What’s for Dinner?

She’s making home-cooked meals in the south Charlotte residence of client Heather Cellini. Cellini and her husband are at work and their two sons are at school. Gale has even toted in a few of her own specialty pots, culinary gadgets and spices to supplement the contents of the family’s kitchen. Unlike private chefs, who are employed by a single individual or family and often live in, personal chefs typically produce several days’ worth of tailored dishes in advance for multiple clients.

In this case, Gale had emailed a proposed menu the week before for Cellini to review and revise with any preferences. An avid traveler, Gale often adds new recipes to her repertoire from cooking classes she takes on the road.

Gale’s to-do list is full: shop for the best and freshest ingredients; prepare multiple, good-for-you, customized meals; cool and package them individually with reheating instructions; and clean up. The only signs the Cellinis will know she was in their home will be any lingering, tantalizing smells and completed meals in the fridge or freezer for them to enjoy.

As schedules become more demanding with careers, kids, community activities, carpools and commutes, Ballantyne residents are increasingly turning to personal chefs like Gale to ensure that nutritious, ready-made, affordable meals await them at the end of their busy days. It’s an approach similar to outsourcing professionals to clean their houses or landscape their yards. Their reasons: to reclaim precious hours, meet dietary preferences and health needs, reduce household food spending, minimize perishable waste or add variety to mealtimes.

Thomas’ style of food is healthy indulgence. She invites clients to cherry-pick from the diverse dishes she posts regularly on her Instagram account (@shonalskitchen). She then delivers the choices in containers ready to reheat. Some clients who like to cook just have Thomas handle prep, so for them she slices and dices vegetables and cuts and seasons meat.

Thomas’ client Conni Branscom, a mother of four in Ballantyne, values the convenience and the relationship she’s developed with Thomas.

“Her meals are more balanced than me stopping at the store and picking up whatever every night,” Branscom says. “She knows my family and what they like, and it’s meaningful because she personalizes everything.”

Building Relationships

Ballantyne resident Libby McColgin’s bond with personal chef Jill Aker-Ray is so tight that she relies on Aker-Ray to manage daily meals at the McColgin family’s rental house during their annual beach reunions at Isle of Palms, South Carolina. With family and friends in attendance, the group can be as large as 16 people.

“I love to cook, and I don’t take it lightly handing it over to someone else, but Jill is passionate about helping us and I trust her implicitly,” McColgin says. “She graciously accommodates those with gluten and dairy allergies, and she knows the right balance of when to interact with our group and when to step back.”