Hire a Chef
Hiring a chef means one of four quite different things, and the right answer depends on whether you’re employing someone or booking someone.
Alliance places chefs on permanent and contract terms. We recruit chefs into households and commercial kitchens as employees or on defined contracts, vetted, reference-checked and trade-tested before you meet them, across 36+ countries and 16+ years.
16+ Years Of Experience
550,000+ Placements Delivered
36+ Countries Served
350+ Expert Teams
50+ Top Level Positions
What we do
This is the most important section on the page. It converts the right visitor and dismisses the wrong one in five seconds.
- Permanent placement — the chef is employed by you, full-time
- Contract placement — a defined term, with a start and end date
- Household, private estate, restaurant, hotel and contract catering kitchens
- Local and international sourcing, including relocation support
What we don’t do
- Chefs for a party, event or single evening
- Part-time arrangements, two or three days a week
- Temporary or agency shift cover
If you need a chef for one night or a few days a week, a private-chef booking platform will serve you better than we will. If you’re employing someone, read on.
Which Type of Chef Do You Need?
| If you need… | You’re hiring a… | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| A chef working exclusively for one household, full-time, cooking daily for the family | Private chef | Private chef hire → |
| A chef employed in your home to cook daily meals, manage the kitchen and shop | Personal chef or household cook | Hire a personal chef → |
| A chef for a restaurant, hotel, resort or catering operation | Commercial chef | Chef recruitment agency → |
| A chef for desserts, patisserie, chocolate or bakery | Pastry chef | Pastry chef recruitment → |
| A second-in-command running sections in a commercial kitchen | Sous chef | Sous chef hiring → [URL needed] |
| A household chef in the UAE or wider Gulf | Private chef, Gulf | Private chef in Dubai → |
| Chefs specialising in Indian regional cuisine, placed internationally | Indian chef | Indian chefs for hire → |
| A full kitchen team rather than one appointment | Kitchen brigade | Kitchen staffing → [URL needed] |
Private Chef or Personal Chef, What’s the Difference?
The terms get used interchangeably, but in the trade they mean different things, and the distinction matters when you’re employing someone rather than booking them.
A private chef works exclusively for one household, usually full-time and often live-in. They cook daily, manage the kitchen, handle provisioning, and travel with the family where required. The relationship is employment.
A personal chef traditionally works across several clients in a week, cooking in batches or on set days. That model is a booking arrangement rather than a placement, and it isn’t what Alliance provides.
What we place is the full-time household chef, whether you call the role private chef, personal chef or household cook. If the arrangement is a few days a week across multiple homes, we’re not the right partner.
Chef salaries vary by five things more than anything else:
Chef salaries vary by five things more than anything else:
Tell us the setting, the hours and any dietary requirements, and we’ll give you a realistic range on the first call, before you commit to anything.
Setting
A household chef is paid differently from a restaurant head chef, and a hotel executive chef differently again.
Live-in or live-out
Live-in roles usually carry a lower cash salary because accommodation forms part of the package.
Specialism
Fine-dining background, dietary specialism or serious allergy management all command more, because fewer chefs do them well.
Discretion
Roles for high-profile households, with NDA terms, draw from a smaller pool and are priced accordingly.
Location
Market rates differ sharply by country and city.
Find the Right Chef for Your Kitchen
Get skilled chef candidates matched to your cuisine, kitchen requirements, and business goals. Alliance Recruitment Agency helps restaurants, hotels, and hospitality businesses hire the right culinary talent quickly.
How We Place Chefs
1. Brief
The setting, the cuisine, the hours, dietary requirements, and whether the role is permanent or contract.
2. Search
Our network across 36+ countries, plus a direct approach for senior and specialist roles.
3. Verification
Employment history, references with previous employers, culinary credentials, and food-safety certification are checked before you see anyone.
4. Trade test
For most placements, we arrange a cooking trial in your kitchen or a neutral one. It tells you more than any interview.
5. Shortlist and selection
Matched candidates with full profiles. We coordinate interviews and trials and support the offer.
6. Placement and aftercare
Permanent placements are backed by our 90-day replacement guarantee.
Why Employers Choose Alliance
- 16+ years placing culinary and hospitality talent; 36+ countries served from four regional offices
- 500+ clients, with 95% repeat business
- 4.8 average client rating
- ISO 9001-certified quality management; 90-day replacement guarantee on permanent placements
- Recruiter Awards 2023 — Highly Commended · HRM Asia Readers’ Choice Award 2022
Ready to hire a chef?
Tell us the setting, the hours and what you need cooked. You’ll get vetted, trade-tested candidates — permanent or contract.
Our Valuable Clients Review
“Alliance understood our cuisine and kitchen requirements and quickly introduced us to skilled chef candidates who matched our needs.”
“We needed a chef urgently, and Alliance provided qualified candidates quickly. Their team made the entire hiring process smooth.”
“Alliance helped us find an experienced chef who fit our kitchen culture and standards. Their support was excellent throughout.”
Awards
Meet Our Leadership Team
Molly Anderson
Franchise Lead | Recruitment Franchise
Alex George
General Manager | RPO & Enterprise Recruitment
Nikki Miller
Head of Recruitment | Recruitment & Staffing
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. As per your requirement, if you specify the type of cuisine you need (e.g., Italian, French, Indian) we will shortlist chefs experienced in that style. Our flexible process can accommodate the requirements and modify the process. This way, special requests are included and required filters are placed while finding and sourcing. Our global network includes chefs skilled in a wide variety of culinary traditions, matched to your exact cuisine needs.
Relocation is a part of our hiring service. In fact, it is an extension of hiring, where onboarding support goes beyond simply filling a position. Once you select a chef, we assist with visa coordination, travel planning, and structured onboarding, making it seamless to welcome skilled international talent without unnecessary administrative or logistical stress.
A list of most potential candidates are provided to the business organization, who can review profiles and schedule personal interviews. Coordination of interviews, required platforms, any practical tests such as cooking trials are managed by us. This makes it easy for businesses to make a good choice and be assured of the right candidates.
No. Alliance places chefs on permanent and contract terms; the chef is employed by you or engaged for a defined period. For a single evening or event, a private-chef booking platform is the right route.
No. We place full-time and contract roles. If you need a few days a week across multiple households, that’s a booking arrangement rather than a placement.
A private chef works exclusively for one household, usually full-time and often live-in. A personal chef traditionally works across several clients on set days.
It depends on the setting, hours, specialism and location. Tell us what you need and we’ll give you a realistic salary range on the first call.
Most placements are completed within two to four weeks. Specialist roles — serious dietary requirements, high-discretion households, or scarce cuisines, take longer, and we’ll say so at the brief.
Yes, across 36+ countries, with relocation and documentation support where a chef is moving to a new market.
Yes. Employment history, references with previous employers, culinary qualifications and food-safety certification are verified before a candidate reaches your shortlist.
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