http://Alandawesprivatechef.com/

Alan Dawes Private Chef, Sunshine Coast (2026)

30/09/2026

IF I WAS STARTING MY PRIVATE CHEF BUSINESS AGAIN TOMORROW… THIS IS WHAT I’D SORT OUT FIRST. 👇

When I started 5 years ago, I definitely didn’t have all of this figured out.

Some things I got right.

Some things I learnt the hard way.

And some systems only came much later when the business grew and I realised I couldn’t keep doing everything the way I had been. 😂

So this isn’t me saying this is THE way to start a private chef business.

It’s simply what I know now that I wish I’d known then.

Your business might look completely different to mine. Your food, clients, prices and experience probably will too.

Take whatever is useful from this carousel and make it work for you.

And most importantly, don’t convince yourself you need absolutely everything figured out before you start.

You’ll learn a fu***ng lot by actually doing it.

I certainly did.

And 5 years later, I’m still learning.

SAVE THIS if you’re thinking about becoming a private chef.

And if there’s something on the list you want me to break down properly in another post, tell me below. 👇

23/09/2026

One of the biggest things I’ve learnt running a private chef business?

You need a fu***ng system. 😂

When I first started, it was obviously much easier to keep track of a handful of enquiries and bookings.

But as the business grew, suddenly there were enquiries, deposits, invoices, questionnaires, menus, dietary requirements, addresses, payments, reminders, follow-ups… all happening for different clients at different stages.

And there’s only so much s**t my brain can remember. 😂

So over the last 5 years I’ve built a workflow that takes every client from their first enquiry right through to the follow-up after their event.

I use Studio Ninja to run mine.

It connects with my website, calendar and accounting system, keeps all my client information together and automates a lot of the repetitive stuff that doesn’t actually need me sitting there doing it.

It’s not the only way to do it and I’m definitely not saying my workflow is the way everyone should work.

But if you’re a private chef trying to get the business side of things more organised, hopefully there’s something in my setup you can take and use in your own.

And if you want to give Studio Ninja a try, comment NINJA below and I’ll send you my code to get a discount.

If you need a hand setting up your own workflow, you know where I am. 👊

23/09/2026

One of the biggest things I’ve learnt running a private chef business?

You need a fu***ng system. 😂

When I first started, it was obviously much easier to keep track of a handful of enquiries and bookings.

But as the business grew, suddenly there were enquiries, deposits, invoices, questionnaires, menus, dietary requirements, addresses, payments, reminders, follow-ups… all happening for different clients at different stages.

And there’s only so much s**t my brain can remember. 😂

So over the last 5 years I’ve built a workflow that takes every client from their first enquiry right through to the follow-up after their event.

I use Studio Ninja to run mine.

It connects with my website, calendar and accounting system, keeps all my client information together and automates a lot of the repetitive stuff that doesn’t actually need me sitting there doing it.

It’s not the only way to do it and I’m definitely not saying my workflow is the way everyone should work.

But if you’re a private chef trying to get the business side of things more organised, hopefully there’s something in my setup you can take and use in your own.

And if you want to give Studio Ninja a try, comment NINJA below and I’ll send you my code to get a discount.

If you need a hand setting up your own workflow, you know where I am. 👊

22/09/2026

PASSION FRUIT SORBET 🥭

This is the passion fruit sorbet I’m currently serving as part of one of my desserts and this dish has been getting some serious love from guests at my private dining events.

The full dessert is:

White chocolate & black truffle ganache
Wagyu fat caramel
Wattle seed, burnt butter, hazelnut & oat granola
Passion fruit sorbet

There’s a lot of richness going on there, so that sharp passion fruit acidity is exactly what the dish needs to cut through it all.

And because I told you in the video I’d give you the sorbet recipe... here it is. 😂👇

PASSION FRUIT SORBET

1kg / 2.2lb passion fruit purée
200g / 7oz water
120g / 4.2oz caster / superfine sugar
40g / 1.4oz glucose syrup
Pinch of salt

METHOD

Add the passion fruit purée, water, sugar, glucose and salt to a saucepan.

Gently heat until everything has dissolved and combined.

DO NOT BOIL.

Pour into your Pacojet canister or Ninja Creami container and freeze overnight.

The next day, process in your Pacojet or Ninja Creami.

You can also use this recipe in a standard ice cream machine chill the mixture completely first, then churn according to your machine.

And before you ask for the rest of the dessert recipe... 😂

You’re going to have to wait for the NEW COOKBOOK coming next year for that one.

In the meantime, my current cookbook DISCOVERY is available now. You’ll find the link in my bio.

Save this sorbet recipe for later. 👊

21/09/2026

YOU PAID FOR THE WAGYU.

SO WHY ARE YOU THROWING HALF THE FLAVOUR IN THE BIN? 😂

That beautiful fat you trim off your Wagyu?

Keep it.

Render it.

Then turn it into fu***ng TOFFEE. 🤤

This is one of my favourite ways of taking something that could easily become waste and turning it into another element of a dish.

Sweet.
Salty.
Rich.
A little hit of acidity from the sherry vinegar.

And then you tell your guests the toffee they’re eating was made from the Wagyu fat they probably expected you to throw away.

That’s the bit I love.

Take an ingredient people think they understand…

and make them look at it completely differently.

Here’s how I make it 👇

WAGYU FAT TOFFEE

INGREDIENTS
300ml thickened cream
150g rendered Wagyu fat
250g brown sugar
125g caster sugar
60g glucose syrup
75g unsalted butter
4g sea salt
10g sherry vinegar

METHOD

1. Gently heat the cream and rendered Wagyu fat together. Don’t let it boil.

2. Add the brown sugar, caster sugar and glucose syrup to a saucepan and caramelise.

3. Slowly add the warm cream and Wagyu fat mixture.

4. Cook until the mixture reaches 122°C / 252°F.

5. Remove from the heat and mix through the butter and sea salt.

6. Finish with the sherry vinegar.

7. Pour into a lined tray and leave to set overnight.

8. Cut into pieces and try explaining to people that the thing blowing their mind was made from something they would normally throw away. 😂

Waste less.

Think differently.

And make something fu***ng delicious with it.

Save this one for the next time you’re trimming Wagyu. 👇

20/09/2026

I’ve heard “that won’t work” more times than I can remember.

Sometimes they were right.

Sometimes I was. 😂

But I think one of the biggest things I’ve learnt over 25 years as a chef is that someone having more experience, more awards or a bigger title doesn’t automatically mean every idea they have is right… or every idea you have is wrong.

Listen to people. Learn from them. Respect the kitchen you’re working in.

But don’t lose your creativity because somebody else wouldn’t do it that way.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with playing it safe. There’s a market for beautifully executed traditional food, just as there’s a market for chefs who want to f**k around with flavours, techniques and ideas and see what happens.

And the funny thing is… a lot of the recipes and techniques we consider “traditional” today only exist because somebody once decided to try something different.

I’m definitely not saying ignore advice.

I’m saying listen to it, learn from it… and when you get the opportunity, find out for yourself.

Sometimes you’ll create absolute s**t. 😂

Sometimes you might create something people remember.

Either way, you learnt something.

I’d genuinely love to hear this from other chefs:

What’s something you were once told “wouldn’t work”… that you went and did anyway? 👇

15/09/2026

25 YEARS AS A CHEF. A FEW FU***NG LESSONS LEARNT. 😂

These are just some of the things I’ve learnt from my own experience in kitchens over the years.

They’re not rules.

You might agree with every one of them. You might completely disagree with some. And you might have had a totally different experience to me.

That doesn’t make either of us right or wrong.

We all work in different kitchens, with different people, at different stages of our lives and we’re all going to take different lessons from this career.

I’m still learning too.

I’m sharing mine because if even one of these lessons helps another chef think about something differently, then it was worth sharing.

And I’d genuinely love to hear yours.

What has being a chef taught YOU over the years? 👇

Alan Dawes Private Chef

30/09/2026

23/09/2026

23/09/2026

22/09/2026

21/09/2026

20/09/2026

15/09/2026

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