Traveling Private Chefs for UHNW Households

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, including traveling chefs for multi-residence families. 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. For traveling roles we additionally screen for proven multi-property experience, travel readiness, and the temperament for life on the road. 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.

Traveling chefs typically command a premium over single-residence placements, reflecting travel days, time away from home, and multi-kitchen responsibility. Packages usually add per diems, travel costs, and accommodation on the road to the base salary. For market-by-market figures, see our private chef salary guide, or ask for tailored guidance during your consultation.

Our chefs integrate seamlessly with sophisticated family office structures, providing detailed expenditure reporting, following established procurement protocols, and communicating through designated channels. They coordinate calendars with household directors, submit advance travel requirements to aviation teams, and provide comprehensive documentation for multi-property operations, adapting to your established systems while maintaining culinary excellence.

For families with multiple international residences, our chefs implement sophisticated advance systems, often arriving 2 to 3 days before principals to ensure perfect readiness. They coordinate with property-specific staff, manage specialty ingredient deliveries, and prepare initial meal components. Many maintain detailed property bibles documenting each residence's equipment, local suppliers, staff protocols, and principal preferences specific to that location.

Absolutely. Our traveling chefs excel at adapting between ultra-equipped primary residences, yacht galleys with space limitations, or holiday properties with less extensive facilities. They travel with essential specialized tools, adjust techniques based on available equipment, and use creative problem-solving to maintain consistent standards whether working in your Manhattan chef's kitchen, Aspen vacation home, or Caribbean villa.

Our chefs develop sophisticated global sourcing networks, establishing relationships with premium suppliers near each property. They coordinate with procurement specialists within your household staff, maintain detailed sourcing calendars aligned with the family's travel schedule, and use our agency's international connections to secure specialty items even in remote locations like private islands or mountain retreats.

We understand the privacy requirements of prominent principals. Our traveling chefs sign comprehensive confidentiality agreements, follow established security protocols at each property, coordinate with security personnel regarding access and movements, and maintain absolute discretion regarding family activities, guests, and itineraries. Many have experience with high-profile principals requiring rigorous privacy standards.

Most families place one lead traveling chef who moves with the principals, sometimes supported by local or seasonal coverage at properties the family visits less often. During your consultation we map your calendar across residences and recommend the structure that keeps standards consistent without overstaffing.

Our placements follow our clients' portfolios: New York and the Hamptons, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Miami and Palm Beach, London, Monaco, the Alps, and beyond. Visit our location pages for market-specific detail.

Start with a confidential consultation. Tell us about your residences, your travel calendar, and what you are looking for, and we will guide you through the shortlist, trial, and placement. Schedule a consultation.