Forget the Real Housewives of New York. For the past few summers, the most hypnotic, can’t-look-away form of lifestyle voyeurism has been the cooking videos produced by private chefs in the Hamptons. Often hired for the full season, they serve clients ranging from household names to people who simply consider “summer” a verb. Even though many operate under NDAs, they still broadcast their shopping, cooking, and table-setting on social media.
Private cheffing in the Hamptons represents a break from the grind of restaurant kitchens—not to mention the chance to spend a season in one of the country’s most idyllic enclaves. Some chefs have parlayed the gig into a career in content creation, building audiences from behind the kitchen counter and becoming brands in their own right.
Whether preparing elaborate dinner parties or prepping an after-camp snack, there’s more to the job than meets the eye. CULTURED spoke with three top Hamptons chefs to learn about what the role really entails—and how each of them carved their path to this rarefied world.
Maddy DeVita
In the midst of sending out job applications in 2022, Maddy DeVita realized she wanted to pivot. She was working at a global health nonprofit and planned to go into medicine, but realized her passion was food. After a cold DM on Instagram resulted in a six-week gig at a small Italian farm, she enrolled in culinary school and began private cheffing for clients in Manhattan and the Hamptons. Since then, she has accrued more than 550,000 followers on her Instagram account @handmethefork and launched a Substack of the same name.
What time do you get to the farmers’ market for the best produce?
In the Hamptons, there are fewer traditional farmers’ markets and more individual farm stands—essentially, farms selling produce very close to where it’s actually grown. I like to get there as soon as they open, usually around 8 or 8:30 a.m. It’s less about getting the best selection, since many farm stands are restocked throughout the day, and more about avoiding the crowds and the infamous Hamptons traffic.
What’s been the craziest or most unexpected after-hours ask from a client?
One time a client asked if I could make… let’s just say a very elevated kind of chocolate truffle. In the end, we went in a different direction.
Talk me through a nightmare day in your life. What went wrong and how did you work through it?
I’ll never forget the trial (basically a cooking interview) for my first private cheffing gig. It was for people I had never met in a kitchen I had never cooked in. They asked me to make a variety of different dishes, from whole roasted fish to linguine alle vongole to steak. I had planned a strawberry galette for dessert. About five minutes into baking, I started to smell slightly burnt dough. I opened the oven door and the top was already a deep golden brown and the strawberries had gone jammy, but the bottom was still raw. I realized that I had selected the broiler. I didn’t have back-up dough or time to remake the whole galette. I pulled her out of the oven, quickly tented the crust in tin foil to prevent further browning, and switched it to the correct oven. It wasn’t the best galette I’ve ever made, but I think it turned out okay because I got the job!
Who is your dream client?
Olivia Dean.
What’s one dish that always wins over a picky client?
If we are going for killer flavor, my bolognese sauce or a fresh baked loaf of sourdough. But oftentimes my clients tend to request healthy food, so I can always win them over with one of my crudo preparations. I also love to get to the house with a whole fish that I fillet myself, slice beautifully, and plate with a lemongrass coconut sauce and drizzle of basil oil.
What do you cook for yourself?
I love anything salty and super acidic with lemon or vinegar. I could drink vinegar straight I love it so much! I’m sitting here eating an extra lemony white bean orzo soup that I made… which is definitely absurd for July, but I had a craving!
What is the biggest challenge about private chef work in the Hamptons? What is the best part about it?
The biggest challenge is maintaining stamina while remaining mentally sharp. Last year I cheffed for 50 people on the 4th of July, but still had to get through lunch and dinner service for 20 people Saturday and Sunday. It takes a near-obsessive level of organization. But it comes with getting paid to work in an absolutely beautiful place where I can walk the beach in the morning, kayak or sit out in the sun during my (few but lovely) breaks, and, depending on your setup, end the night in the comfiest bed in your own little suite. It’s hard work, but it’s hard work in a pretty cushy environment.
Licia Householder
Licia Householder has been cooking for nearly 20 years, with experience spanning cafés, fine dining, and private cheffing. After starting her career in a café in Monroe, Connecticut, where she made more than 20 different soups and paninis a day, Householder went on to study at the Culinary Institute of America and work as a line cook, executive chef, pastry chef, baker, and, now private chef and mom. In 2013, a call from a friend brought her to the Hamptons to cook for a high-end client, and she never looked back. She chronicles her adventures in cooking on Instagram @liciahouseholder.
What is something people get wrong about being a private chef?
People think it’s a very glamorous life. Don’t get me wrong, there’s so many amazing parts to it, but it’s hard work. We’re working anywhere from 10 to 16 hours a day, provisioning all our own food, planning menus, dealing with Hamptons traffic. It’s not for the faint of heart.
What’s been the craziest or most unexpected after-hours ask from a client?
I was sleeping at my client’s house (I was a live-in private chef for two summers) and one of their guests woke me up in the middle of the night to cook something for them. I checked the time and realized it was 3 a.m. They were drunk and hungry. I rolled over and went back to sleep.
What time do you get to the farmers’ market for the best produce?
I try to get there early, but with two kids and Hamptons traffic, that’s not always doable. Luckily, I make friends easily and have become friends or friendly with all my local farmers, so I call and give them a list of what I need. Shoutout to Maddie at Green Thumb!
Where is the wildest place you’ve had to cook?
I once did a party in a thunderstorm. We were under a tent, but had to go back and forth from the main tent to the chef’s tent, and there were high winds, pouring rain, thunder, and lightning.
Talk me through a nightmare day in your life. What went wrong and how did you work through it?
I just had a nightmare this week! I arrived at the client’s home only to realize the main ingredients I had ordered for the dinner didn’t arrive. Then I cut myself, which is something I haven’t done in over 10 years. I splattered steak marinade all over my white chef’s coat just as I was about to serve dinner. Then my tripod broke as I was filming! It was an absolutely crazy day, but things go wrong in the kitchen all the time. It’s about pivoting, turning a negative to a positive, and learning from the experience.
What’s one dish that always wins over a picky client?
Believe it or not, my kale salad. So many people don’t like kale or even greens, but once they have my kale salad with pine nuts, golden raisins, and shaved parmesan, they become addicted. All the flavor lies in the dressing, and I chop my kale super finely so it’s easy to digest.
Do you experience cooking burnout? How do you find your stamina again?
It can be very daunting to cook five to seven days a week in the summer and still find inspiration. I love cookbooks and watching other people’s videos online. Also, shopping at the local farm stands helps to bring inspiration back.
What’s your go-to spread for a dinner party?
My favorite cuisines to cook are Mexican and Middle Eastern (I’m half Lebanese). There’s so many ways to create beauty in the food. I love when any client requests it.
Laila Mirza
Growing up in a food-loving Pakistani family, Mirza began cooking as a teenager. Because her childhood home had an open-door policy and the kitchen was always full of unexpected guests, she learned from a young age that community is best built around a table. Mirza made her parents nervous when she eschewed law school for culinary school at Leiths School of Food and Wine in London. But she has found success working as a private chef as well as a content creator on Substack and Instagram @lailas_pantry.
How did you get into cooking and private chef work?
I come from a Pakistani family, so food has always been at the epicenter of everything we do. I cooked all through high school and university, and eventually started posting my recipes online. When that gained traction, I decided to follow my passion and go to culinary school instead of law school, and the rest is history. I applied for a job as a private chef in the Hamptons, and when I got it, it was a no-brainer.
What do you cook for yourself?
My favorite comfort meal that I make for myself has always been scrambled eggs on buttered toast. It was one of the first things I ever learned how to cook for myself. Something about an ultra-creamy scrambled egg on hot toast with salted butter literally revives me, I don’t know why but it always hits the spot! I fear it might have been my slight obsession with that YouTube video of Gordon Ramsay making scrambled eggs.
What is something people get wrong about being a private chef?
People assume that you always have horrible, demanding clients. I’ve found that almost everyone I’ve worked with has been so kind and appreciative of the work I do. Of course, there’s always an outlier, but in general, attitudes have really changed. There’s a lot of respect for the profession. Or maybe I’ve just been lucky so far…
What’s been the craziest or most unexpected after-hours ask from a client?
I’ve gotten some crazy requests from people who haven’t hired me! Usually, it’s a really low-ball offer for a really time-consuming and big event. I think some people haven’t quite grasped how expensive groceries are or the cost of living yet.
Where is the wildest place you’ve had to cook?
I was invited by the Pakistani ambassador to the Czech Republic to cook for a Pakistani food week. It was pretty wild as I was training chefs much older and more experienced than I am. Getting flown out to Prague and staying at the ambassador’s residence was a really surreal experience. I remember being so nervous on my first day. I had just worked six straight shifts at the restaurant so I could get the time off. I was so exhausted and sick, I loaded myself up on flu medication and water just to get through the day. When I walked in and saw a kitchen team made up of only tall, burly men who didn’t speak English, I wanted to pass out. My head chef at the restaurant had given me the best advice: If you’re nervous, they’ll be nervous. Just do what you do best. She was right. I had the skills to do well—I just had to trust myself. And the flu medication.
What’s one dish that always wins over a picky client?
Taco night is a winner for everyone. You have so many different options to choose from. This is always popular with kids. Plus, people are so impressed if you make the tortillas from scratch. It’s just flour, water, and oil, but honestly, they react like you’ve just discovered gold.
What’s your go-to spread for a dinner party?
I always like having some cute canapés to start. I think upgraded Jell-O shots, gildas [a Basque skewer with a green olive, a guindilla pepper, and an anchovy], blinis, and mini tarts are having a moment. For the mains, I love a braised meat centerpiece. I’ve also been trying to incorporate more plant-based things and good carbs in the form of rice or pasta. I always make homemade bread. I don’t have a go-to spread because I really aim to work as seasonally as possible.
What is the biggest challenge about private chef work in the Hamptons? What is the best part about it?
The biggest challenge is probably the isolation. The family I worked for was wonderful but there is still a level of professionalism that has to be maintained, especially when you are living in their house. So for the two months I lived there, I didn’t see my friends or family. Especially as a 24-year-old, seeing all your friends’ Instagram stories at a club or bar definitely gave me some FOMO. But it taught me the value of my own company! My days off would usually be spent at the beach or exploring nearby towns.
The best part is the creative control. I’m getting paid to cook in a beautiful kitchen, in a beautiful place, with beautiful produce. Plus, true what they say: Chefs do have a big ego, and the many compliments you get when people enjoy your food are never hard to hear. Kidding! … Mostly.
in your life?
