Private chef invoice template
Private chef invoice template: fee per guest, groceries at cost with receipts, service staff by the hour, equipment hire and travel, deposit in the notes.
Templates by industry
- Chef’s fee for menu planning and cooking, per guest
- Groceries at cost, receipts attached
- Service staff, per hour
- Kitchen equipment hire
- Travel to the venue
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm scope and quantities
Example: reconcile the approval and work record for "Chef’s fee for menu planning and cooking, per guest" to establish the quantity for this invoice.
Record delivery and acceptance
Check completion for every line, including "Travel to the venue". Confirm actual operating hours and supplied quantities with the event contact and record approved extras.
Send the billing record
Send the final charges, delivery reference and due date to the customer, then reconcile payment against the invoice number.
A private chef’s invoice mixes two kinds of money: your fee for planning and cooking, and the groceries you bought on the client’s behalf. Clients accept the second more easily when it is shown at cost with receipts, and the first when it is tied to the number of guests. This template keeps fee, ingredients, service staff, equipment hire and travel apart, so a dinner for twelve can be checked line by line against what was agreed when the menu was set.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Chef’s fee for menu planning and cooking, per guest, Groceries at cost, receipts attached, Service staff, per hour, Kitchen equipment hire, Travel to the venue: record the quantities actually supplied and the service period.
- Chef’s fee for menu planning and cooking, per guest
- Bill the fee per guest for the final confirmed count, and note the menu or the date it was signed off.
- Groceries at cost, receipts attached
- Add groceries at the price paid and attach the receipts; any handling charge goes on a line of its own.
- Service staff, per hour
- Give staff hours from arrival to the end of clearing up, which runs longer than the dinner itself.
- Kitchen equipment hire
- Name hired items, such as extra plates, glasses or a warming cabinet, and who returns them.
- Travel to the venue
- Bill travel as agreed, flat or per km, plus parking if the venue charges for it.
- Event details and time
- Record the date, venue, attendance, and setup, rehearsal, operating and removal times.
- Staffing and supplies
- Specify staff counts and hours, supplied items and the responsibilities of external vendors.
- Scope to agree
- Separate your fee from the groceries bought at cost, attach the receipts, and bill service staff and equipment on lines of their own.
Before sending
- Does “Chef’s fee for menu planning and cooking, per guest” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- Is “Groceries at cost, receipts attached” charged at the rate the customer agreed to, with any change approved?
- Is “Service staff, per hour” finished and accepted, or does it belong on a later invoice?
Show 5 more
- Does “Kitchen equipment hire” show the quantity actually supplied, not the quantity first quoted?
- Is “Travel to the venue” charged at the rate the customer agreed to, with any change approved?
- Agree when attendance and schedules are finalized and how later changes are charged.
- Check whether overtime, transport, setup and removal are included.
- Match completed work to the order or approval record, and confirm the payment due date and amounts already received.
Worked example: a dinner party for twelve
The figures are an example in dollars, with an example tax rate of 8%. A chef bills a fee for twelve guests, groceries at cost, eight staff hours, hired equipment and travel.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chef’s fee for menu planning and cooking, per guest | 12 × $65.00 | $780.00 |
| Groceries at cost, receipts attached | 1 × $540.00 | $540.00 |
| Service staff, per hour | 8 × $32.00 | $256.00 |
| Kitchen equipment hire | 1 × $120.00 | $120.00 |
| Travel to the venue | 1 × $60.00 | $60.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,756.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $140.48 | |
| Total | $1,896.48 | |
The five lines total $1,756.00; tax at 8% adds $140.48, so the client pays $1,896.48. Whether tax applies to groceries passed on at cost depends on local rules, so check before you send the invoice.
Mistakes on a private chef’s invoice
- Folding groceries into the fee, so the client cannot see the food cost.
- Billing groceries without receipts or with an unexplained mark-up.
- Counting staff hours for the meal only, not for set-up and clearing.
- Forgetting to show the deposit taken when the menu was confirmed.
- Leaving out which allergies and special meals were catered for.
What the document must show
These details make an invoice easier to approve and to file.
- Your business name, address and registration or tax number
- The customer's name and address
- Issue date and a document number you do not reuse
- Each line item with quantity, unit price and amount
- Tax shown separately from the net amount, and the total payable
- Payment terms: due date, bank details or accepted payment methods
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Frequently asked questions
How do I invoice when fewer guests came than were booked?
Follow what was agreed at booking. If a minimum or a final-count deadline was set, bill the confirmed number and say so in the notes; groceries already bought for the missing guests are billed at cost.
Should I take a grocery deposit in advance?
It is sensible when ingredients are expensive. Invoice the deposit when the menu is confirmed and show it as paid in the notes of this final invoice, so the client sees what remains due.
Does a tip or service charge belong on the invoice?
Only if one was agreed in advance. A gratuity guests leave is not part of the invoice; a fixed service charge goes on its own line, and you should check how it is taxed where you work.
How should dietary requests be recorded?
List the allergies and special meals you catered for in the notes. It documents what was agreed and protects both sides if a question comes up later.
How is tax calculated on this template?
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending. The editor keeps the net amount, the tax and the total apart, and recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a unit price or the country setting.
Can I add my logo and signature?
Yes. The From section of the editor has a place for your company logo and for a signature or seal image. Uploading a picture needs a free account, and a member can keep both in settings so that every new document starts with them.
Read next
Reading for the Private chef invoice template: How to write an invoice: a step-by-step example and Invoice payment terms: Net 15, Net 30, due dates. The VAT and GST calculator works out the tax line for you.