Can I just cook at home and deliver as a Personal Chef?

Some states do allow meal preparations from a home kitchen, but it MUST be approved by the health department and fall within proper zoning laws. Every city and county has different regulations for a home-based kitchen, but they each have similar basic requirements. The best home-based kitchen is built as new construction according to health department guidelines. It's unlikely you're building a home from scratch, so what does it take to turn your current home kitchen into a commercial kitchen? As I mentioned already, all areas are different, but most likely these are the basic requirements. The kitchen must be sealed off from the rest of the house, meaning that an open kitchen plan will not work. There can be no pets entering the kitchen at any time. There should be a separate hand washing sink, meaning a sink that doesn't wash dishes or food. The dish washing sink must be three-compartment with sanitizing drying machine. There should be one refrigerator for produce and meat storage and a second refrigerator for cooling foods. All kitchen surfaces must be washable including the walls. Any food prepared over an open flame is required to have a range-hood and ventilation system. Sprinkler system and fire extinguisher regulations must be met. Also, any wall within a certain distance from an oven or stove needs to be brick or other approved fire resistant material. It may be tempting to cook food from your home and deliver to clients without commercial kitchen approval, but this is completely illegal. Not only would you be storing food improperly, you would also be preparing and transporting food improperly. Each point has the potential to create hazardous conditions for your clients. As a personal chef, you would be cooking in client homes, preparing all meals in their kitchen. This is all completely legal after obtaining the proper business license or tax certificate as well as any food safety certificates your local area may require. If you’re interested in becoming a personal chef, I welcome you to check out VirginiaStockwell.com that includes an actionable step-by-step guide to starting a personal chef business.