logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
26m 28s

What’s it like to be a private chef?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

If you're planning a big celebration, the idea of having someone else handle all the cooking might feel like a dream...but for some it's a worthwhile indulgence. Hiring a private chef means enjoying delicious, personalised food with minimal effort in the comfort of your own home. Ella Al-Shamahi speaks to two private chefs from India and France who create unforgettable culinary experiences.

Indian award-winning chef Abhilasha Chandak decided to become a private chef after moving to London three years ago. She gained fame in 2016 by competing in the Indian version of Masterchef and getting to the final. Abhilasha has cooked for a whole range of clients, including Bollywood celebrities.

Ella Aflalo is a French private chef and cookbook author based in Paris with experience in Michelin-starred kitchens. She now curates bespoke culinary experiences inspired by her travels, art and fashion. Previously, Ella founded the restaurant Yima, the name a blend of the Hebrew and Arabic word for ‘mum’. It won the Michelin Bib Gourmand, a reward given to restaurants serving high-quality food at affordable prices.

Produced by Emily Naylor

(Image: (L) Abhilasha Chandak courtesy Abhilasha Chandak. (R) Ella Aflalo credit Chloé Bruhat.)

Up next
Yesterday
Women designing affordable homes
The global housing crisis continues to grow, with the UN’s urban development agency estimating 40% of people worldwide lack access to adequate housing. Datshiane Navanayagam talks to female architects in Tanzania and Spain designing cheaper, more sustainable homes.Victoria Heilma ... Show More
26m 28s
Aug 4
Women training dogs to be superheroes
Two women from Greece and Sweden tell Datshiane Navanayagam about the dog training process and the prejudices service dogs still face when it comes to broader societal acceptance.Lia Stoll is a Greek-Canadian guide dog trainer and co-founder of Lara Guide Dogs school in Greece. S ... Show More
26m 29s
Jul 28
Women tracking wolves
Two women from Italy and the US tell Datshiane Navanayagam about following the movements of growing wolf packs in Yellowstone National Park and the Italian Alps.Elisa Ramassa started work as a park ranger in Italy's Gran Bosco di Salbertrand, near Turin, in 1997. That same year t ... Show More
26m 28s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2024
Mario Bacherini: Insights on the Industry from the West Coast Pastry Chef of L’École Valrhona
Based in Los Angeles, California, Chef Mario Bacherini is the West Coast Pastry Chef of L’École Valrhona, where is he conducts classes, demonstrations and workshops for professionals, providing one-on-one culinary consultations and bringing Valrhona’s expert touch to the West Coa ... Show More
39m 56s
Mar 2025
From Corporate to Cuisine : Reinventing Life at 29 I NouTalks with Zineb Karrakchou (French Episode)
‏(EN) In this episode of NouTalks, we dive into the inspiring story of Zineb, who dared to leave everything behind at 29 to follow her passion. Originally from Morocco, she reflects on her childhood steeped in culinary traditions, her move to France for her studies, and her caree ... Show More
1h 14m
Dec 2024
Nightlife Food - Taboon - The Lebanese Bakery
Hisham Assaad is a Lebanese chef and has just produced a new book, Taboon: Sweet And Savoury Delights From The Lebanese Bakery. 
13m 43s
Oct 2024
Italian sweets, chocolate, vanilla, jujubes
Pastry chef Victoria Granof relishes the diverse, and often misunderstood, sweets of Sicily. Essayist and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil explains the laborious process of cultivating vanilla and the fragile state of its existence. Rowan Jacobsen travels deep into the Bolivian Amazon ... Show More
59m 34s
Apr 2018
Rise Up! #3: Patti Hollenberg
Mark's friend Patti Hollenberg is this week's guest on Rise Up!  Patti was the first full time bread baker Mark hired at his bakery, but her true gifts lie in fancy and delicious pastries.   Patti's bakery, Chess Piece Patisserie in Fredricton, New Brunswick is bringing taste and ... Show More
55m 42s
Nov 2023
Épisode 147 - Uele Lamore
Compositrice, arrangeuse musicale et cheffe d’orchestre, Uèle Lamore n’aime pas les fioritures et se définit surtout comme une musicienne (7:20).Au micro de Lauren Bastide, Uèle Lamore retrace son parcours marqué par l’ambivalence : née d’un père américain et d’une mère française ... Show More
1h 1m
May 2024
#127 Rachida Brakni : « Je me suis dit qu’il est peut-être temps aussi pour nous, Français issus de l’immigration, de commencer à investir le champ littéraire »
Rachida Brakni, comédienne, metteuse en scène, ancienne pensionnaire de la Comédie Française et chanteuse (avec Gaëtan Roussel), vient d’ajouter une corde à ses arts en publiant son premier livre « Kaddour (Stock), un récit autobiographique en hommage à son père disparu en août 2 ... Show More
53m 3s
Mar 2025
Simone Ashley, fennel, potato & gruyère gratin with charcuterie and a negroni
Nick and Angela welcome a British actress to Dish HQ. Born in London to South Indian parents, Simone Ashley packed her bags at 16 and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream to model and act. She landed her first big role in Sex Education in 2019, before becoming a global supers ... Show More
36m 10s