FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

* What area do you serve?
Orlando, Florida

* How does the service work?
After the initial assessment to determine your menu requirements, a cooking day is agreed upon. I will shop for the ingredients needed to prepare your customized menu. I will prepare your custom meal(s) in your home using mostly my own equipment from scratch and a la minute (cooked at the last minute)

* Who would want to have a personal chef?
A Personal Chef service is for anyone who does not have the time, interest or skills to plan, shop for and make daily meals. A typical client is someone who is tired of fast food or dining out and who wants to enjoy healthy, nutritious meals on their own time schedule in the comfort of their own home. Busy professionals, retirees, new parents, and those just home from the hospital are typical clients who use personal chef services.

* How long will your Personal Chef be there?
I will be cooking several different entrees and side dishes from scratch, so it will take several hours. I cannot say exactly how many hours, however I am most willing to work with your schedule and can make arrangements in advance so that the cookdate fits into your schedule completely.

* Are groceries included in the cost?
Yes. Justin-Thyme is an "all-inclusive" service rather than a "fee plus" service. Every step of the process is included in the price, from menu planning to shopping to cleaning up. There are no hidden costs. There are, of course limits as to what's included in the price. For example, if your family's taste runs more expensive (lobster, veal, tenderloin), then there will be additional charges for these exclusive ingredients. However, these details will be discussed at the assessment so you'll always know what to expect.

* Do I have to be home for the service?
No and most people aren't. Arrangements can be made at the assessment to determine how I will gain access to the house. However, some clients are home. This arrangement works fine as long as interruptions are kept to a minimum to ensure that I can complete all of my tasks in a timely and safe manner.

* The cost seems to be about what I would pay for an entrée in a restaurant - Why is that?
Although the fees are expressed in a per entrée or per serving fee, they actually represent all of the components that make up a professional personal chef service. For example: the assessment process that is completed to determine what you like to eat, and how you like to eat, and whether or not you have allergies, sensitivities or medically specific requirements. All this information will be taken into account when preparing your entrees. Also included is the customizing of our recipes to reflect your wants and requests, submitting meal selections for your approval, the grocery shopping, coming to your home to prepare your entrees, table service and clean up.
If you were to compare a personal chef service to restaurant service, you could think of it this way: For a restaurant, you must drive to get there, possibly wait for a table, take a chance that your server is having a good day, and if you have allergies or special requests you don't always have the guarantee that they will be honored, since most entrees are "assembly line" ready in the kitchen. After eating your meal you must pay for it, tip the server, and get back in your vehicle to drive home.
If you have a Personal Chef Service, you can eat a wonderful entrée that has been prepared specifically for you palate and requirements, and eat it in the comfort of your own home.