How much SA's elite pay to have private chefs cook up festive feasts

16 December 2018 - 00:00 By SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER
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Executive chef Justin van Straaten, who is part of the Seasoned team, prepares a feast at a private home.
Executive chef Justin van Straaten, who is part of the Seasoned team, prepares a feast at a private home.
Image: Supplied

From Sandton to Camps Bay to Umhlanga, the moneyed brigade won't lift a single manicured finger these holidays as private chefs take over their designer kitchens to indulge their culinary whims.

On Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, those with cash to splash will be forking out for private chefs - some charging up to R3,500 a day - to produce dining extravaganzas for their guests.

The demand for their services - which include devising menus, shopping, cooking and cleaning up - has been growing in the past few years, as a posh yet discreet home dining experience has increasingly become social currency.

The culinary masters closely guard their clients' identities, but most are business executives, investors, CEOs and government officials.

Miles Reolon, chef and director of Seasoned, is experiencing the best festive season yet when it comes to demand for his private-chef service.

"There is definitely a trend towards private chefs being used for events like Christmas and New Year's Eve.

"Our clients have beautiful homes that never get used for entertaining and intimate fine-dining events, so this is now becoming trendy and hip as it's a great way to show off your home as well as having all the time to spend with your loved ones.

"We take care of everything - freeing the hosts to enjoy the evening with their guests."

Reolon has drawn up bespoke menus because "the various palates require very different Christmas tastes".

"A Frenchman or German will frown at a turkey - often they refer to it as an overrated bird - but will insist on oysters, for example, so we make all menus bespoke," he said.

Clients love the idea of a menu specially designed and prepared for their guests by a talented chef — there's a social currency or an element of prestige that comes with this
Private chef Matt Manning

His menu costing is similar to restaurants, but clients pay more for "personalised, highly experienced" chefs.

England-born private chef Matt Manning, who trained under Gordon Ramsay, has been inundated with client requests for the festive period.

"People are increasingly seeking personalised dining experiences. Clients love the idea of a menu specially designed and prepared for their guests by a talented chef — there's a social currency or an element of prestige that comes with this."

He has had between 10 and 50 queries a week for the festive season and will charge anything from R350 to R2,500 a person, depending on how elaborate the menu is.

On Manning's menu are prawn cocktail gem cups, whole roasted quail, and grass-fed beef.

Executive chef Wayne Burgin, of Chef Knows Best, is fully booked for the festive season.

"I am seeing a lot of clients staying locally and not travelling overseas as much over the festive season. This means they're opting to spend more on having better festivities, which means more catering services."

Some of Burgin's chefs have already been flown to all parts of the country to start catering for clients who leave meal preparations for the entire festive season in the hands of the professionals. They are usually tasked with doing anything from instant meals and high teas to fine dining.

Burgin charges a per-day rate for the services of his private chefs.

His festive menu includes tequila prawn salad, duck fillet roast, and stuffed lamb loin.

Private chef Gabriella Knight has been hired to cook for one family for three weeks.

"It takes away the stress of having to plan, shop and prepare meals while on holiday. They also don't have to spend time in traffic and fight the crowds at the shops; that's my job.

"A typical daily rate for a private chef is anywhere from R2,500 to R3,500 per day."

Ingredients are always covered by the client.

"The menu is discussed for the day, we shop, cook, serve, clean the kitchen and you enjoy," said Knight.

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