Private chef quote template South Africa

Clients hear “private chef” and imagine a TV montage — you need a quote that fits your actual scope and hours on the clock:

• Service type and duration — single dinner, brunch plus prep, multi-day estate coverage, weekly meal-prep drop-off only, or cook-and-serve with kitchen pack-down. State chef hours included (e.g. arrival, prep, service, clean-down) and overtime or after-midnight rates if relevant.
• Menu structure and guest count band — number of courses, family-style vs plated, children's pricing if applicable, and whether canapés or late-night snacks sit in scope or as an optional add-on.
• Ingredients and provisioning — all-inclusive menu price; or groceries at cost plus agreed markup or shopping fee; or client-funded cards and receipts. If you shop, say whether luxury items (truffle, specialty seafood) need written pre-approval above a cap.
• Wine, bar, and glassware — BYO only, pairing by you with markup, service-only with client stock, or bartender introduction as a separate line. Uncorking fees upset people when they were not on paper.
• Staffing beyond the chef — sous chef, server, dishwasher, or rental of front-of-house for larger homes. Quote each shift or hour block so the client is not surprised when the guest list grows.
• Equipment / rentals — chafers, extra china, outdoor kitchen hire, or table styling you bring from inventory. If the client's kitchen lacks basics (oven trays, sharp knives), say whether you supply or need a contingency shop.
• Travel, parking, and tolls — kilometre bands or flat trip fees for estate / rural jobs; estate security deposits and visitor passes — pass-through or absorbed, but named.

List what you can guarantee under this quote: vegetarian, vegan, Halaal-friendly prep (with honest limits if you are not a certified facility), kosher-style separation, gluten-free where feasible, or nut-free environments. State that undisclosed allergies discovered on the night may change the menu or incur a surcharge — your paperwork is not a substitute for the client's medical duty to inform guests.

If you are VAT-registered, your service fee and any margin you charge on ingredients or rentals are typically standard-rated at 15% VAT unless a specific supply falls outside standard rules. Show subtotal, VAT, and total — especially when a personal assistant is paying from a holding company.

Below the VAT threshold, quote all-in ZAR with no VAT line and make registration status clear. Mixed personal-and-corporate clients compare your PDF to caterers — alignment saves payment delays.

Private work fails when the date is soft. Common terms:

• Non-refundable deposit — secures the date and covers early ordering; state percentage and due date.
• Guest finalisation cut-off — dietary forms and head count locked 5–10 days out; additional guests at a higher per-head or rejected if kitchen capacity does not allow — your choice, but written.
• Cancellation tiers — partial credit or forfeiture at 30, 14, and 7 days; keeps your diary honest when another enquiry wanted the same Saturday.

Say what clean-down covers: commercial-standard pack-away vs light tidy only; who strips linens if you use staff; whether rubbish removal to wheelie bins is included. Estate rules on noise, outdoor cooking, and generator hours belong on the quote if they affect service.

• Ingredient-inclusive pricing without a luxury cap — one wagyu request erases margin.
• No overtime line — the client adds speeches, dessert, and digestifs until midnight.
• Treating “family dinner” as eight guests when seventeen cousins arrive from Welkom.
• Omitting VAT on corporate villa bookings — finance sends it back Monday morning.
• Photography or social use of your work without a usage fee when the influencer kitchen was hours of styling.