Frequently Asked Questions
About our In-Home Personal Chef Services
Why hire a personal chef?
A personal chef is a great way to save time and money. As a personal chef, we am here to bring balance to your life on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. We will work with you to customize your meals, prepare them for you and leave you with detailed reheating instructions. Hiring a personal chef is a great way to stick to a healthy lifestyle and help bring down the costs of eating out. It’s also a great way to get that restaurant experience, without leaving your home.
What does the weekly meal schedule like?
The Weekly Meal Services is scheduled one day a week from Tuesday to Thursday each week. The average schedule is groceries at 8:00 AM and in-home from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. If needed times can be slightly adjusted to meet your needs.
What does the bi-weekly meal schedule like?
The Bi-Weekly Meal Services is scheduled one day every second week from Tuesday to Thursday. The average schedule is groceries at 8:00 AM and in-home from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM. If needed times can be slightly adjusted to meet your needs.
What does the monthly batch / freezer meal schedule like?
The Monthly Batch / Freezer Meal Service is scheduled for one Monday each month. The average schedule is groceries at 8:00 AM and in-home from 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM. If needed days and times can be slightly adjusted to meet your needs.
Where do you prepare the food?
Food is prepared in your home. We do not have access to a commercial kitchen at this time, however, we are happy to discuss renting space for your specific needs.
Do I need to be home while you are preparing our meals?
No, similar to a cleaning service FoodZen wants to cause the least disruption to your schedule. We are happy to come in on days that you are not at home. You will need to provide a key or house code for us to enter.
Do you have a menu I can view?
FoodZen does not have set menus. We work with our clients to customize meals to their tastes and dietary needs. Before each visit, you will receive a customized menu for you to review and approve.
What types of diets can you accommodate?
We can accommodate food allergies; dairy, nuts, gluten, eggs, soy, etc. and specialty diets; vegetarian, vegan, keto, low-sodium, etc. If you are currently working with a nutritious for specific food goals, we would be happy to work with them to meet your needs. At this time, we are not able to support specific religious practices, such as Kosher.
What is the cost of groceries?
Groceries will vary based on your preferred grocery store, product preferences (i.e. organic vs non-organic) and menu. Up to this point, the average cost of groceries for the Weekly Meal Service has been between $50 and $90.
Do you provide the containers needed for storing the food?
No, we will work with clients to make sure they have the necessary containers needed to store their food each week. FoodZen prefers to use reusable containers and on your first visit, we can include the containers as part of the grocery shopping bill.
Do I need to provide / buy any kitchen tools for FoodZen to use?
For the most part, we will be using our own tools; knives, pots, pans, cutting boards and utensils. We may need to use some of your tools depending on the recipe. We will need access to your fridge, stove, bbq, oven and microwave for most meals.
If we already have the ingredient on hand, do you still buy it when you go grocery shopping?
No, we will work with the clients to determine what ingredients they already have on hand. Things like salt and pepper do not need to be bought each time. We are also happy to work with you if you have ingredients you need to use up.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes, we have an Ontario Master Business License and general liability insurance.