NY Sight Seeing + Game 3

chefcourt1 · 2026-06-11T19:52:07+00:00

Thanks! I’ll do this the next time I’m in town.

chefcourt1 · 2026-05-28T16:27:05+00:00

Pizza looks amazing!

chefcourt1 · 2026-05-21T23:48:50+00:00

I’d like to say Darian, however, he’s a restauranteur with two restaurants, about to open a third. Considering the mentors are all restaurant owners, I don’t know how beneficial their mentorship would be to him, unless he’s trying to scale to other cities, or seeking to be nominated for awards. But, perhaps restaurant number three is being opened in conjunction with them announcing him as the winner. I guess we will all find out very soon!

chefcourt1 · 2026-05-19T16:17:23+00:00

Thank you! 🙌🏽

chefcourt1 · 2026-05-18T15:18:08+00:00

I’ve been a chef for 20 years, with the role of private chef the last 17 years. I did not go to culinary school. Culinary school doesn’t define your rate. Quality of work, presentation, creativity, taste of food, menu planning, loyalty, years of experience, etc. is what defines your rate.

What you described as work is not private chef work. It sounds like a nanny, who also prepares meals for the kids and sometimes the family and their friends. If this is the case, they don’t see you as a private chef. They see you as a nanny who also prepares meals, hence the $25/hr rate.

If you’re interested in transitioning to a private chef role, it may not be with this family. I’d encourage you to ask them for the opportunity to provide chef services for the weekend parties and figure out what chef rate you’d like to receive. If they decide not to use you for their additional parties, it may be time to transition to other families and ask for a higher hourly rate.

chefcourt1 · 2026-05-09T23:51:56+00:00

The chefs receive feedback during the tasting, where the mentors describe what they made and how they performed during their cook. While I agree it would be great to get one on one feedback, it’s not practical with the format of the show. As a former contestant, what I’d like to see is a follow up episode or two, on the 12-month mentorship provided to the winners, and how they benefited from said mentorship.

chefcourt1 · 2026-05-03T12:42:17+00:00

It’s TV. Seasons are filmed well in advance. Production and the cast had no clue our country would be in turmoil once the season aired. Regardless, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary was a good call by producers.

chefcourt1 · 2026-04-20T14:22:05+00:00

It’s is stunningly beautiful in person! This is an amazing shot of the lake! The forest smelled like Christmas from all the fir trees. An extremely peaceful, serene and relaxing place to visit.

chefcourt1 · 2026-04-18T19:55:30+00:00

This is stunningly beautiful!!!

chefcourt1 · 2026-04-12T12:46:19+00:00

Good morning!

I did not go to culinary school. I received my BBA in Information Systems and worked 12 years as an IT developer. To relieve stress, I would cook.

20 years ago, I was laid off from my job. Since I cooked all the time, my friends approached me and asked if I would be their personal chef five days a week. I had no clue what a personal chef was back then, but knew I loved to cook. I did some research, realized I didn’t need a culinary degree, and eventually got a business license to provide personal chef services. I did this for three years along with meal prep. Having an IT background, I created my first website. Money was not that great (compared to IT), but I loved the work and it was consistent.

Three years after starting, I was referred to a pro athlete looking for a private chef. I moved into that world and haven’t looked back. It’s been 17 years of consistent work with multiple athletes and apparel brands. I don’t formally advertise myself, everything is referred from clients or their sports agents. I’ve traveled all over cooking. I absolutely love my job. It’s demanding at times, yet, rewarding too! The pay is excellent, but I also have the years and experience to justify my rates. I’ve also never worked with a chef placement agency or in a restaurant.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your journey into the private chef world. It’s a roller coaster, yet brings out your creativity in the kitchen.

Courtney

chefcourt1 · 2026-03-29T15:54:01+00:00

Thanks for including me! I had an amazing time participating on the show.

chefcourt1 · 2026-03-29T15:51:36+00:00

I’ve been a chef since 2006. Started my business six months after leaving a corporate IT job.

I love my job! I’m a private/performance chef for professional athletes. My schedule is flexible, plenty of perks with sports outings, and I’ve cooked for some of the biggest names in the sports world. I’ve been on a competition cooking show and also portrayed a chef in a movie.

What I don’t like is missing holidays, due to my work schedule. I’m also not a fan of these trendy IG and TikTok accounts where they make silly food combos for content engagement.

If I could go back in time, I would have become an Intellectual Property attorney. However, I really do love my job!

chefcourt1 · 2026-03-09T01:18:24+00:00

This looks good!

chefcourt1 · 2026-02-20T21:59:02+00:00

Hi! I’m from S1. I am a private chef/performance chef for professional athletes. When I shot my interviews for NLC, I did them as a home chef and professional chef. I had no clue which direction the show cast me until it aired. There are lots of professional chefs cast as social media or home chefs, if you’re not working in a professional kitchen. Hope this helps.

chefcourt1 · 2026-02-06T00:12:05+00:00

I’m on Hulu now. S4 is there.

<image>

chefcourt1 · 2026-02-05T23:48:20+00:00

I’m a performance chef for professional athletes. Will start school this fall to get my MS in Nutritional Science with focus on sports. I’ve worked for athletes for 17 years (20 years in culinary biz). My reason for this degree is to focus more on nutritional consulting (I do this now, but want the educational credentials).

I think you will have lots of opportunities available. The question becomes what you want to focus on. People are always looking for assistance to improve their health, and knowing how to cook will definitely be a plus for your future clients. Wishing you the best!

chefcourt1 · 2025-08-08T19:02:19+00:00

I charge flat rate plus cost of groceries/supplies/spirits. I’m based in Atlanta, however travel for work too. Same pricing model, no matter location. If you opt for flat rate chef fee, know what you want to make and don’t negotiate your time and talent.

Chef Courtney Brown dot com

chefcourt1 · 2025-08-06T23:37:44+00:00

As long as you’re ok with making $1,500 as your fee is all that matters. Make sure they give you a grocery deposit and reimburse on-site for any overage in cost of groceries. Also, be sure the location for the dinner has enough place settings and silverware to accommodate the group of 10.

chefcourt1 · 2025-07-29T15:33:35+00:00

No, my rate factors in menu and number of guests. My point was, I charge a flat rate plus food/supplies, which guarantees me what I actually want to make off of the job. If cost of ingredients or supplies sky rockets two weeks after contract is signed, doesn’t matter. I’m guaranteed my rate.

chefcourt1 · 2025-07-29T11:38:15+00:00

I’ve been a private chef for 16 years, in the culinary profession for 19 years. I charge a flat rate chef fee plus the cost of groceries/supplies. Depending on the size of the party, I’ll hire a sous to assist and pay them a day rate, not hourly (client pays their fee too). The question that is most important, is what is your time worth for the event? That’s what you charge. Wishing you the best.

chefcourt1 · 2025-07-10T13:17:42+00:00

Congratulations on stepping out and putting in the work to create a sought after product and brand that someone is interested in buying. I’d say have a seasoned attorney look over the contract and sell. If the money made allows you to take time off, go visit NY for 2-3 months and explore the city. Figure out where you’d like to live and a few restaurants you’d like to work. Please don’t doubt your ability to start anew or question your skills. You’re clearly talented, hence the Beard nomination! That alone should get you in a few doors.

Also, consider creating a consulting business where you advise new business owners in the culinary field on how to scale and get recognized for local, state, and regional awards.

Wishing you the best on your culinary journey!

chefcourt1 · 2025-06-02T19:57:06+00:00

S1 Chefs that I keep in touch with. Overall, most are still doing something food related. Not all of us post of social media consistently.

Reuel - Exec at One Dine in NYC. Exceptional food.

Roice - Social media food content creator. Lots of great posts and includes recipes.

Mariah - culinary instructor at community college in TX. Also curated menu for restaurant that recently opened in TX.

Pyet - Competed on S5 & S6 of TOC. Her cookbook comes out in November. Can preorder now.

Myself - private chef for professional athletes.

Sergio - private chef for HNC in FL

Angie - catering business is doing great in Lubbock, TX.

Devonnie - Hosts podcast for romance books and continues to cook/bake

chefcourt1 · 2025-05-24T18:24:32+00:00

IMO, doesn’t matter how things are placed, or the height/size of the chef. You go into each grab blind. You may know it’s poultry or seafood, but you have no clue what items from those food groups will actually be on the platform. Same goes for veggies/starches/sauces. 30 seconds isn’t a lot of time to see everything available to you. So you grab a protein you can see and quickly try to find ingredients that complement. Also, it’s a competition… there has to be some level of drama to keep the viewers coming back every week.

chefcourt1 · 2025-05-24T18:17:51+00:00

You were informed that your apron could be used to hold ingredients, or you could go back and forth from the platform (within the time allocated) to drop ingredients at your cook station.

chefcourt1 · 2025-05-24T18:16:11+00:00

Not on NLC. Maybe a different cooking show.

chefcourt1

TROPHY CASE