Guide
Private chef or catering: which to choose
It is the question many ask before an important dinner: do I hire a private chef or a caterer? The short answer is that they do not do the same job. A private chef cooks live at your home, builds the menu around you and stays for the whole evening. A caterer prepares elsewhere and brings the food ready, and is made to serve many guests at the same time.
The right choice depends on who is at the table and the kind of evening you want. Below you will find the difference clearly, and how to decide, without jargon.
The difference, in one line
A private chef is signature cooking done on the spot, in front of you, with a menu tailored to the occasion: few covers, high quality, an experience. Catering is organisation and scale: dishes prepared in outside kitchens, finished and served on site, for large numbers where logistics matter more than personalisation.
It is not that one is better than the other. They are two different tools for two different kinds of evening.
When a private chef fits, and when catering does
Choose a private chef when you want an experience: a dinner at home or in a villa, few guests, a bespoke menu perhaps paired with your own wines, the idea of someone cooking for you in front of you. It is the format for private dinners, anniversaries, business dinners, occasions where the memory counts more than the headcount.
Choose catering when the numbers rise and the priority is serving many guests well at once: a reception for hundreds, a large corporate event, a big buffet. There you need flow and organisation, and live cooking one plate at a time cannot keep the pace.
How we work
Syntonia is a private chef service: we bring the kitchen to your home, your villa or on board, and cook it on the spot. For intimate occasions it is the natural format. When an event grows we do not turn the chef into a caterer: we add floor service and organise the evening while keeping the quality of food cooked in the moment, as long as it makes sense. And if you truly need the numbers of pure catering, we are the first to tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Private chef or catering, what is the difference?
A private chef cooks live where you are, with a bespoke menu and for few guests. Catering prepares the dishes in outside kitchens and serves them on site, and is made for large numbers.
Which costs more, a private chef or catering?
It depends on the numbers. For few guests a private chef has a higher per-person cost but a superior experience; at large numbers catering becomes more affordable per head. We tell you clearly which suits your evening.
For how many guests is a private chef worth it?
Generally up to a few dozen covers a private chef is at its best. Beyond that, live cooking for everyone at once becomes difficult and catering, or a mixed format with floor service, makes more sense.
Does catering cook on site?
Usually no: it finishes and plates dishes prepared elsewhere on site. That is the main difference from a private chef, who really cooks in front of you.
Is Syntonia a private chef or a caterer?
We are a private chef service: we cook live at your home, in a villa or on board. For larger events we add floor service while keeping the food cooked in the moment.
Not sure which to choose?
Tell us about your evening and how many you will be, and we will honestly say whether a private chef or catering suits you better.
Ask our advice