Private chef, catered chalet or self-catered: which ski holiday suits your group?
How you eat shapes a ski holiday more than almost anything else. Here's an honest look at the three ways to do it.
Get it right and every evening is the best part of the day. Get it wrong and someone spends the week in a supermarket queue, or you're all locked into a menu nobody chose.
There are three main ways to eat on a ski holiday: self-catered, a catered chalet, or your own private chef in the chalet you choose.
1. Self-catered: cheapest on paper
You rent the chalet or apartment and look after yourselves.
Good for: smaller budgets, groups who love cooking, and short stays.
The catch: someone has to shop, cook and clear up after a full day on the hill. Eating out every night adds up fast in the big resorts, and restaurants at peak times often need booking well ahead. Self-catering is the cheapest option on paper, but the true cost is often one person's holiday.
2. Catered chalet: easy, but fixed
A tour operator sells the chalet, the food and often the travel as one package.
Good for: people who want a single price and no decisions.
The catch: you take the chalet, dates and menu that come with the package. Weeks often run on set changeover days, and the menu is planned for every guest, not for your group. In some chalets you may share with other guests.
3. A private chef in the chalet you choose
You book whichever chalet you like, then add your own chef who cooks for your group in it.
Good for: families, groups of friends and anyone who wants proper food without giving up control.
- Your chalet, your dates. Book the chalet you want, through any agent or owner, then add a chef for the nights you need.
- Full service or dinner only. Breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner, or just dinner if you'd rather be out at lunch.
- Food you choose. Menus planned around your group: children's tea early, adults' dinner later, allergies and dietary needs handled properly.
- Groceries at cost. Your chef shops for you and you reimburse the food at cost, with receipts. No mark-up hidden in a package price.
- A host for bigger groups. A host serves and clears so your chef can focus on the food. Groups of 11 or more adults need one.
The catch: you sort the chalet yourself rather than buying one package. Most of our guests say that's the point: they get the chalet they actually want.
Side by side
| Self-catered | Catered chalet | Private chef | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Choose your own chalet | Yes | No | Yes |
| Choose your dates | Yes | Often fixed | Yes |
| Menu planned for your group | You cook | Set menu | Yes |
| Allergies and children catered for | You manage | Varies | Built in |
| Someone else cooks and clears up | No | Yes | Yes |
| Food cost | Shop prices | Built into package | At cost, with receipts |
So which is right for you?
- Tight budget and you enjoy cooking: self-cater, and treat yourselves to a night out.
- You want one price and no choices: a catered package works.
- You want a great chalet and great food, on your terms: a private chef is the best of both.
Wondering about cost? Our guide to how much a private chalet chef costs sets out this season's prices, and children don't add to the chef's fee.
How booking a chef works
- Get an instant quote for your resort, dates and group size.
- We check which chefs are free and send you their profiles to choose from.
- Pay the booking deposit and fill in a short booking form with your preferences.
- Your chef gets in touch before you arrive to plan the menus.
We place chefs across the French and Swiss Alps, from Courchevel, Méribel and Val d'Isère to Les Arcs, La Plagne and beyond. Peak weeks, especially Christmas, New Year and February half term, go first.
Prefer to talk it through? Message us on WhatsApp.
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Please complete our interactive quotation form and we will tailor the price to your individual choices.
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