobs to cooks that we do not feel are the right fit for them
5. We can offer advice to clients on salaries and expectations, based on their individual needs and requirements
6. We offer honesty. If we do not feel we have the right person for the job, we will tell you, rather than sending someone forward that is going to be a disaster.
7. We have a huge selection of people from newly qualified cooks to very experienced, all looking for a range of work from part time, full time, permanent or freelance
8. We offer competitive recruitment fees in comparison with similar agencies
9. We have a very good relationship with all our cooks and chefs, so it is likely they will want to do a good job to ensure we keep them in high regard!
10. You can safely relax and enjoy your party/holiday/every day life and leave the hard work in the hands of someone you trust - us!

Book a cook today - contact us now.

A Day in the Life of a Private Household Chef

Earlier on this year, I placed a chef in a household in London, where he is employed to cook for a family of varying ages, consisting of 5 people (plus guests). The diets this amazing chef is cooking for range dramatically. Some members of the family eat everything, some only fish and chicken and others follow a dairy, gluten and sugar free diet, and one member is strictly Vegan! There is never a dull moment for this chef and we are so thrilled to have placed him in this position. He is really happy in the role, and the clients adore him and his food.

I asked the chef to give me an overview of a standard day for him, so you can read about some of the things involved in a job like this....and here is what he says:

06.00 - my alarm goes off. This doesn't mean just going to work for me. This is a new day for new opportunities to be creative. I get up early enough to start my day with morning exercise. I find this very beneficial as it gives me more energy to get through a busy day. 

07.00/08.00 - Arrive at work. First thing to do is set the table and then cook breakfast. Once Breakfast is done, I pack up some snacks and lunch for the little girl to take to school. I then pack up snacks and lunch for Mr G to take to work. If it is a weekend, things are different as they all eat at home.

Before I start preparing lunch for Mrs G and other family members (if they are around), I have a 1.5 hour break which I usually spend creating a new recipe, or I pop out to the shops to get any ingredients I need for that day.

12.00-13.00 - Lunch is served, but it varies from day to day.

When lunch is over, I have about 2 to 3 hours of free time. I sometimes spend this going for a walk to get some fresh air, or I stay in and start planning preparations for dinner.

17.00-19.30 - Dinner is prepared and served. After this, I tidy up, leave the kitchen immaculate and ready for the next day, and then I make my way home.

My relationship with the other household staff

I am not required to cook for the staff, but I personally believe it is nice to keep them in mind when I am cooking. I always make sure there is some extra food for them to enjoy. I think it is important to maintain a good relationship between the other members of staff and myself. We spend many hours in the household together! Once they have enjoyed eating my food, they are very happy to give me a hand with the washing up. I see this as a mutual favour!

Daily Challenges

Every day I will be faced with a new challenge. The most common will be friends of the family appearing unexpected. I am required to cook for them. In these circumstances, I have to be quick and innovative to be able to serve delicious meals to them in no time. The ability to multitask is of paramount importance at these times.

How to avoid pressure and stress

To avoid too much pressure and stress on myself, I always need to be ready for last minute cooking. I have ingredients in stock prepared and always plan some quick but delicious recipes to use on these occasions.

What do I love about my job?

The beauty of being a personal chef is that I have full freedom to create new, exciting recipes and it is never boring. There is also a huge amount of appreciation for my cooking, which makes the whole job even more fulfilling.

What is the key to success as a private chef?

Flexibility, creativity, reliability, competence and patience are a prerequisite for the success of a private chef. A good sense of humour is always an advantage too!

If you are a chef interested in a job like this, send your CV to us today. cv@sugarellacooks.co.uk 

If you are a client looking to employ a private chef like this, please contact us with your requirements.

Finding the right people for the right job.

It is not a lie that we are really passionate about finding the right people for the right job. We care about our clients and our chefs, and we really mean it. We have received a lot of positive feedback from all the jobs we have placed so far, which is so wonderful to hear. It is why we set up our agency so that we can look after cooks and clients and make sure they are happy long term, rather than just a quick fix. If we do not think a cook will suit a certain role, we simply will not put them forward for the position. We do not want to waste time of the cook or the client.

Here is a recent testimonial from a happy client where we placed a domestic couple for a busy family in Yorkshire, we were thrilled to read this and wanted to share it with you:

“I contacted Ella in November to enlist her in my search for a Domestic Couple. We started off the New Year with a great couple in place. She was extremely efficient and always very easy to work with. She listened to my brief and immediately started sending me CVs of strong candidates - always well filtered. She always followed up any queries/references promptly and I would definitely use her again.”

— Client, Yorkshire

If you are looking for a cook, chef, extra pair of hands, domestic couple or any other form of household staff, please do contact us - we would be delighted to hear from you!