Frequently Asked Questions

PERSONAL ORGANIC CHEF SERVICE

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: HOW DO I GET STARTED?

A. Please contact Urban Organic Chef  via phone or email to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation. We will sit down with you to complete a comprehensive questionnaire detailing your dining preferences, dietary needs and lifestyle requirements. From there, an Urban Organic Chef  will create customized menus that you will approve, and we will schedule a service day.

Q: WHAT IS A PERSONAL CHEF?

A: A personal chef is someone that comes into your home to prepare a variety of meals based on your specific preferences or dietary needs. The personal chef does the planning, the shopping, the cooking, and the clean up. The food is then packaged into containers that are labeled with heating instructions, and stored in your refrigerator or freezer to be heated and eaten when you desire. You enjoy the convenience of having scrumptious meals prepared in the safety and comfort of your home.

Q: WHO NEEDS A PERSONAL ORGANIC CHEF?

A: Whether you are too busy to cook or simply dislike cooking, putting quality, healthful food on the dinner table is still a priority. Hiring a personal chef is a way to ensure that you and your family are eating well, while enabling you to save valuable and precious time that you would otherwise be grocery shopping, planning meals, and cooking. Here are just a few examples of people whose lives could be improved by hiring a personal chef:

• Busy professionals, couples and individuals
  
• Active families
  
• Independent seniors
  
• New parents
  
• People on special diets
  
• People with weight loss goals
  
• People recovering from injury or illness
  
• People looking to give a unique special gift (with a gift certificate)
  
• A romantic who wants to impress his/her partner with a private dinner to remember
  
• Hosts and hostesses who want to enjoy (rather than work) their own dinner party
  
• Anyone who does not know how to cook
  
• Anyone who does not like to cook

Q: HOW DOES THIS SERVICE WORK?

A: First we meet to conduct a detailed food questionnaire and understand your food preferences and any dietary needs. We will also discuss your preferences regarding packaging (i.e. whether you would prefer recyclable or disposable storage containers). Then we will research and create customized menus for your approval. Next, we do all of the grocery shopping and will come to your home to prepare your meals. We will package and label your gourmet dinners and leave them in the refrigerator or freezer with complete instructions on how to enjoy them. When we leave, your kitchen will be spotless and your house will be filled with the aroma of home cooking.

Q: WHAT DOES THIS SERVICE COST?

A: Pricing varies, depending on the number of entrees and servings being prepared. The cost of groceries and packaging is not included all in service packages and will depend on your personal preferences. Please review the Organic Chef Rates & FAQ page for examples or contact the chef.

Q: WHAT DOES THE SERVICE PRICE INCLUDE?

A: The price of the service includes:

• Client consultation, food questionnaire and kitchen review
  
• Personalized menus research, planning and creation
  
• Grocery shopping for the very best, freshest ingredients
  
• Cooking, packaging, labeling and storing
  
• Kitchen clean-up and sanitization
  
• Pantry items such as flour, oils, sugar, herbs and spices are included
  
• The cost of groceries is not included in the service price.

Q: DO YOU HAVE TO COOK IN MY HOME?

A: Due to health department regulations we have to prepare food in an approved commercial kitchen, or in your home. By cooking in your home, we are able to offer a much more customized menu based on your specific food preferences and dietary needs as opposed to eating what is being prepared that day in a commercial kitchen for everyone. You also get the added benefit of knowing your food was prepared right in the safety and comfort of your own kitchen.

Q: DO YOU COOK IN MY KITCHEN?

A: Yes, all meals are prepared in the safety of the client's kitchen. We will bring own tools and equipment and leave the kitchen spotless when we are finished.

Q: HOW LONG WILL YOU BE MY KITCHEN?

A: It depends on how many meals we are preparing and the menu that has been selected for the cook date. Typically, the service takes about 4-6 hours from start to finish.

Q: DO I HAVE TO HOME WHEN YOU COME TO COOK?

A: No, you do not have to be home on your scheduled cook date as long as appropriate arrangements are made in advance for me to gain access to your house.

Q: DO I HAVE TO LEAVE YOU MY KEY IN ORDER FOR YOU TO GET IN?

A: This is something we always leave up to the client for them to decide how they feel most comfortable. We may choose a date someone will be home, or I arrive before they go to work. It’s up to the client.

Q: WHAT AREAS DO YOU COVER?

A: We serve the Atlanta area (.i.e Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead). Services outside this area will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Q: HOW IS THE FOOD PACKAGED?

A: A variety of containers are used depending on the food. We will discuss packaging options at the initial consultation. Some containers are pressed paperboard, others aluminum or plastic with recycling in mind. Most are microwavable, stackable, refrigerator/freezer friendly, leak-resistant, durable and economical.

Q: WHAT KIND OF FOOD DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN?

A: This is a very individualized service. Each menu is planned around your preferences and dietary needs. We have over 2000 recipes to choose from and growing every day. If you tell us you like Italian food then we will include Italian dishes in your menu. If you like Mediterranean cuisine then we will include Mediterranean dishes in your menu. The possibilities are endless.

Q: DO I HAVE TO SIGN A CONTRACT?

A: With Organic Chef you are not forced into any contracts. We go on a need as we go along basis. Once you become a regular client and you prefer a specific day for your service than that will be noted and that will be reserved as your days.

Q: HOW MANY CONSULTATIONS WILL I NEED?

A: One consultation is often enough for someone who eats well and has few health problems. However, if you wish more support (or if you have significant weight or health problems), a discounted series of consultations is available.

• Diet Consultation — by telephone
  
• $100 — one hour, plus one email follow-up
  
• $ 45 — 1/2 hour telephone follow-up
  
• $ 90 — one hour follow-up (may be split into two phone calls)
  

Q: DO ALL MEALS HAVE TO BE FROZEN?

A: The majority of your meals will be stored in the freezer. We do leave meals in the refrigerator to be eaten within 3-5 days from the day of service. We always try to provide you a fresh serve seafood or fish entrée to be eaten within the first 2 days of service. The recipes used in your menus have an identification of whether they need to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. If you follow the proper heating instructions one will never know an item has been frozen. If one is really against freezing their meals we can go more often and cook lees food so it can all be stored in the refrigerator. However, that does not become the most economical choice for the client.

Q: CAN I AFFORD IT?

A: Absolutely! Most of our clients are surprised to find out just how affordable this service is. A personal chef is no longer just for the rich and famous. Simply add how much money you spend on eating out during the week, then add the time spent traveling to and from the restaurants, not to mention the unhealthy choices made when eating out. Also add the amount of money you spend on groceries each week, plus the money you end up throwing away when you buy ingredients with the intention of cooking but lack of time prohibit you from doing so. A personal chef can not only save you money but it can save you time as well. It is estimated that hiring a personal chef can save you from 10-12 hours a week.