Full-Time Private Chef Placement for New York's UHNW Families

Montclair Chef is a boutique private chef placement agency for ultra-high-net-worth 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 across New York and worldwide. You can read more about our founder.

Every chef goes through full background verification, employment-history review, and direct reference verification with previous UHNW households. We place only chefs with a proven record of discretion and long-term private service, never event or short-term cooks. Most are Michelin-trained, and all have strong fine-dining backgrounds.

Every placement includes an up to 6-month replacement guarantee. If the chef does not meet expectations within that period, we provide a replacement at no additional placement fee.

Full-time private chefs in New York typically earn $140,000 to $250,000 or more per year, depending on experience, specialisation, and household complexity. Manhattan and Billionaires' Row households usually sit at the higher end. This excludes food budgets and benefits. See our private chef salary guide for full ranges, or our Manhattan placements for that market specifically.

For most placements we deliver a shortlist of 3 to 5 vetted candidates within 10 days. The full process, including interviews and a paid trial day, usually runs 3 to 6 weeks depending on your requirements and scheduling.

It begins with a confidential consultation to understand your household. We then deliver a vetted shortlist within 10 days, you interview your favourites and arrange a paid trial day in your kitchen, and we finalise the placement with the 6-month guarantee.

Discretion runs through every stage. Chefs sign a confidentiality agreement before any introduction, we share only what is strictly necessary about your household, and we have a proven record placing chefs in some of New York's most prominent and security-conscious homes.

Yes, multi-residence coordination is one of our strengths. Many New York families split the year between Manhattan and the Hamptons, and keep further homes in Los Angeles, London, or Monaco. We place chefs who adapt menus seasonally, coordinate logistics between properties, and travel with the family. See our Manhattan and Hamptons placements.

Yes. Beyond Manhattan, we place full-time private chefs in Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, and Park Slope, across Westchester County, and in Greenwich and Connecticut's Gold Coast. Many placements involve families with homes across several Tri-State locations.

Yes. We place full-time, Kosher-certified private chefs for UHNW families across the Upper East Side, Central Park West, and Carnegie Hill. Every candidate is screened for strict Kosher compliance, discretion, and long-term estate service. View our Kosher private chef placements.

Yes. We place chefs experienced with a wide range of dietary needs, including food allergies, gluten-free, Kosher, halal, vegan, keto, anti-inflammatory, and medically guided diets. During your consultation we discuss your family's needs and match you with chefs who have proven expertise in those areas.

A private chef works exclusively for one household full-time, managing daily dining, dietary needs, and the kitchen. A personal chef usually serves several clients on a rotating basis. Every Montclair Chef placement is an exclusive, full-time private chef dedicated to your household.

Start with a confidential consultation. Tell us about your household and what you are looking for, and we will guide you through the shortlist, trial, and placement. Reach us through the form on this page, or schedule a consultation.