Agency, marketplace or the chef who actually cooks: what you are paying for
This page puts those five questions next to Roberto's own answers, so you can ask the same of anyone and compare like with like. The dinners themselves are on the page for private chef dinners in Tuscany.
Is Roberto Chef an agency?
No. Roberto Chef is Roberto Parato, a chef who works in person, and the service is performed personally by Roberto Parato, in the kitchen of the villa you name. An agency, a marketplace and a chef you contact directly are different ways of reaching a kitchen, and the questions below work for all three. His story is on the page about who Roberto is.
Who is in your kitchen?
Roberto. He arrives in the afternoon with the ingredients, prepares the dinner on site, cooks, serves, and leaves the working area in order. Before he confirms a booking he asks for a few photographs of the kitchen and three practical facts: the stovetop, the oven and the space in the refrigerator. It is how he plans the work in that kitchen and decides what equipment to bring, and it spares you surprises on the day.
Who can you talk to before you pay?
Roberto reads every message himself and replies within one working day, on WhatsApp or by text message. Write from the contact page with your dates, the villa's location and how many of you there will be. A photograph of the kitchen helps. For a tailored request, nothing is charged while Roberto assesses it, and the written proposal states the full price and how long it stays valid.
What does the price pay for?
The price pays for planning the menu with you, the cooking at your villa on the day, the service of the courses, and the cleaning of the kitchen and the equipment used. Travel is included within a set drive time from Siena. A dinner lasts about three hours, and Roberto is in the house about six hours in all, because he prepares before you sit down and clears the kitchen afterwards. Those extra hours do not cost you anything.
The price list is public: a rate per person that falls as the group grows, with a service minimum, and the total is shown before you pay. It is all on the costs page. If a villa manager or a partner recommends Roberto, the price is the same public one: partners do not add a separate mark-up.
Drinks, wine, flowers, rentals and table styling are separate. When you ask, we can introduce an independent local supplier, who confirms their own price and terms and invoices you directly.
Who does the shopping, and how is it paid?
Roberto does the shopping for you, in your name. He chooses the best and the freshest produce he finds. The groceries are not included in the price you pay online: on the day of the dinner you pay back what the receipts show, in cash or by bank transfer, at cost and with no mark-up. As a guide, the shopping usually starts at around €50 in total and often stays within €100; the exact amount depends on the menu and the number of guests.
The purchases belong to you, including anything left over, and you receive the purchase documents made out to you, with a summary of what was bought. The amount you pay back for the groceries is not a fee to Roberto. In cooking classes everything is included: Roberto buys and brings all the ingredients for the lesson.
How and when do you pay?
Payment is online, by card or with a wallet: Apple Pay, Google Pay or Link. A deposit reserves the date, and the balance is taken from the same method you used for the deposit, on a date stated before you pay. Payments are processed by Stripe in euro, and any currency conversion is set by your card provider. An invoice is issued for the service, made out to you with the billing details you gave. For a tailored request, or if you write to us first, we agree the method together, bank transfer included.
What is written down?
The terms and conditions are public, and they say what you are buying. The service is performed personally by Roberto Parato. The price in your order summary is the final price. Cancellation has stated bands, and if Roberto cancels for any reason that does not depend on you, including illness, you receive a full refund of everything you paid for that order, in money, whatever the date.
Allergies are in writing too. You tell us when you book, not on the night, and we confirm in writing what we can guarantee: in a villa kitchen we cannot rule out all cross-contamination, and we would rather tell you that in advance than reassure you and be wrong.
Five questions to ask any private chef, Roberto included
- Who exactly will cook in my kitchen, and will it be the person I am talking to?
- Who can I talk to before I pay, and how soon do they answer?
- What does the price include, and what is paid separately?
- Who buys the groceries, and how and when do I pay for them?
- What is in writing if the chef cannot come?
Common questions
Does Roberto earn a commission on wine, flowers or rentals?
No. Roberto does not sell these products or services, does not collect payments for suppliers and receives no commission or other benefit from them. Each supplier makes its own offer, invoices you and is paid by you directly.
In which language is the service?
In English and in Italian.
Who do we write to?
To Roberto, through the contact page. He reads the message himself and answers within one working day.
Who wrote this
Roberto Parato is a chef and cooking teacher. In professional kitchens since 1994, he was executive chef of the five-star Grand Hotel Continental Siena and the Park Hotel Siena. He has taught professional cookery since 2005. Today he cooks in Tuscan villas for the guests staying in them.
