From a small French village to cooking for the world's most powerful families—this is how Montclair Chef was born.
I grew up in a small village in the Loire Valley, France—500 souls, a 3km walk to school, and the cleanest air you've ever breathed.
My earliest memories are of cycling to the bakery and butcher. The bread was so fresh I could smell it before reaching the street. The butcher, Monsieur Dupond, always sliced me a piece of garlic salami as a gift when I walked in. I'd tuck a warm baguette under my arm and walk home—eating the crust along the way.
By the time I arrived, there was barely any left.
That's where my love for food began. Not in a Michelin-star kitchen—but on a dirt road, with a warm baguette and the smell of fresh bread in the air.
At 14, I started working at a family-owned restaurant that had been running for 30 years. It was three restaurants in one: a truck drivers' cafe, a tasting menu destination, and a catering operation serving 400 guests on a Saturday night's weddings and celebrations.
I learned to treat every guest the same—whether it was a local CEO, a truck driver at 6am wanting French onion soup after a long night, or a bride on her wedding day.
The owner and his son taught me everything about family cooking, hospitality, and showing up—no matter what.
Before leaving France, I worked in brasseries, cafes, catering companies—even a butcher shop.I wanted to understand food from every angle: how to break down an animal, how to feed 400 people in one night, how to plate a tasting menu, how to make a truck driver smile at 6am.
That foundation shaped everything that came next.
I grew up in a small village in the Loire Valley, France—500 souls, a 3km walk to school, and the cleanest air you've ever breathed.
Then came the move to England—and the opportunity of a lifetime. I trained under Michel Roux OBE, the legendary 3-Michelin-star chef who cooked for the Queen and designed the menu for Concorde.
It was here I learned what precision, discipline, and excellence truly meant. Not just cooking—but the art of service at the highest level.
In 2015, I received an email that changed my life.
It was from the PA of Chef Albert Adria—creative director of the legendary 3-Michelin-star El Bulli, he was hired by Amoncio Ortega to find him his a private chef.
I was invited to Barcelona in the kitchen of Restaurant Ticket 1 Star Michelin for a cooking trial. My food would be judged by Albert and his brother Ferran Adria, the pioneers of modern cuisine. I was starstruck. Intimidated.
On day one, Albert looked at me and said: "Chris, relax. I'm just a chef like you."
I got the job.
That job was personal chef to Amancio Ortega—founder of Zara and the world's largest retail fashion group. For nearly a decade, I cooked for Mr. Ortega aboard his 70m superyacht Drizzle.
He taught me what billionaires truly value: simplicity, consistency, and flawless execution. No fuss. No micro herbs. Just real cuisine, perfectly executed, with the best ingredients.
He once told me the true secret behind his success: "Consistency."
That principle now drives every placement at Montclair Chef.
Before Ortega, I served for almost two years the German multi-billionaire industrialist Professor Reinhold Würth aboard the 86m M/Y Vibrant Curiosity—cruising up to 7 weeks, never repeating the same meal twice.
I cooked for a British Lord—traveling with him between a Saint Jean-Cap-Ferrat villa, a private jet with his initials on the tail, and a 60m yacht. From the Maldives to South America, I cooked nearly every day for almost a year. He was strict, demanding, and a wickedly funny Man.
I served Middle Eastern royal families with demands as extravagant as neon-lit jet ski rides at midnight during Ramadan—and as simple as chicken wings at 3am.
And I cooked for American tech multi-billionaires, flying to the US for a trial without knowing who I'd meet. When the family rep told me, I couldn't believe it. 48 hours later, I was in the principal's kitchen with his wife, sharing a glass of red wine, discussing organic cuisine. Surreal.
After years serving ultra-high-net-worth families across Europe, I realized something: the best chefs gravitate toward where the wealthy actually live—not where they vacation.
Mallorca is that place. It's a cosmopolitan island with incredible international diversity. Swedish, German, English, and French communities blend seamlessly. It's well-connected—direct airport access to every major UHNW city (2-3 hours to London, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona; 6 hours to NYC).
The island attracts serious wealth. American entrepreneurs buying second residences. European billionaires establishing primary homes. Celebrities and actors discovering authentic Mediterranean lifestyle without the chaos of Monaco, London, or the Côte d'Azur.
The waters are perfect for superyacht cruising. The weather is exceptional year-round. It's protected from mass tourism, yet fully internationalized.Most importantly: the private chef community here is thriving, and the families hiring them are real.
Not transient. Not pretentious. Serious UHNW households seeking authenticity. This is where I chose to operate Montclair Chef. Because this is where the real work happens.
After 25 years in private service—Michelin-star kitchens, superyachts, private jets, royal families, and billionaire households—I knew what was missing in the industry.
Most agencies don't understand what UHNW families truly need. They don't ask the right questions. They don't know what it's like to be the chef in that kitchen. I do.
I know that some days they want a high-end tasting menu—but most days they want simple, perfectly executed dishes: childhood favourites, flavours from their travels, that pasta from Capri with local lemon, olive oil, and bottarga. The best private chefs don't just cook. They anticipate. They remember. They deliver before being asked.
That's what I look for in every chef we place—because that's what I did for nearly 25 years.
And I built Montclair Chef a chef-founded luxury placement agency based in Palma de Mallorca, in the heart of UHNW Mediterranean escapes—placing elite, background-checked private chefs for UHNW families, estates, and family offices worldwide.
We are not a generalist recruitment agency. We are a boutique chef agency—built for those who demand the very best.
Our sole focus is sourcing and placing world-class chefs across private residences, superyachts, estates, family offices, and luxury events. We understand the industry from the inside because we’ve lived it.
Shortlist in 10 days. Background-checked chefs. Up to 6-month placement guarantee.
Contact us for a confidential consultation.
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