A Stranger in Your Home. Considered.
Hiring a private chef means opening your kitchen to someone new. Here’s how we make that decision easier — how chefs join the network, how responsibility works, and what to expect if something doesn’t go to plan.
Every Chef Passes the Same Gates
Apply, interview, course, final approval — and the standard keeps applying after a chef is in. No shortcuts, no exceptions.
- 1
Application Review
Every chef applies before joining. The application covers background, cuisine specialties, service area, a sample menu, and an intro video — enough to understand the chef's food, experience, and fit before anything moves forward.
- 2
Interview With Our Team
Approved applications lead to a conversation with our team, to make sure values, sourcing practices, and cooking and serving styles align with the Lighthearted Standard: seasonal, organic, intentional, educational.
- 3
The Lighthearted Kitchen Course
Chefs complete our onboarding course covering platform standards, in-home service expectations, and the customer experience we want every host to have.
- 4
Final Approval
Every chef is hand-approved before their profile goes live. Lighthearted Kitchen is not an open directory — we grow the network slowly, on purpose.
- 5
Ongoing Review
After every completed booking, hosts review chefs and chefs review hosts. We read the reviews, and chefs who don't uphold the standard don't stay in the network.
Independent Providers
Chefs are independent providers, solely responsible for their own insurance, licenses, permits, food-safety practices, certifications, taxes, staff, alcohol compliance, and compliance with local law. Lighthearted Kitchen does not provide insurance and does not guarantee coverage, claim payment, permits, compliance, safety, quality, or suitability.
Lighthearted Kitchen may request proof of insurance, permits, certifications, licenses, tax registrations, or other documentation at any time, on a case-by-case basis, and may suspend, restrict, cancel, or remove access if documentation is not provided or if we have safety, compliance, or platform-integrity concerns.
A Real Person Reads Every Message
Tell us directly
Questions and concerns go straight to our team through the contact page or from inside your booking. We’re a small team, and we read everything.
Honest, published terms
Hosts get a full refund 30+ days before the event, 50% at 7–30 days, and no refund within 7 days. If the chef cancels, the host is refunded in full — every time. The full policy is in the Cancellation & Refund Policy.
Money moves through the platform
Hosts are not charged before the chef confirms and the host commits. Payment is captured through Lighthearted Kitchen and released to the chef after the event — never handed over in cash on the night.
Tell us, candidly
Every completed booking gets a review, in both directions. If the night didn't land, we want to know — reviews are how the network keeps its standard.
The Policies Behind This Page
Questions Before You Book?
We’d rather you ask. Every message reaches a real person on our team.