FAQ

Answers to the most common questions from clients and chefs.

Questions from Clients

How does it work?

On the website, you select the service location, number of guests, and your preferred date. You then see chef profiles available on that day, review details, discuss your request with chefs, and choose the chef that fits you best.

Is a deposit required when booking a chef?

At this MVP stage, payments are not yet processed through the platform. We recommend agreeing the deposit directly with your chef during your initial discussion. If your chef is registered with the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) and you ask them to buy the groceries, the deposit may also include estimated ingredient costs.

What is included in the chef's service fee?

You pay for time spent fulfilling your request, which typically includes menu planning, commuting time, cooking in your kitchen, and cleaning working surfaces afterward. The groceries themselves are never part of the fee.

Do I need to buy groceries myself?

As a rule, yes. Your chef plans the menu and sends you a shopping list, or helps you place a delivery order from a store in your own account — you pay the store directly. Only chefs registered with VMVT as food business operators may buy the groceries themselves. Their profile is marked “Can shop for you”; in that case you pay one extra hour of the chef's time and reimburse the groceries at exact receipt cost. Why this rule exists →

How does payment work and what is Cheffy's platform fee?

Cheffy provides an informational service connecting clients with personal chefs. The platform service fee is EUR 12.

Can I leave a review and rating for a chef?

Yes. Clients can leave ratings and comments after service completion. This helps maintain quality standards on the platform.

Questions from Chefs

What do I need to do to register as a chef?

Step 1: Click “Become a Chef” and submit the application form. Within 48 hours, a manager reviews your qualifications. If approved, Step 2 is completing your profile and service details in your account. Then you update availability monthly and receive booking requests. Before you start cooking you also need your own registration with the tax authority; Cheffy also asks every chef for a health check. What every chef needs →

How do I receive payment for my services?

You set your own hourly rate in your account. During booking discussion, both sides see estimated hours and expected total. The client pays you directly after the service is completed.

Do I need to register with VMVT?

If you cook only with the client's own groceries, no: by law you need only lawful self-employment, and Cheffy also asks every chef for a valid health certificate. If you buy the groceries yourself — even at the client's request, with the receipt in their name and reimbursement at exact cost — registration as a food business operator is mandatory. The same applies if you prepare sauces or other components at your own kitchen and bring them to the client. Chef rules & food safety →

Do I need to provide grocery receipts?

Only if you are registered with VMVT as a food business operator and the client asked you to buy the groceries. In that case keep and provide all receipts so the client can verify exact expenses. Without that registration you must not buy groceries for clients — send them a shopping list or help them place a delivery order in their own account instead.

What should I do if a client is not satisfied?

First try resolving it directly with the client. If needed, contact Cheffy support for assistance.

What happens if my rating drops below 4.5?

If a chef rating falls below 4.5, the account may be temporarily suspended while a manager reviews the situation within three working days and decides on further cooperation.

Can I decline a booking?

Yes. To reduce client inconvenience and allow replacement planning, we ask cancellations at least 48 hours before the scheduled service.

How are refunds handled if final cost is lower than deposit?

Cheffy does not interfere in settlements between chef and client. Any difference can be refunded directly by the chef to the client (cash or bank transfer).

What hygiene and safety standards must I follow?

Cheffy asks every chef for a tuberculosis check before you start work and once a year afterwards, recorded in your personal medical record (form No. 048/a). Personal hygiene while working, and satisfying yourself that the client's kitchen is suitable before you cook in it, are part of our standard too.

By law, food hygiene requirements — including hygiene skills training (programme H10) — apply once you buy the groceries yourself or cook at your own kitchen; for a chef cooking only with the client's groceries, VMVT confirmed in writing that they do not. Our chef page lists the acts behind each requirement and where to take the training in Vilnius. Chef rules & food safety →