Good chefs will find themselves cooking at Michelin rated restaurants or hotels and earn $67,000 up to $100,000 a month. However, many start working for more than 8 hours a day in very hectic schedules.
And so, those who are very familiar with the culinary industry know that landing a job in fancy hotels and restaurants isn’t the real gold mine.
Private chefs and personal chefs experience the real deal. They earn twice more than what chefs in renowned restaurants and hotels earn. And their work is a lot simpler, because there are fewer patrons to serve.
Nonetheless, private and personal chefs still face risks. As most work with high profile clients, facing overwhelming responsibilities is one aspect of the job. And if something really goes wrong, things won’t just end with getting fired.
Personal and private chef Insurance can help mitigate the problems private and personal chefs face during the course of their career. Today’s discussion aims to provide insights about this.
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Many think that all personal and private chefs do is cook. This is wrong and almost similar to saying that there are no stars in daytime as they’re not visible. In truth, personal and private chefs must not only excel in cooking but must do well in other tasks as well. Here are some integral duties and responsibilities they need to perform:
Ensure that the food isn’t only delicious but also safe and beneficial for the clients
Prepare a weekly or monthly meal plan that compliments with the client’s nutritional needs
Craft a daily menu
Conduct kitchen inspections to ensure that it’s safe and free of contaminants
Be the one responsible with sourcing the food to be cooked for the clients
Attend to the invoices of food vendors and sellers
Observe proper food storage and handling
Committing a mistake and injuring their clients is what personal and private chefs dread the most. These clients are not the usual people one may meet on the streets. Personal and private chefs work with business tycoons, celebrities, and other high profile individuals who care a lot about their health and who have the power and resources to file a lawsuit even for the slightest mistake.
Personal and private chefs can easily commit mistakes in food preparation. Common faults in food preparation are:
Incorrectly thawing frozen food
Cooking food at incorrect temperatures
Cross contamination
Failure to evaluate the quality of ingredients
Failure to wash cooking equipment properly
Using one same ladle or spoon to stir and taste food
Food preparation errors result in foodborne illnesses. In connection, clients can sue personal and private chefs if they become sick. On average, settlement for personal injuries will cost $137,000.
It’s easy to pay for settlement and legal fees for a personal injury if there’s personal chef insurance and private chef insurance with general liability coverage. A basic general liability coverage offers $1 million up to $2 million for foodborne illness personal injury lawsuits. However, personal and private chefs can claim more if they go for a general liability coverage with expensive premiums.
The table below shows the most common foodborne illnesses in the United States according to the FDA ( Food and Drug Safety Administration ) as well as their personal injury compensation cost, which chef insurance will pay for:
| Foodborne Illness | Possible Injuries Caused | Estimated Settlement Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Campylobacter | Abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, fever, and nausea | $1.4 million |
| Hepatitis A | Jaundice, abnormal urine, malaise, loss of appetite, and live failure | $2.2 million |
| Listeria | Miscarriage, fatigue, confusion, convulsion, stiff neck, and disorientation | $833,000 |
| Salmonellosis | Death, fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea | $10.4 million |
| Norovirus | Nausea, diarrhea, andstomach cramps | $3.3 million |
| E.coli | Loss of appetite, nausea, low fever, stomachache, and fatigue | $650,000 |
Aside from the contraction of foodborne illness due to poor food preparation, clients can also file a lawsuit against personal or private chefs because of food allergies. Food allergy lawsuits can have a settlement cost of more than $1 million if the allergic reaction is severe. The lawyer establishes fault by reason of negligence, failure to warn, and false labeling.
General liability coverage in insurance for chefs can sometimes cover food allergy lawsuits. However, a policy that will surely provide protection is professional liability insurance. Professional liability provides $1 million minimum coverage, and it will take care of legal costs and settlement fees.
No clients will work with personal and private chefs without insurance. And so, chefs need to have general liability and professional liability coverages. In most cases, the employment contract will require chefs to get these.
But here’s the thing, if general liability and professional liability of personal and private chefs don’t have a certificate of insurance (COI), then getting insured is useless. Saying to clients that insurance is ready won’t make the cut. Clients are smart and they will look for a certificate of insurance as proof. With that said, personal and private chefs must work with carriers that offer COI in their general liability and professional liability coverages. Good examples are Next and CoverWallet . We suggested these companies as they allow the policy holder to get an electronic COI without filing any forms.
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Clients pay a lot for the service of personal and private chefs. And since they pay a lot, they also expect not only good but unparalleled performance. Personal and private chefs live to deliver this. However, due to how hectic work is or how high the clients’ standards are, it may sometimes seem like personal and private chefs are not fulfilling their duties and responsibilities.
The failure to fulfill one's duties and responsibilities might result in legal issues such as breach of contract or fraud.
Without insurance, a breach of contract lawsuit can be very painful. Attorney fees start at $400 up to more than $1,000 an hour. Testimonies also require payment and most, who are willing to give their insights about the case, will ask for $597 or $748 for their time.
Carriers allow personal and private chefs to use their professional liability insurance to cover breach of contract lawsuits. These policies will provide the payment for the lawyer, the witnesses, and the settlement to the plaintiff if ever the lawsuit won’t end well.
If not breach of contract, some clients might sue personal and private chefs for fraud. This might be because they embezzled the funds allocated for food or lied about their credentials to get the job. Whichever of the two might be the reason, the question is does professional liability insurance cover fraud lawsuits?
No, professional liability does not cover fraud lawsuits. To get protection, chefs must get fraud insurance coverage. This is something that’s hard to find in chef insurance carriers. As far as we know, AON is the only one offering this.
Personal auto insurance accounts for some risks regarding the use of a car for work purposes. And so, chefs can decide to get this policy for their vehicles used for work. However, carriers incur additional costs for premiums in this case. Another problem with covering a car used for work with personal auto insurance is that the carriers are more likely to cancel the policy or deny a claim.
It might be better for private and personal chefs to insure their cars with commercial auto insurance. Unlike personal auto insurance that provides very limited coverage, commercial auto gives a minimum of $500,000 up to $1 million to the policy holder.
The gist is this, insurance companies are more likely not to honor a claim for cars constantly used for work if the owner uses personal auto coverage. On the other hand, commercial auto insurance is the exact opposite. And so, we say that it’s the best car insurance for chefs.
Losing a job is painful, problematic, and the least that one wants to happen. There are a lot of reasons for this such as wrongful termination and getting sick.
Losing income for an indefinite period of time isn’t a good experience. Having some savings on the bank will make things a little easier but the situation is problematic nonetheless. And so, it’s best for personal and private chefs to have a policy that will provide money if they become temporarily jobless.
Personal and private chefs can get covered with business interruption insurance. However, getting this is only possible if chefs register their trade as a sole proprietorship or any other type of business. Business interruption provides coverage for lost income up until the time a business is up and running once again.
Personal and private chefs who don’t want to register themselves as a business entity can’t apply for business interruption insurance. However, this doesn’t mean that getting insured is impossible as there’s another available coverage. Unemployment insurance is the second option.
Unemployment insurance provides money during the period personal and private chefs are not employed. The amount they will receive isn’t 100% equal to their salary. Nonetheless, it’s great to have funds that will pay for loans or rent and other associated bills. Also, it’s important to note that unemployment insurance will only continue to supply money for at least 5-8 months.
In addition, many unemployment insurance companies will reject a claim if the personal or private chef is becomes jobless due to a proven misconduct. But even so, this isn’t the case for all. And so, we suggest comparing personal chef insurance and private chef insurance quotes which includes or excludes involuntary termination. Start by clicking the “Get Quotes” button on this page.
Carriers offer insurance for chefs as a business owners policy. A business owner's policy usually bundles commercial property and general liability coverage together. However, it’s actual features will vary depending on the carrier offering it. The table below outlines the features of private and personal chef business insurance from different carriers.
| Carrier | Features of BOP |
|---|---|
| Next | General liability+commercial property with optional coverages such as commercial auto and workers comp coverage |
| State Farm | General liability+commercial property+business interruption+equipment breakdown coverage+employee dishonesty coverage with optional workers comp, umbrella, and commercial auto coverages |
Private and personal chef liability insurance cost is $76 a month or $912 a year provided that the policyholder only gets a $1 million general liability coverage
Pricing that we provided here are just estimates based on the common rates most private and personal chefs pay. Private and personal chef insurance cost is determined by several factors such as:
The state your private chef business is located in could influence the cost of your insurance cover. Some states require a set amount of coverage based on profession. For example, the limit could be $500 per year, meaning you must buy a policy that costs not lower than that amount. Check the insurance policies that apply in your state before getting personal chef insurance.
Just like the café business insurance, the cost of personal chef business insurance is influenced by the number of employees. If your business has a significant number of employees, your policy will cost more. This is because the insurance policy covers your employees as well.
Some businesses are prone to claims due to high risk. If your chef business is prone to risks, you will pay more for your insurance cover. The claims history also plays an important role in determining the insurance cost. If your industry faces a lot of lawsuits or claims, the insurance cost will also increase. This is important because you need to get a comprehensive insurance cover that protects you against claims.
To get more idea about the cost, here's a table showing the rates of the best personal chef insurance companies:
| Company | Cost per month | Cost per year | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Next | $70.00 | $840.00 | Easy personal and private chef insurance application |
| State Farm | $62.00 | $744.00 | Comprehensive private chef coverage |
| Thimble | $53.13 | $637.56 | Basic liability coverage for personal and private chefs |
| USPCA | $25.00 | $300.00 | Membership-based private chef insurance and personal chef insurance |
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Next Insurance is the 3rd leading insurtech company with a total funding of $881 million. It aims to provide an efficient and cost-effective small business insurance to personal and private chefs as well as other independent professionals like bakers , vendors , cake designers , and computer technicians . Next allows their policyholders to furnish certificates of insurance and name additional insureds with no additional fees.
Allows customers to bundles insurance coverages to get 5% up to 10% discount
Online claims filing and insurance application
Free certificate of insurance and naming of additional insureds
Everything is done via the Next insurance website and so, not so techy users might find difficulties in familiarizing how things work
Best for : Easy personal and private chef insurance application
Average cost: $70 per month
Our rating : 10/10
While State Farm is famous for its auto insurance policies, it still offers coverage for personal chefs with its catering business insurance program. The coverage this company provides is numerous. Also, the company itself is good as it takes pride in ensuring that customers only deal with highly trained agents who also run their own businesses. This allows State Farm to quickly evaluate the risks their customers must be guarded for. Aside from personal and private chefs, State Farm insures hotels , coffee shops , and food trucks .
Numerous coverages in its personal and private chef insurance
Commercial auto policy for chefs is trusty
Agents are legit business owners who have first-hand experience about the risks customers face
Rumored to refuse cancellation of insurance policies and refuse refunds
Best for : Comprehensive private chef coverage
Average cost: $62 per month
Our rating : 10/10
Thimble, just like Next, allows customers to get insurance by applying online. The problem with this company is that it’s personal and private chef insurance only offers basic liability coverage. Nonetheless, Thimble has a five star BBB rating and a 4.8 star rating at TrustPilot. Meaning that a lot of policyholders enjoy its services. Thimble even has online industry tools that allow customers to get an estimated cost of their premiums.
Online insurance application process
Five star BBB rating
Personal chef insurance isn’t comprehensive and offers additional coverages as stand-alone policies
Best for: Basic liability coverage for personal and private chefs
Average cost: $53.13 per month
Our rating : 8/10
USPCA Private and Personal Chef Insurance
The USPCA (United States Personal Chef Association) offers a liability insurance program. However, this coverage is only available for USPCA members who are in good standing. A unique feature about this program is that it doesn’t cover individual members but the entire organization as a whole. Coverage also extends to the members’ employees and business partners. USPCA’s chef insurance offers $1 million general liability per occurrence limit and $3 million aggregate limit. There’s also professional liability with the same limits.
Unique liability coverage for personal and private chefs
GL and PL coverages that don’t only cover the policyholder but also their employees and business partners
A customer must be register to USPCA before enjoying its liability insurance program
Best for : Membership-based private chef insurance and personal chef insurance
Average cost: $25 per month
Our rating : 8/10
Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
Not all those who wander are lost.
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