by Jane Sears Thompson
(Extracted from Meridian In Flight Magazine, September 2001)

It's 6:30.
Traffic is stalled.
I'm sick of rotisserie chicken
and I'm too tired to cook.
I need a personal chef.

Thirty years ago what every working couple longed to afford, my husband and I included, was a housekeeper. One who comes once a week. Lets herself in. Leaves the house all shiny and smelling great. Our wish list grew to include a lawn service. Then, the quick oil-change car-care service. Finally, we slipped into the habit of eating out and ordering in. Filling up on fast food loaded with salt, fat, preservatives and who-knows-what. But, it's the twenty first century now. It's time to get in shape, eat healthy and spend some quality time. Maybe it's time for a personal chef.

The current great breakthrough in personal services is the personal chef. One who brings all their own pots and pans, spoons and spatulas, fresh fish, meat and vegetables and takes over your kitchen. When they leave about five hours later there are twenty to twenty five servings of great tasting, healthy food in the refrigerator. The kitchen is clean. Directions for heating and eating are posted on the refrigerator door, ready when you are.

Candy Wallace, founder of the American Personal Chef Association, says, "There are currently an estimated 72,000 customers being served by approximately 6,000 personal chefs." Entrepreneur magazine reports that the personal chef industry is one of the twelve fastest growing businesses in the country. Wallace predicts that in the next five years the market will grow to 300,000 customers and nearly 25,000 personal chefs. I don't want to wait five years. I want one tomorrow!

There are several reasons to hire a personal chef, I explain to my husband. One is the need to eat healthier. "I used to think 'stromboli or pizza?'" says Walter Smith, an executive with Geico Insurance near Washington, says "when trying to figure out what to have for dinner after golfing all day. Now I write a check for $295 to The Really Good Food Company every other Friday and eat terrific entrees like Cajun catfish with spring vegetables and curly pasta, low-fat Swiss steak or a healthy soup or stew. As I've gotten older" Smith says, "it has become more important to me to watch the sodium and saturated fat content of my food. You don't always know what's in the food you get at a restaurant. And, forget about fast food. Now I know for sure that I'm eating a healthy diet. And it tastes fabulous."