Full-Time Private Chef Placement in Miami & Palm Beach
Long-term placements only (90 days+). Michelin-trained estate chefs.
3 vetted candidates in 10 days | Up to 6-month free replacement on placements.
Discreet process · Background verification · Personal reply within 24 hours
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Founded by a Private Chef, Built for UHNW Families
As a three-star Michelin-trained chef, I spent 19 years as a private chef to billionaires and high-profile families, traveling the world on their private jets and between their multiple residences.
I founded Montclair Chef to solve a problem I saw repeatedly: families struggling to find private chefs who truly understood their world. Today, we place full-time private chefs for South Florida's most distinguished families in Miami, Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, Indian Creek and Star Island, the same caliber of households I once cooked for.
Chris Demaillet, Founder & Michelin-trained chef
Why South Florida Family Offices Choose Us
A specialist placement agency for principals, executives and high-profile families in Miami, Palm Beach, Jupiter Island, Indian Creek and Star Island, requiring a full-time private chef. Single residence, multiple properties, or traveling worldwide.
Every chef we place has professional culinary training, experience in leading restaurants, and a proven track record in private service with high-profile families.
- 10-day shortlist. Three qualified candidates matched to your household within 10 working days, included with our Executive Package.
- 6-month placement guarantee. If the placement does not work out within six months, we replace the chef at no additional cost under our Executive Package.
- Private household experience. Placed with high-profile families and estates, cooking for the principal and the whole household, including children with separate menus and dietary requirements.
- Specialist cuisine matching. Healthy everyday cooking, family and kid-friendly menus, specific dietary protocols including gluten-free, high-protein and low-carb, through to kosher and plant-based, matched precisely to your household.
- Background verification included. Full reference verification, identity and credential screening on every candidate before hiring.
How It Works
01
Consultation
Confidential discovery call to understand the household, dietary needs, and the personality that fits.
02
Curation
Personally vetted shortlist within 10 working days, three candidates selected specifically for your household.
03
Trial
Paid trial days in your home before any commitment, so you can see how the chef fits in your kitchen.
04
Ongoing Support
Up to 6-month replacement guarantee on Executive placements, with continued support after the chef joins.
✓ Background verification · ✓ Reference verification · ✓ Up to 6-month guarantee · ✓ Free replacement
What Our Clients Say
Verified Google Reviews · 5.0 Rating
★★★★★
Montclair runs a very conscientious and thorough agency. I found them to be very proactive and listened and provided excellent options for the position we were looking to fill. We will certainly use Montclair again in the future.
★★★★★
Our Principal needed a top-tier private chef for their primary residence and a second home on the coast. Montclair Chef was a truly invaluable partner. They found us the perfect fit: a discreet, low-key professional who truly understands how to read a room and cater to the family's specific needs.
★★★★★
Very efficient service, we had a great match within the first two candidates. The hands-on experience of the founder was a strong advantage.
★★★★★
Our family office manages a complex portfolio across multiple residences, which includes frequent travel. Montclair Chef delivered a flawless solution. They provided a chef who is not only a culinary talent but also an expert in managing our family's needs wherever we travel.
★★★★★
In my search for a traveling private chef, Montclair came highly recommended. Just a week after our initial meeting, I already received the first profiles of great candidates. The selection process was not easy. Thank you.
★★★★★
Great selection of candidates, thorough vetting process, and ongoing support that ensured the chef was well integrated with our chef team. Excellent and professional services.
From the Founder
Founded by a Private Chef, Built for UHNW Families
- 19 years as a private chef to billionaires and high-profile families
- Michelin-trained, with a global network of elite private chefs
- We place full-time chefs only, for UHNW households exclusively
Everything You Need to Know
What protection and guarantees do you offer if the placement doesn't work out?
Our Executive Package includes up to a 6-month free replacement guarantee. If the chef is not the right long-term fit within the first six months, we find and place a replacement at no additional agency fee. Every placement also includes a structured trial-to-hire period before commitment, full background and reference verification, and ongoing support after the chef joins your household. If a replacement becomes necessary, we manage the entire process discreetly and quickly: sourcing fresh candidates vetted to your specific household needs, and transitioning the previous chef out with full confidentiality. You do not pay twice for our time or our network.
How quickly can you find us a chef in Miami?
We deliver a shortlist of three carefully vetted candidates within 10 working days, often sooner. Most clients hire directly from those three handpicked chefs, with no second round needed. The shortlist is built for your specific household, your principal's preferences, and the working style and personality fit, not a generic batch of resumes. For urgent searches where a family needs a chef immediately, we can often move faster. Contact us directly and we will prioritise your search.
How do you vet and background-check your chefs? Can we trust them in our home?
Every chef we present has been personally vetted through a multi-layer process. We conduct reference checks with previous principals, estate managers, and family offices to verify performance and personality fit. Beyond formal references, our network of contacts across the private service industry gives us access to honest, human feedback that goes far beyond a written letter; we know who has worked with whom, and we hear what does not make it onto paper. We then verify identity, credentials, and years of private service experience, and run full background verification on every candidate. Most of our chefs hold Michelin or strong fine-dining pedigrees and have proven track records in UHNW private households. This is the full background verification we anchor to throughout the site: we only present candidates we are confident belong in your home, professionally and personally.
Can our chef travel with us and work across multiple properties?
Yes. South Florida principals routinely move between Miami, Palm Beach, the Hamptons, Aspen, the Bahamas, and international destinations, and many of our placements are built for exactly that life. When we shortlist a traveling chef, we match on passport and visa status, languages spoken, comfort with extended travel, and the practical experience of cooking across multiple kitchens. Many of our chefs have prior experience on private jets, superyachts, and across multiple residences, including coordinating stocking, sourcing, and logistics so your family eats the same way wherever you are in residence.
Can you handle our search discreetly? We already have a chef in post.
Absolutely. Confidentiality is the standard, not an upgrade. We routinely run discreet searches for family offices and principals who are replacing an existing chef, where nothing can leak inside or outside the household. Every candidate signs a confidentiality and non-disclosure agreement before any details are shared. Nothing about your search, your household, or your principal is shared without your explicit approval at every stage.
Do you specialise in specific dietary requirements or cuisines?
Yes. Matching to specific dietary needs is part of our curation, not an afterthought. We regularly place chefs experienced with gluten-free, kosher, plant-based, low-carb, high-protein, and longevity protocols. We also place chefs who specialise in children's menus, family-friendly cooking, and medical dietary protocols where a household member is following a specific health plan. Tell us what your household needs and we will shortlist chefs whose proven specialism matches it precisely.
What does a full-time private chef cost?
Chef salaries vary by market, experience level, and scope of the role. In South Florida, full-time private chef salaries under W-2 contract typically range from $150,000 to $300,000+ per year. Compensation depends on Michelin pedigree, dietary specialism, travel requirements, and whether the role is live-in or live-out. Our placement fee is separate and discussed transparently during your initial consultation. There are no hidden costs.
Where do you place chefs? Do you work only in Miami?
Our primary focus is South Florida: Miami's most exclusive enclaves including Star Island, Indian Creek, Fisher Island, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne and Pinecrest, plus Palm Beach, Manalapan, Jupiter Island, Hobe Sound, Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale further north. We also place chefs nationwide and internationally. Many of our South Florida families have second homes in the Hamptons, New York, Aspen, the Bahamas, Monaco, the French Riviera or London, and we place chefs who travel with them. For households outside South Florida, we can place locally where we have a strong network, or bring chefs to your city or state for live-in roles where a relocation package or on-site accommodation is provided. If you are unsure whether we cover your situation, contact us; we likely do.
How do I get started?
Fill in the contact form below and we will reach out within 24 hours to schedule a confidential call. On that call, we take the time to understand exactly what your household needs: cuisine style and dietary requirements, the personality and working style you want, and the way your principal lives. That precision is what ensures the right match, first time. Within 10 working days you will receive a shortlist of three candidates, each vetted and selected specifically for your household. Our Executive Package includes the full 6-month guarantee and ongoing support, so you can move forward with confidence.