Chefs To Book For Corporate Events: Nine To Know
Nine chefs to book for corporate events, from Tom Kerridge to Rudolph van Veen, with fees, formats and what each one suits. Get a shortlist today.
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Booking a chef for a corporate event covers more ground than most organisers expect. A chef can run a live demonstration at a client dinner, take the keynote slot on creativity or standards, host an awards night in the hospitality sector, or lead a team cookery session at an offsite.
What you are actually buying differs by name. Some are broadcasters who cook, some are business operators who happen to hold Michelin stars, and a few give a genuine leadership talk with food as the vehicle. The nine below are all on the PepTalk roster, with what each one is best used for.
What can a chef actually do at a corporate event?
Four formats cover most bookings. A live cookery demonstration works on a stage with the right kit and a camera feed. A keynote uses the kitchen as a way into creativity, pressure or standards. Hosting suits hospitality and food industry awards, where the audience knows the name. Team cookery sessions work for offsites and need a venue with a working kitchen.
The practical questions are the same every time. Does the venue have the equipment, or is the chef bringing it? Are you feeding the room or demonstrating to it? Is the fee for an appearance, or for a session that has been built around your business? Settle those before shortlisting, because they change who is suitable more than the cuisine does.
Tom Kerridge
Book Tom for
A live demonstration at a client event, from the most recognisable chef on the list.
Tom Kerridge works with corporate audiences on food demonstrations and culinary expertise, drawn from his Michelin-starred gastropub and a long run of television. Recognition is the practical advantage: his name fills a room without further explanation on the invitation.
He also founded the Pub in the Park festival, so he understands events from the organiser's side as well as the stage. He sits in the £26,000 to £50,000 band, which puts him at the top of this list alongside Michel Roux Jr and Ainsley Harriott.
Learn more and book Tom Kerridge →
Marcus Wareing
Book Marcus for
A leadership keynote where the kitchen is the case study, not the theme.
Marcus Wareing is the one on this list who works most directly on leadership, mentoring and innovation. Running a Michelin-starred kitchen is a management problem before it is a cooking one, and that is the material he brings to a corporate audience.
He is Tatler's Restaurateur of the Year and GQ's Chef of the Year, a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals and the author of nine recipe books. For a leadership offsite that wants something other than a sports analogy, he's the strongest fit here. £11,000 to £25,000.
Learn more and book Marcus Wareing →
Yotam Ottolenghi
Book Yotam for
A session on creative thinking and cultural collaboration.
Yotam Ottolenghi works with organisations on creative thinking and cultural collaboration, drawing on ten bestselling cookbooks and his London restaurants. The subject is how ideas travel between cultures and what happens when they meet, which reaches well past food.
He changed how a generation of British home cooks buys ingredients, which is a useful thing to have in the room for an audience thinking about changing customer behaviour. £11,000 to £25,000.
Learn more and book Yotam Ottolenghi →
Six more chefs to book for corporate events
These six cover classical French technique, television hosting, fusion cuisine and the European market.
Michel Roux Jr
Two Michelin stars at Le Gavroche across decades, and a mentor to a long line of British chefs. He speaks on gastronomic standards, developing talent and classical technique, which suits a hospitality audience or an event about craft and consistency. £26,000 to £50,000.
Learn more and book Michel Roux Jr →
Ainsley Harriott MBE
The creator of Ready, Steady, Cook and the most naturally comfortable presenter here. Book him for an entertaining demonstration where the performance matters as much as the food, particularly a large room that needs energy. £26,000 to £50,000.
Learn more and book Ainsley Harriott →
Monica Galetti
Michelin-trained, a MasterChef: The Professionals judge and a restaurant leader known for fusion cuisine. She works on developing culinary talent and elevating food experiences, so she fits an event about building teams rather than only cooking. £11,000 to £25,000.
Learn more and book Monica Galetti →
Rudolph van Veen
The first Dutch chef to hold both Master Chef and Master Patissier titles, co-founder of the 24Kitchen network and voted the Netherlands' most popular TV chef. He builds sessions around creativity, teamwork and customer experience, and he's the obvious choice for an event in Amsterdam or anywhere in the Benelux. €6,000 to €10,000.
Learn more and book Rudolph van Veen →
Rachel Khoo
Author of The Little Paris Kitchen, a television regular and a podcast host, working on creative interpretations of French cooking. Storytelling is her strength rather than spectacle, which suits a seated dinner or an intimate client event. Fees on enquiry.
Learn more and book Rachel Khoo →
Matt Tebbutt
Host of BBC's Saturday Kitchen and a MasterChef: The Professionals judge, working on modern British cuisine, sustainability and food broadcasting. Live television every week makes him a safe pick when the format involves an unscripted segment. Fees on enquiry.
Learn more and book Matt Tebbutt →How much does it cost to book a chef for an event?
The range here runs from €6,000 to £50,000. Rudolph van Veen sits at €6,000 to €10,000. Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Yotam Ottolenghi sit at £11,000 to £25,000. Tom Kerridge, Michel Roux Jr and Ainsley Harriott sit at £26,000 to £50,000. Rachel Khoo and Matt Tebbutt are priced on enquiry.
Format moves the fee as much as profile. A live demonstration costs more than a keynote because it involves equipment, ingredients, a team and setup time. A session built around your business, rather than a standard talk, is priced higher again. Ask for the fee against your specific format rather than a headline number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the venue need a working kitchen for a chef?
The venue only needs a working kitchen for a team cookery session or a demonstration involving real cooking. A keynote or an on-stage interview needs nothing beyond a normal stage. Confirm which you're booking early, because it changes the venue requirement completely.
Can a chef host an awards ceremony?
Yes, a chef can host an awards ceremony, particularly in hospitality, food and drink, and retail, where the audience knows the name. Ainsley Harriott and Matt Tebbutt both come from live presenting backgrounds, which is the skill that matters for hosting.
Will a chef cook for our guests?
A chef will sometimes cook for your guests, but it's a separate booking from a speaking appearance and usually involves their team, a menu agreement and a much longer lead time. Most corporate chef bookings are a demonstration or a talk.
How far in advance should we book a chef for a corporate event?
Book a well-known chef for a corporate event six to twelve months in advance. Restaurant service, filming schedules and book tours all compete for the same dates, and chefs have less flexibility than most speakers.
If the brief is sustainability rather than spectacle, our guide to sustainable food speakers covers the zero-waste and plant-based end of the roster.
Tell us the venue, the format and whether anyone will be eating, and we'll come back with chefs who fit. Tell us about your event.
How they compare
Every chef below works with corporate audiences. Where they differ is the format they are strongest in, and that is what your venue and your agenda decide.
| Speaker | Core topic | On stage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Kerridge | Culinary demonstration, food business | Warm, familiar, crowd-pleasing | Client events wanting the most recognisable name |
| Marcus Wareing | Leadership, mentoring, innovation | Exacting, candid, considered | Leadership offsites wanting a non-sporting case study |
| Yotam Ottolenghi | Creativity, cultural collaboration | Thoughtful, generous, understated | Teams working on creative thinking or changing habits |
| Michel Roux Jr | Standards, classical technique, mentoring | Precise, authoritative, traditional | Hospitality audiences and events about craft |
| Ainsley Harriott MBE | Cookery demonstration, entertainment | Energetic, funny, natural presenter | Large rooms where the performance carries the slot |
| Monica Galetti | Culinary talent, fusion cuisine | Composed, exacting, encouraging | Events about building and developing teams |
| Rudolph van Veen | Creativity, teamwork, customer experience | Dynamic, broadcast-fluent, engaging | Events in Amsterdam and across the Benelux |
| Rachel Khoo | French cooking, food storytelling | Personable, narrative, unhurried | Seated dinners and smaller client events |
| Matt Tebbutt | Modern British food, broadcasting | Relaxed, live-ready, quick | Formats with an unscripted or interview segment |
Not sure which way to go? Tell us about your event and we'll match the chef to the format.
Lily Willen
Read more from Lily Willen
Lily Willen is a Senior Client Partner at PepTalk and the company’s first US hire, leading growth across the Americas. With 8+ years in client-facing and commercial operations roles across expert networks and consulting, she partners with senior leaders to scope complex needs and deliver high-impact solutions. Her experience spans account growth, strategic programme design, and building teams and playbooks in fast-growing global organisations. She holds a BSc in Management from Tulane University and is based in New York.
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