Hiring a Private Chef for Christmas: Prices, Menus and When to Book

Christmas is the one day of the year when almost everyone cooks a big meal, and the one day many hosts would happily hand over. A private chef means you open presents, sit down with your family and get up from the table to an empty sink, not a mountain of roasting tins.

It's also the busiest and most expensive time of year to book one. This guide explains what a private chef costs over the festive season, why Christmas Day is priced differently, when to book, what to cook and what to agree before you pay a deposit.

Why Christmas is different

Private chefs are independent businesses, and Christmas Day is the day they're most likely to want to spend with their own families. The chefs who do work it can choose their bookings, travel is harder (public transport barely runs on 25 December), and the day itself is long: a full Christmas lunch with all the trimmings takes hours of preparation and cooking.

That's why Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Eve are usually priced as premium dates, often with a minimum spend rather than a straightforward price per head.

What a private chef costs at Christmas

The December dinner party figures are the per-person rates Take a Chef publishes for one evening in the UK, updated in September 2026, which normally include ingredients, cooking, serving and clearing up. Yhangry's Christmas Day guide gives its minimum spends for Christmas Day and New Year's Eve; it was last updated in 2024, so treat them as a guide and ask for current prices. Its general pricing guide quoted £500 to £2,000 or more for a full Christmas dinner, plus ingredients.

Take a Chef also notes that prices can vary for last-minute bookings, which matters more in December than any other month. For the full picture of how private chefs price their work, see our private chef cost guide.

What can push the price up

• The date. Christmas Day costs the most, followed by Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and the Saturdays before Christmas.
• Travel. With little public transport on Christmas Day, chefs often rely on taxis or long drives. Yhangry's guide advises agreeing travel costs up front and including them in the total.
• Ingredients. A free-range bronze turkey, a rib of beef or a whole salmon costs more in December. Ask whether ingredients are included or charged at cost.
• Staff. For a big family table, a waiter to pour drinks and clear plates lets the chef focus on the food. Staff are usually charged separately.
• Hours. A long lunch that runs into an evening buffet is two services, not one. Agree the finishing time.

When to book

Book as early as you can. Yhangry's guide advises finalising Christmas bookings by the end of October to get the best choice, and the most experienced chefs are often booked well before that. If you're reading this in November, it's still worth asking, but enquire this week rather than next month.

December dinner parties are easier to find chefs for, but Fridays and Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas fill quickly too. Three or four weeks' notice is a sensible minimum.

Christmas menu ideas

A good private chef will build the menu around your family, but most Christmas menus fall into one of these shapes.

The traditional Christmas lunch. Smoked salmon or a terrine to start; roast turkey with stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, sprouts, red cabbage, bread sauce and gravy; Christmas pudding or a trifle to finish. The chef's real value here is the timing: getting every element hot and on the table at once.

A beef or game Christmas. Rib of beef, beef Wellington or venison in place of turkey, with all the trimmings. Our dinner party menu ideas include a beef Wellington menu built for a special occasion.

A vegetarian centrepiece. A mushroom and chestnut Wellington or a celebration pie that everyone at the table can share, so no one has a separate plate.

Christmas Eve or a festive dinner party. Lighter and more relaxed: canapés, a seafood starter, a slow-cooked main and a festive pudding.

New Year's Eve. Often a tasting menu or canapés and bowl food, timed so the last course lands before midnight.

Whatever you choose, tell the chef about every allergy and dietary need in your party when you first speak, and confirm it in writing. Christmas tables are often bigger and more mixed than usual, with grandparents, children and partners you may not have cooked for before.

Practical questions to ask before you book

1. What exactly is included? Ingredients, starters, the main, trimmings, dessert, cheese, coffee and mince pies.
2. When will you arrive and leave? On Christmas Day, chefs often arrive in the morning. Agree the time you'd like to eat and when the chef will finish.
3. Who provides the kit? Most chefs bring their own knives and specialist equipment, but you'll usually provide the oven, roasting tins, plates, glasses and cutlery. For a large table, ask about hire.
4. Will you serve, or do we need a waiter? For more than eight or ten, it's worth asking.
5. What about leftovers? Most hosts want the leftover turkey for Boxing Day sandwiches. Say so.
6. What are the deposit and cancellation terms? Christmas bookings are usually secured with a deposit, and some are non-refundable close to the date.
7. What happens if numbers change? Families grow and shrink at the last minute. Agree the deadline for final numbers.

A chef who answers all of that clearly, in writing, has done Christmas before.

Planning your kitchen for Christmas Day

A Christmas lunch uses more oven space than any other meal of the year. Before the chef plans the menu, tell them:

• How many ovens you have, and whether one is a range or an Aga
• How big your largest roasting tin is, and whether the turkey or joint will fit in the oven
• How much fridge space you can clear on Christmas Eve
• Whether you'd like the chef to carve at the table or in the kitchen

A good chef will plan around a single oven, but the earlier they know, the better the menu.

Is a private chef worth it at Christmas?

It depends on what you want from the day. For a big family gathering, the premium buys you the whole day back: no early start with the turkey, no juggling the oven, no washing up. For a smaller group, a festive dinner party in December, when prices are closer to normal, can be better value than Christmas Day itself.

If you'd like a chef for Christmas, the sooner you ask, the more choice you'll have. Browse private chefs who cover your area, and contact a few at once to ask about availability and the kind of Christmas you have in mind.

Christmas is the busiest time of year for private chefs, so the earlier you ask, the more choice you'll have. Decide which day matters most, agree exactly what's included, and leave the roasting tins to someone else. When you're ready, find a private chef and ask about your dates.