What is the difference between a private chef and a personal chef?

A personal chef is essentially a professional chef who prepares meals for a customer or a family. This can happen in the customer's home or in the chef's own kitchen. A private chef, on the other hand, is a chef who works in a private home, usually for a single client or family. A personal chef is, in essence, a contractor. They cook for a customer base, often for several families, and are paid per day or work as a cook.

They don't work in commercial kitchens. Both private and personal chefs have their place in a home or at an event, but that doesn't mean everyone benefits from both. Personal chefs are more reserved for people traveling on low budgets, while private chefs are for those who want a more luxurious experience. Possibly the biggest disadvantage of hiring a private chef is that for someone on an “average budget”, private chefs are very expensive. While hiring a private chef comes with a variety of benefits, it also has some disadvantages that shouldn't be overlooked when choosing between a private and a personal chef.

A private chef, on the other hand, works full time for a client and often spends all day at his client's private residence. The main difference between a personal chef and a private chef is that a private chef is usually employed by an individual or a family, while a personal chef is self-employed and has any number of clients on their list. Now that you understand the pros and cons of a private chef, let's start taking a closer look at some of the reasons why you might want to consider a personal chef rather than a private chef.