Guide for chefs

How to start a private chef business: licences, insurance and your first bookings

Cooking well is the part you already know. A private chef business adds four things: registering it, meeting the food-hygiene rules where you cook, insurance, and clear terms with every client. None of it is complicated, but the details change by country.

This guide walks through each step, with a country table for the 15 markets UpChef works in (checked November 2026). It summarises official guidance and links to it; it is not legal or tax advice. When the rules for your situation are unclear, ask the authority named or a local accountant. If you are still deciding whether this is the career for you, start with how to become a private chef.

By UpChef · Published 2 November 2026

Decide what you sell

The rules you face depend on where the food is cooked. Write down which of these you will offer before you register anything:

Cooking in the client’s kitchen (dinner parties, events). The most common private-chef model; the food never leaves the client’s home.
Meal prep in the client’s kitchen, or cooked elsewhere and delivered. Delivered food usually means your own kitchen must meet food-business standards.
Cooking classes at the client’s home or a venue.
Catering for larger events, which often needs a registered or commercial kitchen and more staff.

A one-page private chef business plan

Unless a bank asks, you do not need 30 pages. Write down answers to eight questions and check them against reality after three months:

Offer. What you cook, for how many guests, and in which format (from the list above).
Customer. Who books you: dinner-party hosts, families, holiday renters, companies? Where do they live?
Area. How far you will travel, and what you charge for travel beyond it.
Prices. Your per-person price for each menu and your minimum number of guests (see what private chefs charge).
Costs. Ingredients as a share of the price, equipment, insurance, training, transport, platform and payment fees.
Break-even. How many bookings a month cover your fixed costs and the income you need.
Channels. Where bookings come from: referrals, social media, local partners, platforms.
Capacity. How many events a week you can cook without the quality dropping.

Do you need a licence to be a private chef?

Few countries issue a “private chef licence” as such. What most of them do require is some combination of three things:

Registering as self-employed or as a business, with the tax office and sometimes a trade office.
Registering as a food business with the local council or health authority, especially if you prepare food in your own kitchen.
Food-hygiene training or a health certificate for anyone handling food for paying customers.

Cooking only in clients’ kitchens can change which of these apply, and authorities do not all read it the same way. Describe exactly what you do when you ask.

Registration, hygiene, insurance and tax in UpChef’s 15 countries

Starting a private chef business: what to check, by country (checked November 2026)
Country	Business registration	Food hygiene	Insurance	Tax note
United Kingdom	Register as self-employed for Self Assessment with HMRC, or set up a limited company (GOV.UK).	Register with your council as a food business at least 28 days before trading (GOV.UK); food hygiene training, Level 2 typical.	Employers’ liability is required by law once you employ staff (GOV.UK); public liability is commonly expected by clients.	You must register for VAT once taxable turnover passes the VAT threshold (GOV.UK).
United States	Rules are set by state and city; you may need a business licence or permit, and many chefs form an LLC (SBA).	State and county rules, mostly based on the FDA Food Code; a food handler card or food protection manager certificate is common.	General liability cover is commonly asked for by clients and venues.	Self-employed people generally pay self-employment tax and may need quarterly estimated payments (IRS).
Germany	Register a trade (Gewerbeanmeldung) with the local trade office (Bundesportal); the tax office then asks for your details.	Initial instruction under § 43 Infection Protection Act from the Gesundheitsamt (IfSG).	Business liability insurance (Betriebshaftpflicht) is commonly recommended.	Ask the Finanzamt or a tax adviser about VAT, including the small-business rule.
France	Most solo chefs start as micro-entrepreneurs through the one-stop business portal (Service Public, guichet unique).	The 14-hour HyA course is not required for chefs cooking only in clients’ homes (instruction DGAL/SDSSA/2017-861), but you must still be trained in food hygiene (EU Regulation 852/2004); it becomes compulsory for commercial restaurant activity such as pop-ups.	Professional liability (RC Pro) is commonly recommended.	Contributions are paid on declared turnover; ask URSSAF or an accountant about VAT.
Spain	Register as self-employed (autónomo) with Social Security (Seguridad Social) and with the tax agency (Agencia Tributaria).	Food-handler training under EU Regulation 852/2004; the old card was dropped in 2010 (BOE); regions may add rules.	Civil liability insurance (responsabilidad civil) is commonly recommended.	Autónomos file regular VAT and income-tax returns; check with the Agencia Tributaria.
Italy	Open a VAT number (partita IVA) with the Agenzia delle Entrate (Agenzia delle Entrate).	HACCP food-hygiene training, certified by your region; check food-business registration with your ASL or comune.	Professional liability cover is commonly recommended.	Ask a commercialista which tax regime fits (the flat-rate regime is common for small businesses).
Sweden	Apply for F-tax (F-skatt) with Skatteverket (Skatteverket, verksamt.se).	Register a food business with your municipality before you start (Livsmedelsverket).	Liability insurance (ansvarsförsäkring) is commonly recommended.	Register for VAT (moms) with Skatteverket if it applies to your turnover.
Switzerland	Self-employed status is recognised by your AHV/AVS compensation office, not by the commercial register (KMU portal).	Food businesses fall under the cantonal food inspectorate (FSVO); ask your canton what applies.	Liability insurance is commonly recommended.	VAT registration is required once turnover reaches the federal threshold (ESTV).
Mexico	Register with the SAT for your RFC, which you need to invoice clients (SAT).	Hygiene practices for food under NOM-251-SSA1-2009 (DOF); health authority: COFEPRIS and your state.	Liability cover: check with your local authority.	Ask the SAT or an accountant which regime fits.
Brazil	Many self-employed people register as MEI (gov.br); check that your activity is on the MEI list.	Good-practice rules for food services, ANVISA RDC 216/2004 (FAOLEX copy); municipal health surveillance (vigilância sanitária).	Liability cover: check with your local authority.	MEI pays a fixed monthly amount; check the current limits on gov.br.
Colombia	Register in the RUT with the DIAN (DIAN).	Food handlers need training in hygienic food handling under Resolución 2674 de 2013 (MinSalud).	Liability cover: check with your local authority.	Ask the DIAN or an accountant about invoicing and VAT.
New Zealand	Tell Inland Revenue you are self-employed (IRD).	Check whether you must register under the Food Act 2014 with the My Food Rules tool (MPI).	Public liability cover is commonly recommended.	You must register for GST once turnover reaches the threshold (IRD).
Australia	Most sole traders get an ABN through the Australian Business Register (business.gov.au).	Food Safety Standard 3.2.2A training for food handlers (FSANZ); notify or register with your council.	Public liability cover is commonly recommended.	You must register for GST once turnover reaches the threshold; check with the ATO.
Saudi Arabia	Saudi nationals can work under a freelance document from the HRSD programme at freelance.sa; residents should ask HRSD which status allows them to work for themselves.	Municipal health certificate for food workers through Balady.	Liability cover: check with your local authority.	VAT registration with ZATCA is required once turnover passes the threshold.
United Arab Emirates	Freelance permits and trade licences are issued by each emirate and by free zones, and each lists the activities it allows; check that private cooking is covered.	Set by the emirate’s municipality; Dubai Municipality requires food-safety training for food-handling staff (Dubai Municipality).	Liability cover: check with your local authority.	Ask the Federal Tax Authority or an accountant about VAT and corporate tax.

Checked November 2026 against the official pages linked. This is a starting point, not legal or tax advice: rules change, and they can differ by region, city or the exact work you do. Where a cell says “check with your local authority”, we could not confirm a rule that applies to private chefs.

Private chef insurance

One evening can cost a small business everything: a guest with food poisoning, a burnt worktop. Ask a broker about these covers:

Public or general liability: injury to guests or damage to the client’s home while you work. Venues and corporate clients often ask for proof.
Product liability: claims caused by the food itself, such as illness or an allergic reaction. Often bundled with public liability; check that it is.
Equipment cover for knives, mixers and anything you carry in the car.
Employers’ liability once you hire an assistant, which is a legal requirement in the UK.
Vehicle use for business: tell your motor insurer if you drive to events with equipment.

A platform’s payment protection is not insurance: it covers the money for a booking, not damage or injury.

What goes in a private chef contract

For bookings you take directly, put the agreement in writing, even if it is a confirmed email. It should cover:

date, start time, address and number of guests;
the menu, and every allergy and dietary requirement, confirmed by the client in writing;
the price, what it includes (ingredients, service, washing up) and what costs extra (drinks, staff, tableware, travel);
payment terms: deposit, balance and when each is due;
cancellation terms on both sides;
what you need from the kitchen (oven, hob, fridge space, access time);
whether you may photograph the food and post it.

On UpChef, a booking already carries most of this: date, time, guests, menu and price are in the booking, payment goes through the app, and the cancellation policy is set by the platform. A customer gets a full refund within 10 minutes of paying, a full refund if they cancel 7 or more days before the event, and no refund inside 7 days, so a late cancellation does not leave you unpaid. If you cancel, the customer gets 100% back. Confirm allergies in the chat before the event.

Choosing a private chef business name

A name should tell a stranger what you do and, ideally, where. The patterns that work for private chefs are simple:

Your own name: “[Your name] Private Chef” or “Chef [Your name]”. Clients book a person.
Place plus format: “[Town] Supper Club”, “[District] Private Dining”.
Cuisine plus format: “[Cuisine] at Home”, “[Region] Table”.

Before you print anything, check the name is free in your business register, that the domain and social handles are available, and that nobody nearby trades under something similar.

Set up the money side

Open a separate bank account for the business from day one.
Keep every ingredient receipt; photograph them the same day.
Put aside a fixed share of every payment for tax.
Price every menu per person with a minimum number of guests, and review prices every few months.

For the numbers, read what private chefs charge and earn, which includes live prices from UpChef menus and a worked example of what you take home after fees.

Your first bookings

Once you are registered and insured, put your menus where customers look. Referrals and social media build slowly; platforms bring people who already want to book. Compare fees and payout rules in private chef platforms compared, and read how to get hired as a private chef for the profile, photos and replies that turn views into bookings.

On UpChef, joining is free and the commission is 0% for every chef. You sign up in the app, upload a government ID and a culinary certificate or an experience letter, and an UpChef admin approves you. In card-payment countries you complete Stripe Connect onboarding (about 2 to 5 minutes) before accepting your first paid booking; in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, earnings go to an in-app wallet instead. Country pages: UK, US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Italy, Switzerland, New Zealand.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to be a private chef?

Usually not a licence called that. Most countries expect you to register as self-employed or as a business, to register as a food business with the local council or health authority in some cases, and to have food-hygiene training or a health certificate. Check with your local authority, describing exactly where you cook.

Do private chefs need insurance?

In most places it is not a legal requirement for a solo chef, but public liability and product liability cover are strongly advisable, and many clients and venues ask for proof. In the UK, employers’ liability insurance is required by law once you employ staff.

What should a private chef contract include?

Date, time, address and guest count; the menu; allergies confirmed in writing; the price and what it includes; payment and cancellation terms; what you need from the kitchen; and whether you may photograph the food.

Can I cook for private chef clients in my own kitchen?

Often yes, but your kitchen may then need to be registered and inspected as a food business, and delivered food has its own rules. Cooking in the client’s kitchen avoids some of this. Ask your local food authority before you start.

How do I write a private chef business plan?

Answer eight questions on one page: what you offer, who books you, the area you cover, your prices, your costs, how many bookings you need to break even, where bookings will come from, and how many events a week you can cook well.

Is it free to list a private chef business on UpChef?

Yes. Joining UpChef is free and the commission is 0% for every chef. An optional Professional plan adds perks; in Brazil and Colombia chefs need it to be listed.

Sources

Official pages checked November 2026. Rules change and can differ by region; confirm with the authority, or a local accountant, before you rely on them.