Personal Chef Service vs. The Health Dept
 

I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
Thanks

"WanderingChef" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
> against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
> you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
> Thanks
>
Sell them the food at a mark up and cook it for free.

WanderingChef wrote:
> I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
> against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
> you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
> Thanks

Without knowing where Travis County is, do you think it's possible
someone is misinterpreting the code? This sounds just too ludicrous to
be true.

N.

"WanderingChef" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
> against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
> you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
> Thanks

Double check as a temporary domestic worker (employee).

Dimitri

"WanderingChef" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
> against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
> you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
> Thanks
>

That sounds ridiculous. I'd call again, ask to speak to a supervisor, and
demand an explantion/reinterpretation. Are caterers illegal? What happens if
you hire someone to care for a sick person, and the job includes cooking?

>it was against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee.

Where is Travis County, and why are they against domestic help?

Leila
Doesn't have a personal chef, but thinks if you can afford one, you
ought to be able to hire a cook

nancy1 wrote:

> WanderingChef wrote:
> > I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
> > against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
> > you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
> > Thanks
>
> Without knowing where Travis County is, do you think it's possible
> someone is misinterpreting the code? This sounds just too ludicrous to
> be true.

That would make it difficult for nannies, au pair girls and baby-sitters who
have to feed the children they are paid to care for. I understand that
there are regulations about the commercial preparation of food because the
local health department would want to have such operations under their
umbrella so that they can inspect the premises, but having someone cook for
you in your own home would be no different than doing it yourself.
Considering that people too busy to cook would be too busy to clean, your
kitchen would be likely be cleaner.

Travis Count is in Central Texas, Austin area.

I was at the office to sign up for the safety in food handling class
and asked the clerk if there was any other licenses I needed to start a
Personal Chef service. She handed me the form to license a commercial
kitchen, I forget what it was called. I told her I would be cooking in
clients homes, she wasn't sure and that's when she got her supervisor.
He had few answers when I asked why it was against health code. I also
asked what about the people who are already providing this service. He
said if they were caught they would be fined. It really made no sense
to me, hence the question. Any personal chefs out there who have delt
with this?

WanderingChef wrote:
> Travis Count is in Central Texas, Austin area.
>

Maybe you should contact these folks:

http://www.daniellagana.com/
http://www.personalchef.com/angelfood.htm

Both are located in the Austin area. Methinks that there are
insurance/licensing issues involved, and that it is not illegal, per se,
to cook in a customer's home for a fee. One just needs to be a
professional about it.

--

saerah

"It's not a gimmick, it's an incentive."- asterbark, afca

aware of the manifold possibilities of the future

"I think there's a clause in the Shaman's and Jujumen's Local #57 Union
contract that they have to have reciprocity for each other's shop rules."
-König Prüß

WanderingChef wrote:

> I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
> against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
> you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
> Thanks

I know of *no* places in the U.S. where this applies. Where's Travis
County - what state are you in? Whose regulations are they saying
prevent this - state or local? To whom did you speak - was this a person
who answers phones all day long or was it a sanitarian or supervisor?

In all the discussions I've seen on the professional lists I hang out on
about personal chefs, not one has ever mentioned this restriction. The
regulation would serve to eliminate household staff or medical people,
part of whose function would include prescribed food preparations.

I don't believe this is the case. You were almost certainly given
erroneous information. I'd ask a bit higher up the chain and if that
person says the same thing, ask to see the regulation in question.

Pastorio

On 2 Aug 2005 09:42:53 -0700, nancy1 wrote:
>
> WanderingChef wrote:
> > I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
> > against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
> > you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
> > Thanks
>
> Without knowing where Travis County is, do you think it's possible
> someone is misinterpreting the code? This sounds just too ludicrous to
> be true.
>
> N.

Travis County is in Texas... if it was true, there are a lot of people
in Austin who wouldn't have cooks.

I think the OP would get more and better information by typing
"personal chef austin texas" into Google's search box and contacting
one of the hits or by contacting the American Personal Chef
Association http://www.personalchef.com/

Get a copy of the law. Is is a local (county) law ? If so, it only
allies inside that jurisdiction. Also, local laws are fairly easy to
get changed. You don't need a lobbyist to talk to the county councilman
down the street. Make an issue of it at meetings and make sure you
stress the jobs angle. This law costs our county jobs. Perhaps
so-and-so will agree to an amendment that allows personal chefs to do
this if they have a food safety certification. If not, you can always
run for his office next election, loudly stressing that so-and-so is
anti-job. Frequently, odd laws like this are passed to protect
someone's investment. In that case, you may be up against big money. If
that is the case, you may still be able to work out an amendment to the
law that allows you to work, but doesn't affect the monied interests
(not that I really care about them, just trying to be practical.)

If it is a state law, then there is very likely a lot more info.
Perhaps you can talk to a lawyer who could pull up all the relevant
case law on Lexis-Nexis or Westlaw. Then you can see what the court
says. If the appeals court says it is ok to charge for the food, but
not the cooking you may be able to get around the law by being carful
how you bill your clients. Otherwise, perhaps your client will agree to
lease their kitchen to you. That sounds odd, but with a good contract,
no one needs to worry about it too much.

Dean G.

"Dean G." wrote:

> Get a copy of the law. Is is a local (county) law ? If so, it only
> allies inside that jurisdiction. Also, local laws are fairly easy to
> get changed. You don't need a lobbyist to talk to the county councilman
> down the street. Make an issue of it at meetings and make sure you
> stress the jobs angle. This law costs our county jobs.

It's pretty hard to argue jobs when there is a public health issue. Around
here, you are subject to the regulations of the health department when you
are cooking commercially. They inspect the premises and they want to be
able to trace food to its source if there is an outbreak of food
poisoning. I can appreciate the rationale in that case, but the OP is
talking about cooking in someone's kitchen, so I can't see why those
concerns would apply here. It would be no different than them cooking for
themselves in their own kitchen, so long as all the food is being prepared
on site and not in the personal chef's kitchen.

There has been talk around here about clamping down on all food sales. That
will apply to home made jams and jellies made for bake sales and at local
fruit stands. That's a crying shame. Until my recent success with
strawberry jam I had had so many batches turn out poorly that I stopped
making it myself and used to get it at a neighbour's fruit stand. They
won't be able to sell the stuff any more.

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> "Dean G." wrote:
>
>> Get a copy of the law. Is is a local (county) law ? If so, it only
>> allies inside that jurisdiction. Also, local laws are fairly easy to
>> get changed. You don't need a lobbyist to talk to the county councilman
>> down the street. Make an issue of it at meetings and make sure you
>> stress the jobs angle. This law costs our county jobs.
>
> It's pretty hard to argue jobs when there is a public health issue. Around
> here, you are subject to the regulations of the health department when you
> are cooking commercially. They inspect the premises and they want to be
> able to trace food to its source if there is an outbreak of food
> poisoning. I can appreciate the rationale in that case, but the OP is
> talking about cooking in someone's kitchen, so I can't see why those
> concerns would apply here. It would be no different than them cooking for
> themselves in their own kitchen, so long as all the food is being prepared
> on site and not in the personal chef's kitchen.
>
> There has been talk around here about clamping down on all food sales.
> That
> will apply to home made jams and jellies made for bake sales and at local
> fruit stands. That's a crying shame. Until my recent success with
> strawberry jam I had had so many batches turn out poorly that I stopped
> making it myself and used to get it at a neighbour's fruit stand. They
> won't be able to sell the stuff any more.
>
>

How many bad jars did the local militia find in the area last year? One?
:-)

On 2 Aug 2005 08:17:03 -0700, "WanderingChef"
> wrote:

>I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
>against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How do
>you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to comment?
>Thanks

Occurs to me that IF the person who told you this was correct (and I
agree with those who say 'get a copy of the regulation'), they're
stepping on the toes of some moneyed folks.
(not something that Texas is known for)

--
-denny-

"I don't like it when a whole state starts
acting like a marital aid."
"John R. Campbell" in a Usenet post.

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 19:48:48 GMT, "Doug Kanter"
> wrote:

>
>"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
>> "Dean G." wrote:
>> There has been talk around here about clamping down on all food sales.
>> That
>> will apply to home made jams and jellies made for bake sales and at local
>> fruit stands. That's a crying shame. Until my recent success with
>> strawberry jam I had had so many batches turn out poorly that I stopped
>> making it myself and used to get it at a neighbour's fruit stand. They
>> won't be able to sell the stuff any more.
Health issue my sweat aunt. It's about control. It comes down to local
and would be politicians not being able to stick their suction cup
like fingers into any money the people made. Can't have the "worker
grubs" doing anything without our contol can we? If you haven't
guessed, I can't stand politicians at any level.

Doug Kanter wrote:

>
> > will apply to home made jams and jellies made for bake sales and at local
> > fruit stands. That's a crying shame. Until my recent success with
> > strawberry jam I had had so many batches turn out poorly that I stopped
> > making it myself and used to get it at a neighbour's fruit stand. They
> > won't be able to sell the stuff any more.
> >
> >
>
> How many bad jars did the local militia find in the area last year? One?
> :-)

I have no idea, but if there is a bad jar out there I don't want to get it. I
have had one good dose of food poisoning and that is enough for me. I am not too
worried about jams and jellies, but I might have reason to be concerned about
other types of foods prepared in a private kitchen that may have been improperly
stored and reheated.

That being said, a few months ago we had a similar discussion here. There is a
local chef who had to give up his restaurant for health reasons. He started a
part time cooking business. He sends out a menu for Friday and Saturday
evenings. The selections are interesting, usually two different appetizers and
two entrees, and his prices are reasonable. You call before noon on Friday to
let him know what you want and at what time you want to pick it up. It's a
three minute drive for me. I can get dinner for two for about $20 and eat it at
home. I would not worry about the cleanliness of his kitchen. The Chinese take
out next to his old restaurant is another matter.

day, dreamer@dream, .com@ wrote:

> Health issue my sweat aunt. It's about control. It comes down to local
> and would be politicians not being able to stick their suction cup
> like fingers into any money the people made. Can't have the "worker
> grubs" doing anything without our contol can we? If you haven't
> guessed, I can't stand politicians at any level.

Yes, I can see you attitude toward government creeping in. :-)
Sadly, there are too many restaurants that have poor hygiene standards and people
do get food poisoning. I would not wish that on anyone, not even someone who
rejects the value of health inspections. Commercial kitchens are usually
required to meet certain specifications about materials, surfaces, cracks,
plumbing and other issues that may affect cleanliness. Most private kitchens do
not meet those standards, and even if they did, they may not be kept as clean as
is required. It's bad enough if people get some sort of food poisoning from their
own cooking, but it is quite another when they are selling that tainted food to
the public.


Have you never heard of restaurants with poor hygiene. or restaurants being shut
down by the health department for hygiene violations? Have you never heard about
large numbers of people being poisoned at various functions? While I dislike too
much control in the hands of government, there are some issues where I have even
more concerns about money saving short cuts in commercial operations.

Dave Smith wrote:
> "Dean G." wrote:
>
> > Get a copy of the law. Is is a local (county) law ? If so, it only
> > allies inside that jurisdiction. Also, local laws are fairly easy to
> > get changed. You don't need a lobbyist to talk to the county councilman
> > down the street. Make an issue of it at meetings and make sure you
> > stress the jobs angle. This law costs our county jobs.
>
> It's pretty hard to argue jobs when there is a public health issue.

It seems to me a profession with a food safety certification would be
safer than the average person in their kitchen, so I don't see a public
health issue. Perhaps I'm not paranoid enough, or perhaps I'm just not
given to policies decided more by hysteria than reason. On the other
hand, it may well cost jobs. Apparently they would rather let you
starve than allow you to eat something that hasn't passed an
unreasonable level of safety certification.

> Around
> here, you are subject to the regulations of the health department when you
> are cooking commercially. They inspect the premises and they want to be
> able to trace food to its source if there is an outbreak of food
> poisoning.

For a restaurant that serves far more people, and usually fails to keep
any record of who was served, this may be reasonable. For a personal
chef with a small and exact list of clients it is not.

> I can appreciate the rationale in that case, but the OP is
> talking about cooking in someone's kitchen, so I can't see why those
> concerns would apply here. It would be no different than them cooking for
> themselves in their own kitchen, so long as all the food is being prepared
> on site and not in the personal chef's kitchen.

I agree except to add that a professional with a food safety
certification may well be safer than someone cooking in their own home.
Also, beyond that, the client know full well how clean their OWN
kitchen is, and can make a perfectly reasonable assesment of their
relative danger.

> There has been talk around here about clamping down on all food sales. That
> will apply to home made jams and jellies made for bake sales and at local
> fruit stands. That's a crying shame.

It is also stupid. Tell the legislators why : no one is forced to buy a
locally produced product. People can make their own decisions and do
not need some arrogant totalitarianist telling them how to live their
lives. Beyond that, the laws do not prevent me from going over to all
of my friends houses and serving raw chicken for a parties of 800. The
law only comes into play when MONEY changes hands. Now a dollar bill
might be filthy, but a simple hand washing after handling the money
would cure that. If it was a pre-paid service, then even that would not
be an issue. Did I say this law was stupid ? The people who drafted and
passed such a law are also stupid.*

> Until my recent success with
> strawberry jam I had had so many batches turn out poorly that I stopped
> making it myself and used to get it at a neighbour's fruit stand. They
> won't be able to sell the stuff any more.

Indeed, perhaps their will be no more small start up businesses in this
jurisdiction ever again. It will cost jobs. People who propose laws
like this are anti-American, anti-job, anti-family, and
anti-intelligent. You should hire a nanny if you need one, not elect
one.

Dean G.

Stupid : lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity

Dave Smith wrote:

> day, dreamer@dream, .com@ wrote:
>
>
>>Health issue my sweat aunt. It's about control. It comes down to local
>>and would be politicians not being able to stick their suction cup
>>like fingers into any money the people made. Can't have the "worker
>>grubs" doing anything without our contol can we? If you haven't
>>guessed, I can't stand politicians at any level.
>
>
> Yes, I can see you attitude toward government creeping in. :-)
> Sadly, there are too many restaurants that have poor hygiene standards and people
> do get food poisoning. I would not wish that on anyone, not even someone who
> rejects the value of health inspections. Commercial kitchens are usually
> required to meet certain specifications about materials, surfaces, cracks,
> plumbing and other issues that may affect cleanliness. Most private kitchens do
> not meet those standards, and even if they did, they may not be kept as clean as
> is required. It's bad enough if people get some sort of food poisoning from their
> own cooking, but it is quite another when they are selling that tainted food to
> the public.
>
>
> Have you never heard of restaurants with poor hygiene. or restaurants being shut
> down by the health department for hygiene violations? Have you never heard about
> large numbers of people being poisoned at various functions? While I dislike too
> much control in the hands of government, there are some issues where I have even
> more concerns about money saving short cuts in commercial operations.
>
>

But in the case we're discussing, the food is being prepared in a
private kitchen for consumption by the owner of that kitchen. I don't
see where the health dept has any jurisdiction over the kitchen. I can
see where they might want licensing of private chefs, but that's not the
issue.

Bob

sarah bennett wrote:
> WanderingChef wrote:
>> Travis Count is in Central Texas, Austin area.
>>
>
> Maybe you should contact these folks:
>
> http://www.daniellagana.com/
> http://www.personalchef.com/angelfood.htm
>
> Both are located in the Austin area. Methinks that there are
> insurance/licensing issues involved, and that it is not illegal, per
> se, to cook in a customer's home for a fee. One just needs to be a
> professional about it.

Yep, must have liability insurance and all that. Just as a restaurant
would.

Jill

Going entirely on the information that you've told us, I'm going to
guess that the story is this: People were getting around laws stating
that CATERERS had to work out of licensed kitchens by saying that they
were merely personal chefs. They were doing the food prep at home,
bringing it over to the client's house and, if questioned, were saying
that it was prepared in its entirety there. I'll further hazard that
the clerk and supervisor are not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier
or they wouldn't be working that sort of low-level bureaucratic job.
They've learned over the years that whenever a question comes up, just
say that it is against regulation. Then make something up whether it
makes sense or not. When someone asks how a law could be possible,
shrug and say you don't make the rules.


You asked originally what the best way was to get around the law. I
suggest this. First, as others have suggested, get a copy of the law.
Ask only once or twice at the office where you were before. If you
can't get it from them, ask at the library or police station. Better
yet, write a letter to the local newspaper, and see if they can procure
it for you. I'll bet that the law doesn't exist, or if it does, it
doesn't say what the clerk and supervisor said that says.


Then carry on with your plan to be the best personal chef in the area.
Prepare great meals; follow all food safety and hygiene rules; advertise
appropriately; treat your clients with excellent professional standards,
and charge what you're worth. The chances of the police or health
inspectors knocking on your door to arrest or fine you for running a
terrific and successful business are minimal.


--Lia


WanderingChef wrote:
> I was at the office to sign up for the safety in food handling class
> and asked the clerk if there was any other licenses I needed to start a
> Personal Chef service. She handed me the form to license a commercial
> kitchen, I forget what it was called. I told her I would be cooking in
> clients homes, she wasn't sure and that's when she got her supervisor.
> He had few answers when I asked why it was against health code. I also
> asked what about the people who are already providing this service. He
> said if they were caught they would be fined. It really made no sense
> to me, hence the question. Any personal chefs out there who have delt
> with this?
>

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Dave Smith wrote:
>
>> day, dreamer@dream, .com@ wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Health issue my sweat aunt. It's about control. It comes down to local
>>>and would be politicians not being able to stick their suction cup
>>>like fingers into any money the people made. Can't have the "worker
>>>grubs" doing anything without our contol can we? If you haven't
>>>guessed, I can't stand politicians at any level.
>>
>>
>> Yes, I can see you attitude toward government creeping in. :-)
>> Sadly, there are too many restaurants that have poor hygiene standards
>> and people
>> do get food poisoning. I would not wish that on anyone, not even someone
>> who
>> rejects the value of health inspections. Commercial kitchens are usually
>> required to meet certain specifications about materials, surfaces,
>> cracks,
>> plumbing and other issues that may affect cleanliness. Most private
>> kitchens do
>> not meet those standards, and even if they did, they may not be kept as
>> clean as
>> is required. It's bad enough if people get some sort of food poisoning
>> from their
>> own cooking, but it is quite another when they are selling that tainted
>> food to
>> the public.
>>
>>
>> Have you never heard of restaurants with poor hygiene. or restaurants
>> being shut
>> down by the health department for hygiene violations? Have you never
>> heard about
>> large numbers of people being poisoned at various functions? While I
>> dislike too
>> much control in the hands of government, there are some issues where I
>> have even
>> more concerns about money saving short cuts in commercial operations.
>>
>>
>
> But in the case we're discussing, the food is being prepared in a private
> kitchen for consumption by the owner of that kitchen. I don't see where
> the health dept has any jurisdiction over the kitchen. I can see where
> they might want licensing of private chefs, but that's not the issue.
>
> Bob

First of all, it is far from certain that this regulation actually exists.
If it does, the rationale is that anyone doing something for money should be
competent at it, at least as far as health issues are concerned. In other
words, you should not be able to offer a service if you are likely to harm
your customers. Perhaps you think this is too much governmant regulation - I
am not sure I disagree with that opinion - but it does have a rationale
basis.


--
Peter Aitken

Bob (this one) wrote:
>> WanderingChef wrote:
>>
>>> I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
>>> against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How
>>> do you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to
>>> comment? Thanks
>>
>> I know of *no* places in the U.S. where this applies. Where's Travis
>> County - what state are you in? Whose regulations are they saying
>> prevent this - state or local? To whom did you speak - was this a
>> person who answers phones all day long or was it a sanitarian or
>> supervisor?
>>
>> In all the discussions I've seen on the professional lists I hang
>> out on about personal chefs, not one has ever mentioned this
>> restriction. The regulation would serve to eliminate household staff
>> or medical people, part of whose function would include prescribed
>> food preparations.
>>
>> I don't believe this is the case. You were almost certainly given
>> erroneous information. I'd ask a bit higher up the chain and if that
>> person says the same thing, ask to see the regulation in question.
>>
I was wondering if perhaps there was some confusion as to what the cooking
was about. In my area, you cannot bake/cook in your own home or any other
home for that matter to make products for resale. That is not unless you do
big upgrades to meet there standards. Perhaps the person did not understand
that the chef would be preparing food for the people who live there and
would be putting the food for resale.

Debbie

"Julia Altshuler" > wrote in message
...
> Going entirely on the information that you've told us, I'm going to
> guess that the story is this: People were getting around laws
stating
> that CATERERS had to work out of licensed kitchens by saying that
they
> were merely personal chefs. They were doing the food prep at home,
> bringing it over to the client's house and, if questioned, were
saying
> that it was prepared in its entirety there. I'll further hazard
that
> the clerk and supervisor are not the brightest bulbs in the
chandelier
> or they wouldn't be working that sort of low-level bureaucratic job.
> They've learned over the years that whenever a question comes up,
just
> say that it is against regulation. Then make something up whether
it
> makes sense or not. When someone asks how a law could be possible,
> shrug and say you don't make the rules.
>
>
> You asked originally what the best way was to get around the law. I
> suggest this. First, as others have suggested, get a copy of the
law.
> Ask only once or twice at the office where you were before. If you
> can't get it from them, ask at the library or police station.
Better
> yet, write a letter to the local newspaper, and see if they can
procure
> it for you. I'll bet that the law doesn't exist, or if it does, it
> doesn't say what the clerk and supervisor said that says.


If this is a local ordinance, someone in the city attorney or district
attorney's office should be able to explain and clarify it.

Debbie wrote:
> Bob (this one) wrote:
>
>>>WanderingChef wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it was
>>>>against health code to cook in another persons home for a fee. How
>>>>do you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there care to
>>>>comment? Thanks
>>>
>>>I know of *no* places in the U.S. where this applies. Where's Travis
>>>County - what state are you in? Whose regulations are they saying
>>>prevent this - state or local? To whom did you speak - was this a
>>>person who answers phones all day long or was it a sanitarian or
>>>supervisor?
>>>
>>>In all the discussions I've seen on the professional lists I hang
>>>out on about personal chefs, not one has ever mentioned this
>>>restriction. The regulation would serve to eliminate household staff
>>>or medical people, part of whose function would include prescribed
>>>food preparations.
>>>
>>>I don't believe this is the case. You were almost certainly given
>>>erroneous information. I'd ask a bit higher up the chain and if that
>>>person says the same thing, ask to see the regulation in question.
>>>
>
> I was wondering if perhaps there was some confusion as to what the cooking
> was about. In my area, you cannot bake/cook in your own home or any other
> home for that matter to make products for resale. That is not unless you do
> big upgrades to meet there standards.

This is pretty standard all over the U.S. It's about packaging food for
retail sale that's been produced in uninspected kitchens.

> Perhaps the person did not understand
> that the chef would be preparing food for the people who live there and
> would be putting the food for resale.

Personal chefs are providing a service. They're not producing food for
retail sale. There are *no* health department regulations of any kind
that I've ever seen or heard about from any source that regulate the
service.

Pastorio

Bob (this one) wrote:
>> Debbie wrote:
>>> Bob (this one) wrote:
>>>
>>>>> WanderingChef wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> I was told yesterday by the Travis County Health Dept. that it
>>>>>> was against health code to cook in another persons home for a
>>>>>> fee. How do you get around this? Any Personal Chefs out there
>>>>>> care to comment? Thanks
>>>>>
>>>>> I know of *no* places in the U.S. where this applies. Where's
>>>>> Travis County - what state are you in? Whose regulations are they
>>>>> saying prevent this - state or local? To whom did you speak - was
>>>>> this a person who answers phones all day long or was it a
>>>>> sanitarian or supervisor?
>>>>>
>>>>> In all the discussions I've seen on the professional lists I hang
>>>>> out on about personal chefs, not one has ever mentioned this
>>>>> restriction. The regulation would serve to eliminate household
>>>>> staff or medical people, part of whose function would include
>>>>> prescribed food preparations.
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't believe this is the case. You were almost certainly given
>>>>> erroneous information. I'd ask a bit higher up the chain and if
>>>>> that person says the same thing, ask to see the regulation in
>>>>> question.
>>>>>
>>>
>>> I was wondering if perhaps there was some confusion as to what the
>>> cooking was about. In my area, you cannot bake/cook in your own
>>> home or any other home for that matter to make products for resale.
>>> That is not unless you do big upgrades to meet there standards.
>>
>> This is pretty standard all over the U.S. It's about packaging food
>> for retail sale that's been produced in uninspected kitchens.
>>
>>> Perhaps the person did not understand
>>> that the chef would be preparing food for the people who live there
>>> and would be putting the food for resale.

OOPS.. forgot the *not*.

>>
>> Personal chefs are providing a service. They're not producing food
>> for retail sale. There are *no* health department regulations of any
>> kind that I've ever seen or heard about from any source that
>> regulate the service.
>>
What I meant. :-)

Debbie

On Tue, 02 Aug 2005 23:57:12 -0400, "Bob (this one)" >
wrote:

>Personal chefs are providing a service. They're not producing food for
>retail sale. There are *no* health department regulations of any kind
>that I've ever seen or heard about from any source that regulate the
>service.

Precisely. Any cook employed in a home is a "personal chef." He/she
buys the food, brings it to the home, and cooks it for a fee or
salary. A personal chef is simply a 'live-out' cook.

>>> "Dean G." wrote:
>>> There has been talk around here about clamping down on all food sales.
>>> That
>>> will apply to home made jams and jellies made for bake sales and at local
>>> fruit stands. That's a crying shame. Until my recent success with
>>> strawberry jam I had had so many batches turn out poorly that I stopped
>>> making it myself and used to get it at a neighbour's fruit stand. They
>>> won't be able to sell the stuff any more.

Check the regs. There are (in my state) a modest set of rules about
what can and cannot be sold at farmers' markets and the like. As I
recall, jams & jellies are ok, and baked goods *without* egg-based
fillings. No point panicking ahead of the facts.

Many's the time that Health Dept. people are *completely ignorant to
the workings of The Personal Chef Industry*. I am a personal chef.
It's best to listen to actual personal chefs rather than take what some
people on this board who are not in the industry say. No offense,
people....but some of you dispense advice about this work like it's
your life's work. If it isn't, stick to your own professions.
Now....back on topic: It's perfectly legal to cook the food in the
client's home. You cannot cook the food in YOUR home and take it to
the client's. Where is Travis County? What State? Go to the United
States Personal Chef's Association or The American Personal Chefs Assn.
and use their "find a chef" feature. See if there are practicing
personal chefs in your area, or in your state. Contact them. I do
believe your Health Dept. does not understand the Personal Chef
Industry or what Personal Chefs do. We perform a SERVICE business.
Health codes would not ever prevent you from cooking legally *in
someone's home.* Never heard of such a thing. Better try to get more
information. You can even email the PC organizations and ask for help.
I realize health codes vary state to state, but once again, I've never
heard of a PC being told they cannot practice in the client's home.
There's something WAY wrong there.

There was an iteresting article about a personal chef in today's
Sacramenot (California) Bee.
Thought you might enjoy reading it.

http://tinyurl.com/c34sj

jillie
Roseville, CA