Every winter, the same question comes up when families plan a ski week: should we book a catered chalet, or rent a chalet and bring in a private chef? In both cases nobody cooks on holiday, but the experience is not the same. I am a French private chef and I cook in chalets across the Alps, so here is a clear look at both options, to help you choose the one that suits your group.
What is a catered chalet?
In the classic sense, a catered chalet is a package sold by a tour operator or a chalet company. You book the accommodation and the meals together, usually at a price per person for the week. The formula is well established, especially with British skiers, and it works because it is simple.
In most catered chalets, you can expect:
- breakfast every morning, and often tea and cake when you come back from the slopes;
- a three-course dinner, usually six evenings out of seven, with one night off when guests eat out;
- menus planned in advance by the company for the whole season;
- a chalet host who cooks, serves and keeps the chalet tidy.
Depending on the chalet, you book it whole or share it with other guests. It is a good formula for a group that wants one booking, one price and no decisions to make.
What a private chef brings to a chalet you rent directly
The other option is to rent the chalet yourself, from an owner or an agency, and to book a private chef separately. That is my job: I settle into your chalet for the stay, and I cook for your group alone.
Menus written for you
Before you arrive, we talk about what you love, what you avoid and the evenings that matter: a birthday, New Year's Eve, a fondue night by the fire. I then write the menus for your stay, and we can still change them along the way.
Produce from the market
I do the shopping myself: Beaufort and Reblochon from local dairies, meat from the village butcher, lake fish when it is in season. In the Savoie and Haute-Savoie resorts, local produce is half the pleasure. Groceries are paid at the real price, on receipts.
Your hours, not a set service
Children eat at 6.30pm and adults at 9pm? An early breakfast for the first lift, or a late one on a rest day? I work around your rhythm, not the other way round.
Children and special diets
Allergies, gluten-free, vegetarian, a child who only wants pasta: I plan for it from the start, so that everyone at the table gets a real meal.
Catered chalet or private chef: the comparison
| Classic catered chalet | Private chef in your rented chalet | |
|---|---|---|
| Booking | One package: chalet and meals together | Chalet rented directly, chef booked separately |
| Menus | Set by the company in advance | Written for your group, adjusted during the stay |
| Shopping | Included in the package price | Done by the chef, paid at the real price on receipts |
| Meals | Breakfast, afternoon tea, dinner six nights a week | One to three meals a day, plus an afternoon snack with the Exclusive formula |
| Meal times | Set service times | Your times, around your ski day |
| Children and diets | Usually adapted on request | Planned dish by dish |
| Privacy | Whole chalet or shared, depending on the booking | Your chalet, your group only |
My prices for a chalet stay
My rates are per day, for 1 to 10 guests:
- Essential, €400 per day: one meal of your choice, lunch or dinner.
- Prestige, €450 per day: two meals.
- Exclusive, €600 per day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus an afternoon snack.
Groceries come on top, paid at the real price on receipts, and I do the shopping. My travel and accommodation are also extra, detailed in the quote. Stays are 4 days minimum. From 11 to 15 guests, add €100 per day; from 16 to 20 guests, I recommend a waiter at €220 per day; beyond that, I quote on request.
For example, a six-day ski week for eight people with the Prestige formula comes to 6 × €450 = €2,700 for the chef, before groceries and travel. For a full breakdown, read how much a private chef costs.
A typical ski day with a private chef
Here is what a day looks like with the Exclusive formula:
Breakfast is ready before the first lift: eggs as you like them, fruit, yoghurt, bread and pastries from the village.
While you ski, I do the shopping: the dairy, the butcher, the market on market day.
Lunch at the chalet, or a light one if you come back late from the slopes.
Back from skiing: hot chocolate and homemade cake by the fire.
Dinner for the children, if they eat earlier.
Dinner for the adults: a crab starter, beef fillet Rossini and a pavlova, or a Beaufort fondue on a cold evening. The kitchen is clean before I leave.
So, which one is right for you?
A catered chalet suits you if you want one booking and one price per person, if a set menu is fine for your group, and if you like the easy rhythm of a chalet run for you.
A private chef suits you if you have found the chalet you want, if you travel as a family or with friends and want the place to yourselves, if food is a real part of the holiday, or if someone at the table has specific needs. You get what people look for in a catered chalet, with a kitchen working only for you.
I cook in chalets across the French and Swiss Alps. See my pages for a private chef in Courchevel, Méribel and Megève, or all resorts on my private chalet chef in the Alps page.
Planning a ski week?
Send me your dates, your resort and the number of guests, and I will reply with a personalised quote.
Request a quoteWhatsAppFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a catered chalet and a private chef?
A catered chalet is a package: accommodation and meals booked together, with menus set in advance and a chalet host. With a private chef, you rent the chalet directly and book the chef separately, with menus written for your group and meal times set around your day.
How much does a private chef cost for a ski chalet?
My rates are €400 per day for one meal, €450 for two meals and €600 for breakfast, lunch, dinner and an afternoon snack, for 1 to 10 guests. Groceries are paid at the real price on receipts, and my travel and accommodation are added to the quote.
What is the minimum length of stay?
Four days. Beyond that, I can cook for your whole ski week or for a longer stay.
Can you cook for children and special diets?
Yes. I plan the children's meals and an earlier dinner for them if needed, and I build allergies and diets such as gluten-free or vegetarian into the menus, discussed before your arrival.
Which ski resorts do you cover?
The French and Swiss Alps, including Courchevel, Méribel, Megève, Val d'Isère, Les Carroz, Verbier, Zermatt, Gstaad and St. Moritz. I come directly to your chalet.
Adam Brunet
A French private chef with about twenty years of experience, Adam Brunet cooks in chalets and villas across Europe, from the Alps to the Mediterranean, with produce from local markets.
