Hire an In-Home Chef in Austin

Serving Families for Over 30 Years


Hiring an in-home chef in Austin allows your cooking needs to be met while incorporating your taste preferences, dietary requirements, and health needs.

Chef Duties

An experienced in-home chef will plan, prepare, and serve delicious cuisine. Typical duties are:

  • Meal planning
  • Grocery shopping, and restocking staples and supplies
  • Preparing fresh meals (and sometimes plating/serving, depending on the client’s preference)
  • Preparing meals to be refrigerated and/or reheated
  • Cleaning kitchen thoroughly after meal preparation
  • Refrigerator and pantry organization
  • Occasional event cooking

Pricing

  • Compensation for in-home chefs typically starts at $100K/year (+ employer portion of payroll taxes) for full-time and $50/hr for part-time (typically at least 2 days or 20 hours/week)
  • Search Fee: To begin the search, there is a fee of $300
  • Placement Fee: When you hire, a fee of 20% of the candidate’s gross annual compensation will be due

Total Annual Gross Compensation is based on 52 weeks in a year.

Chef Screening

Each chef is qualified, experienced, and has made it through our extensive screening process. Less than 10% of applicants make it through the process, which includes:

  • Minimum requirements fulfilled (at least 21 years old, non-smokers, and eligible to work in the U.S.)
  • At least 3 references (at least 1 of them in-home) and/or 3 years of related experience
  • Online application, with experience and pre-qualification review
  • Screening interview
  • References checked and former employment verified
  • Two-step background checks
    • Level 1 background check (pre-screening): Basic Identity Research (SSN issuance information and names associated with the SSN in consumer reference files), Multijurisdictional Criminal Records Database Search, and Driving History (driving record from the state in which the individual is licensed).
    • Level 2 background check (run on the candidate when you make a job offer): US Department of Justice sex offender website search, DPS criminal record database, county criminal checks under all names in all counties associated with the person in the past seven years, and criminal searches under all names in each federal district associated with the person in the past seven years
  • Highest level of education verified

Search Process

  1. Consultation: The process begins by scheduling a call to discuss your needs.
  2. Starting a Search: You will complete a short client profile with your household details. We will then create a job description, collect the search fee and signed client agreement, and begin the search.
  3. Interviews: We will send you a select group of pre-screened chefs to interview that match your search criteria, and bring one or two of the candidates back for “trial time” to observe them in action as part of a working interview.
  4. Hiring: After you have found your perfect match and are ready to hire, we draft an employment agreement to create your offer that details the specific duties, compensation, and terms of employment. The placement fee is then due on or before the start date.
  5. Ongoing Support: MBF is available to meet any of your post-placement needs, and can be contacted for industry recommendations / standards, appropriate expectations, and any necessary coaching or issue resolution.