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By Chris Demaillet, Michelin-trained at The Waterside Inn under Michel Roux OBE. Former private chef to Amancio Ortega. Founder of Montclair Chef.

I spent a year traveling with a UHNW family who had residences in the English countryside, on the French Riviera, in Brazil, and a superyacht based in Asia. We moved between them on a private jet. It was extraordinary. It was also one of the hardest years of my career.

That's why, when a family office now asks Montclair Chef to find them a traveling private chef, I take a longer breath than usual. These are the placements we work hardest on. Not because qualified chefs are rare in the abstract, but because the specific combination of qualifications a traveling chef needs almost never exists in one person.

Here's what we're actually looking for, and why most candidates do not pass.

The two-passport reality

A traveling private chef will move between three or four countries in a single month. If the principal is American with homes in NYC, Aspen, the French Riviera, and a yacht in the Mediterranean, the chef will need to enter and work in the US, France, Italy, Greece, and sometimes Spain or Croatia.

A single passport will not solve this. Schengen rules limit non-EU nationals to 90 days in any 180. US work authorization is its own universe. The chefs we shortlist for these roles usually hold two passports, often a UK or EU passport plus US Green Card status, or dual EU citizenship. Some have a third travel document for specific markets.

This is the first filter, and it cuts the candidate pool by roughly 80 percent before we even look at the cooking.

The 4 AM departure call

A traveling chef is not on a schedule. They are on call.

The principal decides on Tuesday afternoon that the family is leaving for the south of France on Wednesday morning. The chef has six hours to pack, brief the household, and be at the airport. The next day they are unpacking in a different kitchen with different equipment, different suppliers, and a different rhythm.

I watched chefs handle this badly. The ones who lasted were the ones who built their lives around it. Light luggage. A small box of essentials that never gets unpacked. A mental list of suppliers in each city the family visits regularly. The ability to source wild sea bass in Saint-Tropez and short ribs in Aspen with the same confidence.

The chefs who could not adapt to this rhythm asked to leave within six months. That is a placement failure, both for the family and for the chef.

The galley problem

A private jet does not have a kitchen. It has a galley. It is small, the surfaces cannot be scratched or stained, the sink is barely larger than a glass, and there is no real cooking equipment. You can reheat. You can plate. You cannot sauté.

The chefs we place for traveling roles learn to prepare cold dishes that survive the flight. A fish carpaccio in a sealed container with the dressing in a squeeze bottle. A composed salad packed in layers. A platter of charcuterie and cheese that can be plated with one cool surface and a paring knife. A plate of brownies that travels well. None of this is fine dining in the classical sense. All of it is intelligent logistics dressed as hospitality.

When there's no stewardess

Most private jets at the UHNW level carry a stewardess for in-flight service. Sometimes they do not. When the stewardess is unavailable, the chef serves the meal, pours the wine, clears the plates, and handles whatever the family needs at 38,000 feet.

This is not in any job description we write, but it is the reality. The chefs we shortlist understand this before they sign the contract. They have served at the table before. They know how to pour a wine without splashing on turbulence. They wear a clean chef jacket on board because the family will see them.

The compensation premium

A traveling private chef earns 15 to 30 percent more than a residence-based chef of equivalent training. In the US market, this means a strong traveling chef earns $180,000 to $300,000 on a W-2 basis, sometimes higher. The premium exists for a reason. The lifestyle is harder, the rest is shorter, and the burnout window is real.

We see traveling chefs last 18 to 36 months in any given role before they need to step back or rotate to a residence-based position. Family offices that plan for this from day one keep their chefs longer than those who treat it as a permanent arrangement.

What we actually look for

When a family office briefs us on a traveling chef requirement, here is the candidate profile we shortlist against:

• Two valid work authorizations covering at least the family's primary travel circuit
• Five-plus years of private service experience, at least two of which involved regular travel
• The cooking foundation to handle a yacht galley, a chalet stove, a country house Aga, and a Manhattan induction range without complaint
• Demonstrated emotional regulation under last-minute changes
• A clear understanding of where their time off will come from, and a clear conversation about it before signing

The contract conversation matters more than the cooking trial in these placements. Vague time-off arrangements destroy the role within a year. The chefs who succeed are the ones who advocated for clear rest from the start.

The placement we make

The right traveling chef is not the chef with the most Michelin experience. It is the chef who has lived this life before, knows what they are signing up for, and is choosing it with eyes open. Those candidates exist. They are rare. We have spent years building relationships with them.

If your principal divides time across multiple residences, or your family office is preparing to bring on a chef who will travel with the family, the conversation starts with understanding the rhythm of your travel and the realities of who fits it.

Chris Demaillet spent over 20 years in private service before founding Montclair Chef. He trained under Michel Roux OBE at The Waterside Inn in Bray and served as private chef to Amancio Ortega, founder of the Inditex Group, for nearly a decade. Montclair Chef places full-time private chefs with UHNW families, family offices, and estates worldwide. Read Chris's full story or schedule a confidential consultation.

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