How our personal chef service works: a simple 4-step process where your chef shops, cooks, and cleans in your home every week.
From quiz to
full fridge.
Here’s exactly how our personal chef service works: four simple steps, one dedicated chef, and no shopping, cooking or cleanup for you. See how our personal chef service works from start to finish.
Find My Plan →
30 client reviews
background-checked & insured
never marked up
champion founder
Tell us how you eat, see how our personal chef service works for you
Fill out a short form, five questions covering your household size, health goals, dietary preferences, and where you are in your decision. We use every answer to come to your consultation call prepared.
Consultation call, then booking & payment
Jump on a free 30-minute call with our team. We’ll walk you through the right package for your household and answer every question. If you’re ready to move forward, payment is collected on the call: your deposit.
Food preferences form & menu curation
After booking, you’ll receive a detailed food preferences form: allergies, dislikes, proteins, flavor profiles, and more. Your chef uses every answer to build a fully custom weekly menu. It’s reviewed against the Eats by Nicole standard before it ever reaches you.
Your personal chef handles everything
On service day, your personal chef service begins: your chef arrives, shops for every ingredient at your preferred stores, cooks everything fresh in your kitchen, portions and labels your meals for the week, and cleans up completely before leaving. You come home to a full fridge. You didn’t have to think about any of it.
Here’s what actually happens
when your personal chef arrives.
Every service follows the same structure: thorough, professional, and completely hands-off for you.
Your chef shops for every ingredient on your menu, at the stores you prefer, with the sourcing standards you specified (organic, grass-fed, conventional).
Your chef arrives, sets up, and starts cooking. Everything is prepared fresh in your kitchen. No reheated batch meals, no shortcuts.
Meals are portioned for your household, labeled with contents and reheating instructions, and stored in your fridge exactly how you want them.
Your chef cleans everything: countertops, dishes, pans, stove. You come home to a spotless kitchen and a full fridge. Nothing for you to do.
Sample weekly menus
What a week of meals looks like
Every menu is built around your household. These four weeks are drawn from menus our chefs have cooked for clients, to give you a taste of the range.
A Classic Week
a little of everything
Honey Ginger Salmon
Cold Soba Noodles · Carrots · Snap Peas · Mushrooms · Peanut Sauce
Crispy Mongolian Beef
Garlicky Blistered Green Beans · Rice · Sesame
Chicken Shawarma
Quinoa · Tomatoes · Cucumbers · Olives · Tzatziki
Butter Chicken
White Rice · Garlic Naan
A Pescatarian Week
no spice · no pork or shellfish
Buttery Lemon Branzino
Spring Goddess Salad · Za’atar Chickpeas
Parsley-Walnut Crusted Salmon
Jasmine Rice · Feta & Shallot Green Beans
Baked Cod with Olive & Caper Relish
Tri-Color Quinoa · Asparagus with Buffalo Mozzarella
Tamari & Lime Sea Bass
Jasmine Rice · Broccolini
A Vegetarian Week
plant-forward · one gluten-free
Coconut Tofu Curry
Farro
Lentil Bolognese
Gluten-Free
Butternut Squash & Black Bean Enchiladas
Grilled Halloumi & Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
A High-Protein Week
every meal weighed to your protein and carb targets
Baked Lemon Chicken
Rice · Green Beans
Seared Sirloin
Peppers · Onions · Rice
Harissa Meatballs
Quinoa · Arugula · Roasted Red Peppers · Feta · Tzatziki
Miso-Ginger Glazed Salmon
Roasted Broccoli · Bok Choy · Mushrooms
Your menu changes every week, and you approve it before every cook day. Macro-portioned plans are quoted on your consultation. Find your plan to see what fits your household.
Not a service.
A standard.
Every detail of how our personal chef service works is designed to remove every decision and every burden from you. Chef matching, menu approval, and feedback are all handled for you. You only interface with the food.
This isn’t a marketplace or a staffing agency. Every client relationship is managed by one accountable team, which means consistent quality, consistent communication, and menus that genuinely get better every week.
What happens when the week doesn’t go to plan.
Most weeks run exactly as planned. When one doesn’t, here’s what happens.
Your chef is sick or can’t make it
Another chef from our team steps in with your menu and notes, so your service goes ahead as scheduled. If we ever can’t provide a service you’ve paid for, we refund it in full.
A dish isn’t to your taste
Tell us at your first-week check-in, or any time after. Your chef adjusts the next menu around your feedback. If a service truly misses the mark, tell Nicole directly and she’ll make it right.
You don’t click with your chef
Tell us and we’ll match you with a different chef, at no charge.
Something breaks or spills
Tell your chef right away. If you notice something after the service, email us within 24 hours so we can address it quickly. Every chef carries food liability insurance.
You won’t be home
Your chef can cook while you’re out. Share a lockbox or door code with Nicole, and she passes it only to your chef.
Your chef is running late
Your chef contacts you directly to let you know.
Anything else, it comes straight to Nicole.
Text, call or email.
How long does a service day take?
Typically 3 to 5 hours in your kitchen, depending on how much food is being made. Your chef arrives with the groceries already purchased and works start to finish in your kitchen.
Do I need to be home on service day?
No. Most clients give their chef access and come home to a full fridge. If you’d prefer to be present your first service day, that’s completely fine too.
How are groceries handled?
Your chef shops for every ingredient and you’re reimbursed at exact cost. We follow USDA dietary guidelines as a foundation. An itemized receipt is sent the day after each service. There is no grocery markup, ever.
What if I don’t like something?
Just tell us. The feedback loop is built into the service: your preferences are updated each week and the menu evolves. Over time, your chef learns exactly how you like things.
Can I have a trial before committing monthly?
Yes. Every package is available as a one-time trial at a slightly higher rate. Most clients start with a trial and move to monthly after their first service.
How far in advance do I need to book?
After your consultation call, your menu is curated within 3 business days. We recommend booking your call at least one week before your desired start date.
How much does a personal chef cost?
Weekly service starts at $450/week, with five package sizes covering 6–20 meals. Groceries are billed separately at exact cost with an itemized receipt, never marked up. Take the two-minute Find My Plan quiz to see the package that fits your household, then get an exact quote on your free consultation.
Ready to see it work
in your kitchen?
Two minutes to tell us how you eat. Three days to your first menu. One chef who handles everything.