Home Cooking Services: Wanna try?

A chef-on-demand offers home-cooking services at his customer's home in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, in November.(Deng Xiaowei/China Daily)

Recently, home cooking service is gaining popularity among the younger generation. Xiao Meng, who has been a home cooking service provider for over six months, said, "Nowadays, many people are hiring chefs to cook at their homes. On average, we receive orders every day, and some customers even inquire about monthly services."

Previously reserved for events like gatherings and family banquets, the demand for home cooking services for their daily meals is on the rise among young people.

Meng explained that chefs can customize dishes based on consumers' tastes and preferences, replacing takeout and pre-packaged meals. The cost-effectiveness of home cooking services caters to the dual needs of young people who want to avoid cooking while still enjoying quality meals.

Yao Qing, working in Guangxi province, shared his experience: "I'm always too busy to cook. Unsure of what to order every time I open a food delivery app, I opted for a home cooking service, requesting only two dishes – one meat and one vegetarian." For Yao, the monthly cost of a chef, a little over a thousand yuan, is comparable to the expenses of ordering takeout but offers a healthier dining option.

There are numerous advertisements for home cooking services on social media platforms, claiming to provide various cuisines and tailored services according to individual tastes. The fees for these services vary from 68 yuan to several hundred yuan, depending on the local cost of living and the quantity of dishes. Additional charges may apply for grocery shopping and dishwashing.

Several home chefs in Guangxi's capital, Nanning, said that the demand for home cooking services is booming nationwide. Some chefs have even collaborated to establish professional companies specializing in home cooking services. Interestingly, certain domestic service companies, initially offering babysitting and house cleaning, have expanded their services to include home cooking services as a new business domain.

Lao Wei, who has been providing home cooking services in Nanning for nearly two years, registered a company in March this year. The team comprises professional chefs and cooking enthusiasts. As the team grows, Lao admitted that training and managing personnel and addressing food safety have become crucial and challenging problems.

Emphasizing professional ethics, Lao Wei said that all team members must hold health certificates before taking on assignments. Additionally, during home visits, the team is required to wear masks, shoe covers, aprons, and other protective gear to ensure food safety and hygiene during the cooking process. And customers have the right to install surveillance video and supervise the entire process.

Meng added that thanks to the growing number of part-time team members and increased business volume, he is developing a mobile app to streamline the booking process for customers and attract more clients. "Customers, mostly young people, can place orders through the app, where they can choose dishes and select their preferred chef," said Meng.

Source: China Youth Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao