http://Alandawesprivatechef.com/

Alan Dawes Private Chef, Sunshine Coast (2026)

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? 👇

13/09/2026

This one’s a bit more personal.

A lesson I learnt very early on:

Don’t burn bridges.

This industry is small, people remember how you treat them, and you never know when your paths might cross again.

It’s also a big reason why I try to be approachable now and help other chefs where I can.

There’s enough room for all of us.

We can all learn from each other, help each other and still build our own thing. 👊

And I know I can’t be the only one with a story like this…

If you’ve got a good one, share it in the comments. I’d genuinely love to hear it. 👇

10/09/2026

EVERYTHING I PACK FOR MY PRIVATE CHEF EVENTS 👨‍🍳

After 5 years as a private chef and cooking in over 1,000 homes, I’ve definitely learnt that being prepared makes life a hell of a lot easier. 😂

Every kitchen is different.

One night you might have everything you could possibly need. The next, you’re figuring out how to serve a multi-course menu with one hotplate and about 30cm of bench space.

So over the years I’ve built my own system and worked out what I like to take with me.

From my pots, pans and plates to my knives, Thermomix, sous vide, charcoal BBQ and even my cookbook pretty much everything has a reason for being there.

Are these rules for becoming a private chef? Absolutely not.

They’re simply the things that work for me and the way I like to create my private dining experiences.

Hopefully there’s an idea or two in here that helps another chef.

And if you’re already a private chef, what’s the ONE thing you never leave home without? 👇

07/09/2026

THINGS CHEFS GET WRONG ABOUT BECOMING A PRIVATE CHEF 👨‍🍳

After 5 years as a private chef and cooking in 1,000+ homes, I’ve learnt that becoming a private chef is about a hell of a lot more than just being able to cook.

And I’m still learning.

Every event, every client and every kitchen teaches me something new.

These are just a few things I’ve learnt from building my own private chef business some the easy way, and plenty the hard way. 😂

I’m sharing them because I know there are a lot of chefs out there thinking about working for themselves, and hopefully some of my experience can help.

But I definitely don’t know everything.

So if you’re already a private chef, I’d love to hear what YOU’VE learnt along the way too.

And if you’re thinking about becoming one, leave your questions below. If I can help, I will. 👇

At the end of the day, we’re all in this together, trying to deliver the best possible experience for our guests.

Alan Dawes Private Chef

23/09/2026

23/09/2026

22/09/2026

21/09/2026

20/09/2026

15/09/2026

13/09/2026

10/09/2026

07/09/2026

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