Supper club: Time-deprived professionals are turning to personal chefs to help them eat right

By Ian Harvey for The National Post

Julie Prentice hasn't had much time lately to spend in the kitchen. Looking after an active six-year-old son and a toddler adopted just a few weeks ago from China has left her too busy to think about menus and meals.

And that's why Robyn Goorevitch is such a godsend. The personal chef arrives at her midtown Toronto house armed with groceries and ready to prepare a week's worth of meals for her fridge and freezer.

''It's nice, but it's more than that,'' said Prentice, who juggles karate classes between feedings for the one-year-old. ''She cooks things we wouldn't cook for ourselves and while it's nice to have pizza for a change, it's a lot nicer and healthier to be able to grab some beef bourguignon.''

Personal chefs are carving out a niche for themselves in homes across Canada -- shopping, cooking and preparing weekly meals for time-starved professionals and their families.

They are one of the fastest growing groups in the personal services sector in North America and indications are the trend is expanding north of the border in a big way.

The American Personal Chef Institute and Association says in 2003 some 72,000 clients enlisted personal chefs and that by 2010 they'll be serving up meals to 300,000. In Canada, things have also grown from humble beginnings, said Mia Andrews, of the Canadian Personal Chef Association, which offers training to would-be chefs.

''We're training about 50 chefs a year,'' she said. ''We're about 350 members across Canada now.''

Even so, Andrews doesn't represent all personal chefs -- many are independents with no formal training while others are experienced restaurant chefs who want a change of pace. There's also another fledgling organization, the Canadian Personal Chef Alliance.

''It's only been up here really for about four years,'' said Richmond Hill chef Sonia Thapar, the Alliance's executive director.

''But it's really big in the U.S. and it is getting there here.''

Thapar said the Alliance has teamed with Gallo of California wines to offer a food and wine experience and is also selling gift cards through 600 Shoppers Drug Mart stores giving recipients a dinner for four prepared in their own homes. ''It's really taken off in southern Ontario and we're expanding to B.C., Alberta and across Canada soon,'' she said.

Veteran chef Goorevitch has been running Dining In Chez Vous for six years and goes to clients' homes to shop, cook and leave a week's worth of food. She also caters special events and holds cooking classes in clients' homes.

''People like to see how it's done and hang out in the kitchen,'' she laughs. ''I often get calls for corporate functions at one of the executive's homes, so usually these are big places with big kitchens.''

''Robyn comes in about once a month and makes up meals,'' said Prentice, a stay-at-home mom. ''It's great because when you're running around to things you don't always have time to cook a healthy meal and while having cereal of scrambled eggs for dinner is cute, it gets old quickly.''

Prentice says the $250 plus groceries it costs to have Goorevitch shop, cook and clean up is worth it.

''We often invite friends over for dinner for the fresh cooked meal, then have the other meals in different portions for use later; it works out to about 20 portions,'' Prentice said. ''We find we eat out less and have less takeout. I like hanging out in the kitchen and learning things and Robyn has shown me how to make many recipes. I even have my girlfriends over and we learn from her. It's great fun and the kitchen is cleaner than before she came.''

Marina Kovrig, vice-president of development and external affairs at her family's business, Recochem Inc., uses Goorevitch's services mostly for parties or special events and used to have a personal chef deliver meals because she was living alone and ''found cooking a royal pain.''

''I was coming home from work exhausted and eating out of a can. I'm Type 2 diabetic so I had to force myself to eat a healthy meal," said Kovrig, whose busy schedule is filled further with her role as a director of the government's agency Waste Diversion Ontario, which advises the Ministry of Environment. ''I had someone delivering meals to me every week.''

Whether it's a wedding, cocktail party or dinner party, all Goorevitch needs is a fridge and a stove: ''I bring all the food in coolers and then prepare and cook it there. If it's a really big affair with 100 people, then I'll rent commercial ovens and set them up in the garage. We even wash up afterwards.''

Prices vary depending on the menu and level of service, but start at about $75 a plate up to about $200. The cost, of course, depends on the menu items: Lobster and foie gras, obviously, don't come cheap.

''For a menu featuring malpeque oysters on the half shell with an oriental mignonette, seared foie gras with a sour cherry confit, wilted greens and toast points, Champagne lobster risotto and individual chocolate molten cakes with homemade vanilla ice cream would go for $150 per person up to eight people, slightly less for more people,'' chef Goorevitch said.

Alternatively, she said, an autumn salad with field greens, toasted walnuts, dried cherries and goat cheese all tossed in pomegranate vinaigrette, hazelnut crusted apple-and-sage-stuffed pork tenderloin and white chocolate creme brulee would run about $75 per person for up to eight people. ''I like personal chefs catering because it allows me time with my guests,'' said Kovrig.

''I do a fundraiser, Bella Tuscany Garden party, and a Caribbean-themed Pisces party which Robyn catered and it worked out great.''

Thapar said while many personal chefs build their business catering, it's the personal weekly contracts that are the more desirable.

''It allows you to build your business,'' she said.

''With a party it may be once a year and not repeat, but with weekly food preparation it tends to be long term.''

Developing a relationship with a personal chef is founded on trust, said Thapar, because of the intimate nature of food, especially for those with allergies such as nuts, shellfish or gluten.

Many clients are elderly or have food allergies or special needs, and a trained personal chef can ensure the foods meet those requirements. New moms are also a growing clientele.

''We have clients who contract us for their ageing parents, just to make sure they have nutritious food in the house and are eating right,'' she said.

The Baby Boomer curve is also driving the trend, with those in their 50s more likely to pamper themselves with little luxuries and receptive to the idea of fine dining at home with fine wines.

"We even wash up afterwards," she says of her services.