Pricing · Essex
How much does a private chef cost in Essex?
If it’s me: from £75 a head, with a £449 minimum spend. Below is the rest of the market, what that figure includes, and what it comes to for your table — so you can work it out before you send a message.
The market, September 2026
Independent private chefs in and around Essex advertise from about £68 to £135 a head, and set a minimum for the evening, such as six guests or a £600 minimum spend. The marketplace apps advertise chefs from about £40–£52 a head; on one of the largest, the typical booking comes to about £97 a head once the menu is chosen. National booking sites advertise from about £25 a head.
Figures as advertised on the chefs’ and booking sites’ own pages in September 2026. They change; treat them as a guide.
What I charge
From £75 per head with a £449 minimum spend. No VAT is added: the company is not VAT registered, so the figure is the figure. Travel is quoted with the menu, based on the distance from Rayleigh, and shown as one line on your quote before you commit — nothing is added later.
What it comes to
Headcount × £75, floored at the £449 minimum — so the minimum only matters below 6 guests.
£75 is a “from” price, so this is arithmetic, not a quote. The written quote fixes the real number before you commit — nothing is added later.
What is in the figure
- IAll ingredients, sourced the day of your event
- IIMenu design and consultation
- IIIChef and service on the night
- IVAll cooking equipment I need to bring
- VFull kitchen clean-down before I leave
Questions about cost
How much does a private chef cost per head in Essex?
Independent private chefs in and around Essex advertise from about £68 to £135 a head (September 2026), and the marketplace apps from about £40 a head. With me it is from £75 per head with a £449 minimum spend.
Is there a minimum spend?
Yes: £449. At £75 a head it only makes a difference below 6 guests — for four, the evening is £449.
Is VAT added?
No VAT is added: the company is not VAT registered, so the figure is the figure.
Is travel extra?
Travel is quoted with the menu, based on the distance from Rayleigh, and shown as one line on your quote before you commit — nothing is added later.
What does the price include?
All ingredients, sourced the day of your event; Menu design and consultation; Chef and service on the night; All cooking equipment I need to bring; Full kitchen clean-down before I leave.
Do I pay a deposit?
Yes. A 25% deposit secures your date and is non-refundable unless I cancel; the balance is due 7 days before. Cancel more than 7 days before and you lose only the deposit. The full booking terms are at https://tipsysquirrelevents.com/booking-terms/.
Can I change the menu once it is written?
Change anything. Swap a course, move a course, tell me a dish is not you. No charge for revisions.
Tell me the date, the headcount and the occasion — WhatsApp 07960 862841 or the form — and you will have the exact figure the same day.