A family chef is a private chef booked for several days of a stay rather than one dinner. It suits families renting a house for a week or longer, and owners of second homes on the island who are here for part of the year. The idea is simple: real food at home without anyone giving up their vacation to shop and cook.
A typical week
The chef comes in a few days a week. On those days there is a sit-down family dinner, and the fridge is stocked with meals for the days in between: salads, grains, soups, proteins and snacks the kids will actually eat. Many families choose the days around their plans: a dinner after a beach day, meals ready before an early volcano trip.
Planning and groceries
Menus are planned with you ahead of the week: the dishes your family loves, what the kids will eat, and what the island farms and boats have in season. Groceries are bought by the chef and billed at cost, so you are not paying a markup on food.
Every diet at one table
The point of a family chef is that the whole family eats the same dinner. Animal, seafood or plant-forward, gluten-free or dairy-free, and allergies taken seriously: the menu is built around everyone rather than adding a separate plate.
The kitchen and the house
Vacation-rental kitchens vary. It helps to share a photo of the kitchen and a list of what is in it, and to check storage space in the fridge. The chef cooks, serves on cooking days and leaves the kitchen clean.
Questions
Is a family chef only for long stays?
It works best for a week or more, or for owners who are on the island part of the year, but a few days of a shorter stay works too.
Can the menu be plant-based or gluten-free?
Yes. Every menu can be made fully plant-based and gluten-free, and allergies are planned for when the menu is planned.
Tell us your dates and your family
Family chef on Hawaiʻi IslandMore: Private dinners in Kona · Holiday dinners · All guides