London & The Cotswolds
Michelin-trained private chefs for ultra-high-net-worth families. Shortlist in 10 days. Up to 6-month guarantee.
Montclair Chef is a private chef placement agency specialising in Michelin-trained chefs for distinguished families and luxury estates in London and across the United Kingdom, Europe and Monaco. Founded in 2022 by Chris Demaillet, a Michelin-trained chef and private chef to billionaires for 19 years, the agency provides up to a 6-month replacement guarantee on Executive placements.
Central London is where most of our UK placements begin. We place full-time private chefs in the townhouses of Mayfair and Belgravia, the garden squares of Knightsbridge and Chelsea, and the family homes of Kensington and Holland Park, households where the kitchen runs to the rhythm of school mornings, working lunches, and dinner parties in the same week.
Further west and north, our chefs serve families in Notting Hill and St John's Wood, and the residences around Westminster and Regent's Park. Each posting has its own character: a Notting Hill family kitchen asks for something different from a Belgravia household with full staff, and we match the chef's temperament to the house, not just the cooking to the menu.
Every chef arrives fluent in London sourcing, from Borough Market and Harrods Food Hall to the specialist butchers and fishmongers each neighbourhood relies on.
Unlike generalist domestic staffing agencies, Montclair Chef focuses exclusively on long-term private chef placement for distinguished British and international households across central London and the Cotswolds.
A structured, four-stage process designed for principals and estate managers who need precision, not volume.
A 30 to 45 minute call with our founder. We learn the household: the principal's preferences, dietary requirements, family size, school-age children, country residences, travel schedule, and the personality fit you need. Everything is treated as confidential from the first conversation.
Every candidate undergoes Enhanced DBS checks, employment history verification, and direct reference calls with previous principals. We confirm right-to-work status, verify Michelin or fine-dining training where claimed, and assess personality match against your specific household.
You interview your top candidates by video or in person. The chosen candidate then spends a paid trial day in your kitchen, cooking a full menu agreed in advance. You see them work in your space, with your equipment, alongside your existing household staff.
We assist with offer structure, PAYE setup, contract terms, and the chef's first 30 days in the household. If the placement does not work within six months, we run a replacement search at no additional placement fee.
✓ Enhanced DBS checks · ✓ Reference verification · ✓ Up to 6-month guarantee · ✓ Free replacement
Full-time private chefs for London townhouses and country estates. Trained in contemporary British cuisine, seasonal menus, and the daily rhythm of a distinguished household. Curated shortlist within 10 working days.
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For families dividing time between Mayfair, the Cotswolds, the South of France, and beyond. Travel chefs experienced in moving between kitchens, sourcing locally, and maintaining a consistent standard at every residence.
Discuss Travel Chefs
Private chefs specialised in longevity-focused nutrition, performance protocols, and medically prescribed diets. From anti-inflammatory cooking to structured longevity protocols.
Explore Wellness ChefsSalary ranges for full-time London private chef roles, paid via PAYE. Figures exclude food budgets, which are managed separately by the household.
Final compensation depends on experience, dietary specialism, household complexity, and travel requirements.
These ranges reflect placements in Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Kensington and Cotswolds estates as of 2026. Live-in roles may include accommodation in lieu of part of the salary. Some principals offer annual performance bonuses, private healthcare via Bupa or AXA, and pension contributions above the UK statutory minimum.
Montclair Chef places full-time private chefs across central London, Greater London, and the country residences that distinguished families maintain in the Home Counties and beyond.
Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Kensington, South Kensington, Holland Park, Notting Hill, Westminster, St John's Wood, Regent's Park, Marylebone, Hampstead, Primrose Hill, and Pimlico.
The Cotswolds (including Chipping Norton, Stow-on-the-Wold, and the Daylesford area), Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, and the broader Home Counties.
For families dividing time between London and overseas residences, we coordinate placements with our network in Monaco and the French Riviera, New York, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, Miami and Geneva.
Montclair Chef is a boutique private chef placement agency for distinguished families. It was founded by a Michelin-trained chef with 19 years serving UHNW households as a private chef, and it focuses on one thing: placing full-time private chefs. You can read more about our founder.
Every candidate undergoes Enhanced DBS checks, employment history verification, right-to-work confirmation, and direct reference calls with previous principals. Most are Michelin-trained, and all have strong fine-dining backgrounds and a proven record of discretion in private service.
Every placement includes an up to 6-month replacement guarantee. If the placement isn't the right fit for your household, we begin a replacement search immediately, at no additional placement fee.
Full-time private chefs in London typically earn £100,000 to £230,000 or more per year via PAYE, depending on experience, specialism, and whether the role covers one residence or several. Travel chefs and health or longevity specialists command the upper end. See our private chef salary guide for detail, or ask for tailored guidance during your consultation.
The best way to hire a private chef in London is through a specialist placement agency that focuses exclusively on private chefs, not a generalist domestic staffing firm. We begin with a confidential consultation, deliver a curated shortlist of vetted candidates within 10 working days, arrange a paid trial day in your home before any commitment, and provide up to 6 months of placement protection.
A private chef works full-time for one household, available daily as part of your staff. A personal chef serves several clients and visits on a scheduled basis to batch-cook meals. Distinguished London families typically require a private chef for daily availability, consistency, and discretion.
We place private chefs across central London, including Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Chelsea, Kensington, Holland Park, Notting Hill, Westminster, and St John's Wood, plus Hampstead, Marylebone, and the wider city. Most placements also cover a country residence in the Cotswolds or Home Counties.
Our London chefs source from the capital's best suppliers, including Borough Market, Harrods Food Hall, and the specialist butchers, fishmongers, and greengrocers of each neighbourhood, alongside farm suppliers such as Daylesford for families splitting time with the Cotswolds. Your chef manages all sourcing, inventory, and deliveries.
We deliver a curated shortlist of qualified candidates within 10 working days of your initial consultation. Full placement, including interviews, a trial day in your home, and final selection, typically takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on your requirements and availability.
Yes. Discretion is standard for private chef placements in distinguished London households, particularly for public figures and international principals. All our chefs understand confidentiality expectations, and non-disclosure agreements can be included as part of the employment contract.
Yes. We place private chefs experienced with allergies, gluten-free, kosher, halal, plant-based, anti-inflammatory, and medically prescribed diets, as well as health and nutrition specialists and performance chefs for athletes and high-performers.
Start with a confidential consultation with our founder. Tell us about your household, your residences, and what you are looking for, and we will guide you through the shortlist, trial, and placement. Schedule a consultation.
Shortlist in 10 days. Background-checked chefs. Up to 6-month placement guarantee. Contact us for a confidential consultation.
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