What is a personal cook?

A cook of your own. Once a luxury, now for everyone. Hence the new name.

A personal cook packing a freshly made meal into a bag in a home kitchen

A personal cook is someone who cooks for you

A personal cook is someone who cooks for you on a regular basis. They make the food you want, the way you want it, to fit your life. They might cook in your home, deliver meals to your door, or prepare food for you to collect. You agree on everything together: what to cook, when, how often.

On Cheffo, every cook is a personal cook. Some have professional training. Some are brilliant home cooks. Some specialise in dietary needs or particular cuisines. What they have in common: they cook for real people, regularly, and they're good at it.

The term exists because the old ones don’t quite work. “Personal chef” sounds expensive and exclusive. “Home cook” sounds like someone cooking for themselves. A personal cook is the thing in between: professional enough to trust, affordable enough to use every week, personal enough to know what you like.

Why not just say 'personal chef' or 'home cook'?

“Personal chef” carries baggage. It sounds like something only wealthy people have. Someone in chef whites making a five-course dinner. That’s not what most people on Cheffo are looking for, and it’s not who most cooks on Cheffo are.

“Home cook” has the opposite problem. It sounds like someone cooking for their own family. It doesn’t convey that this person is cooking for you, as a service, and getting paid for it.

“Personal cook” sits in the middle. It says: this person cooks for you, it’s personal, and it’s a real thing you can book.

What kind of people offer personal cooking

These are the kinds of people you'll find on Cheffo. Different people, different backgrounds, but all providing personal cooking for local customers.

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Marco

    Restaurant chef for 18 years

    After two decades in professional kitchens, Marco wanted to keep cooking but stop working until midnight. Now he cooks weekly for four families in his neighbourhood — proper, technique-driven food, on his own schedule.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Anita

    Private chef for 10 years

    Anita has cooked for families in London for a decade, mostly through word of mouth. She's on Cheffo because she'd rather meet new clients on a platform that handles the bookings — and because she's confident in what she does.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Priya

    At-home parent and lifelong cook

    Priya has been raising her family at home for years and cooking is the part of the day she loves most. She's been feeding her own household, friends, and extended family for as long as she can remember — and she's very good at it. Now her kids are older and she has time to cook for two other households nearby. Hearty, generous, no-fuss food.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Jenny

    Nutritionist and cook

    Jenny is a registered nutritionist who got tired of writing meal plans her clients never followed. Now she cooks the meals herself — gentle, balanced food for people managing blood sugar, IBS, or just trying to eat better.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Tomasz

    Culinary student

    Tomasz is in his final year of culinary school. He's already cooking for two regular clients while he finishes his course — picking up real-world experience, building a client base, and earning his way through college.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Sarah

    Former personal chef, now a parent

    Sarah cooked privately for a family in Surrey for six years before having her own kids. Now she cooks two days a week for households nearby — fitting it around school runs, doing the work she loves, on her terms.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Daniel

    Pastry-trained, all-rounder

    Daniel trained at a pâtisserie in Paris but moved into general cooking after a few years. He’s on Cheffo because he wanted regular weekly clients rather than freelance restaurant work.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

  • A personal cook who offers cooking on Cheffo

    Grace

    Home cook, recently retired

    Grace ran the kitchen in her own home for fifty years — she raised four children and cooked for endless friends, neighbours, and grandchildren along the way. Now she cooks for two local households a week. Comfort food, honestly made, with the kind of confidence only experience gives.

    Examples of the kinds of cooks who join Cheffo

Frequently asked questions

  • Cheffo connects you with vetted local cooks who cook for you on a regular basis — in your home, delivered to your door, or ready to collect.

  • You agree the price directly with your cook. Personal cooking usually works out far cheaper than a private chef and comparable to a regular takeaway habit.

  • Tell us what you need, we match you with local cooks, you pick the one that fits, and you sort out the details together.

  • No. There is no membership or subscription — you only pay for the cooking you book.

  • We're growing across the UK. Enter your postcode and we'll show you the cooks available near you.

  • Share a few details about what you need, browse the cooks we match you with, and send a request to the one you like. It only takes a couple of minutes.

Find a personal cook near you

Tell us what you need and we will match you with a local cook.

Get started for free
A smiling personal cook surrounded by dishes she has made