Before you hire a private chef, ask about their training, whether the same chef will come every visit, whether they are background-checked and insured, how groceries are billed, and how the schedule and cost are set. The right answers are specific and in writing; vague answers are the warning sign.
Updated October 15, 2026
A private chef works in your kitchen, around your family and with your food. That takes more trust than most services, so it is worth a short conversation before anyone starts. Here are the eleven questions we would ask in your place, what a good answer sounds like, and how A Perfect Fit answers them.
Experience and fit
1. Where did you train, and where have you cooked?
Look for formal culinary training or years in serious kitchens: restaurants, hotels or private homes. Ask what kinds of households they cook for now. At A Perfect Fit: our chefs include Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu graduates and veterans of fine dining, five-star hotels and private estates. You can meet our chefs.
2. Will the same chef come every visit?
Consistency is most of the value. A chef who learns your kitchen, your kids' favorites and the foods you avoid gets better every week; a rotating cast starts over every time. At A Perfect Fit: each chef serves only a few households and is never rotated between clients.
3. Can I see what you cook before committing?
A good chef should be able to show you what they cook and walk you through a first menu. At A Perfect Fit: see a sample menu, then we plan your first menu with you in the consultation.
Safety and trust
4. Are you background-checked and insured?
Ask directly, and ask what the insurance covers in your home. This is a reasonable question for anyone who will have regular access to your house. At A Perfect Fit: every chef is background-checked and insured.
5. How do you handle food safety and storage?
Ask how food is cooled and stored, and how long each dish keeps. You want a clear plan for what gets eaten first.
Food and health
6. Can you cook for a medical diet or a doctor's guidance?
Many chefs cook "healthy"; fewer can follow a plan for diabetes, heart health, kidney needs or GLP-1 medication. Ask who designs that plan. At A Perfect Fit: a registered dietitian builds the plan and your chef cooks it at home. We never prescribe or adjust medication. Read more about cooking for GLP-1 medication.
7. How do you plan menus, and how much say do I have?
You should approve every menu and be able to retire dishes your household did not love. Ask how feedback works between visits.
Groceries, schedule and cost
8. How are groceries handled?
Ask whether groceries are billed at cost or marked up, and where the chef shops. At A Perfect Fit: groceries are a pass-through with no upcharge, and your chef shops for fresh, local ingredients around your preferences.
9. How often will you come, and can that change?
Weekly, every other week, or around travel and the seasons? Ask how easy it is to scale up or down. At A Perfect Fit: you set the cadence and can change it as your needs, schedule and season of life change.
10. What happens in my kitchen on a cooking day?
Ask how long a visit takes, whether you need to be home, and what the kitchen looks like when they leave. At A Perfect Fit: your chef shops, cooks in your kitchen, stores everything and resets the kitchen before leaving.
11. How is the cost set, and what is included?
Ask for a written proposal: the service fee, how groceries are billed, and any extras for events or holidays. A clear proposal now prevents surprises later. We explain what drives the cost in How much does a private chef cost? and compare the options in Private chef vs. meal delivery vs. a marketplace.
Red flags
- A different chef every visit, or no clear answer on who is coming.
- No straight answer on background checks or insurance.
- Groceries marked up without saying so.
- No written proposal, or pricing that changes after you start.
Ready to ask us?
A Perfect Fit is a health-focused private chef service in St. Louis, Dallas, Houston, Nashville and Austin. Bring these questions to a short consultation and we will answer every one. Request a consultation.
— Rachael Lewis, Founder & CEO, A Perfect Fit