When the pandemic shuttered restaurants and reshaped the way we gathered, Hala Sayess found herself at a crossroads – pregnant and asking what came next. With years of experience in hospitality and luxury publishing behind her, she returned to the kitchen and rediscovered her love for food, inspired by childhood memories of her mother’s elegant, ingredient-led dinner parties.
As she cooked, she also reflected on the chefs she'd worked with over the years – many of them incredibly talented, but struggling to find profitable, flexible work in a post-Covid world. The traditional systems for hiring private chefs felt broken: impersonal, overpriced, and rarely tailored to either chef or diner.
So she created Cheffie – a platform designed to put power back in the hands of chefs, letting them set their own rates, choose their clients, and cook on their own terms. What began as a moment of personal crisis became the catalyst for a business built on respect, transparency and the simple joy of a great meal shared at home.
Chef Eugenia Gerard Colville
Foodism: You’ve mentioned that the idea for Cheffie was born during the pandemic and inspired by memories of your mother's dinner parties. Can you tell us the story of that watershed moment and what drove you to turn vision into reality?
Hala Sayess: It was Covid. My husband and I had some restaurants in the city, so I'd had some experience with working with chefs and the whole operational side of running a restaurant, which is tough in itself to keep afloat. Then Covid hit and obviously everything went from everything to nothing. And I think when you're in that situation, you don't want to let people down – especially when you have a restaurant, you have staff and the chef, and there are so many components to manage and keep that business going. The last thing you want to do is let people go. It was such an unprecedented circumstance – none of us could have predicted it. You try and try and then eventually you have to accept defeat. And because we were operational in the city, we knew it was never going to be what it was again. So, not to tell it too much like a story, but I was heavily pregnant, going, “What the hell are we going to do?”
I just thought, well, one thing I’ve definitely started doing more again is cooking and appreciating food. And my mum came to mind – she's been the best cook since I was a kid. I was lucky to have a mother who really knew how to cook the best ingredients – vegetables, meat, all that kind of stuff – and she would create these beautiful tables. And I just thought, why isn’t this kind of food easily accessible?
Because I’ve met so many amazing chefs along the way, and you don’t have to be a Michelin-starred or celebrity chef to be great. But it’s very difficult to access them. Generally, it would be word of mouth – a friend might recommend somebody, but their taste might be different to yours. So their opinion of a chef might not match what you're looking for.
For recruitment agencies, it's not a priority to match the best chef for each customer. They will send whoever is available and add a sizable margin on it and that's not necessarily meeting the client's needs. I just thought there was a massive gap. There’s so much talent out there – and especially after what Covid did to the world. The hospitality and entertainment sectors were hugely hit. I thought, why don’t we give these chefs a platform where they can make their own rules? Where they can be leaders of their destiny – decide where they want to cook, when, how much to charge – and at the same time, have some structure and safety. These would be chefs who’ve gone through rigorous training, passed exams, and proven themselves. I wanted to give them a safe space to work from.
So that’s kind of what happened. I just thought, I want to make something. I want to do this. So I started.
"The whole point is: the chef decides"
F: And how did your experiences in hospitality and luxury publishing shape the way that you built Cheffie and the values behind it?
HS: I think there are two sides. From the luxury publishing side, I certainly learned how to deal with people and how to speak to people at all levels. I truly understood that the way you deal with people is so important. From the hospitality side, I saw what chefs go through – how much time and prep it takes. People often overlook this. They’ll say, “£30 for a chef is fine,” and expect them to do everything. But if you go to Pret A Manger these days, you’re spending £20. So there’s a huge disconnect.
F: Yeah. So Cheffie lets chefs create their own menus, set their own prices, and manage their schedules. How do you think this model benefits the chefs using your app, and what do diners gain from this direct chef-to-foodie connection?
HS: From the chef’s perspective, they get to build their brand in a safe space. Every chef who comes onto the platform is vetted – it’s a level playing field. It only takes one bad experience to ruin it for everyone, so we’re very careful.
When they join, we’re very clear – if they want help, suggestions, or guidance, we’re happy to offer it. But we don’t tell them what to do. We’ll never say, “Your price point should be this,” or “You need to change that.” We can suggest things from experience, but ultimately, it’s their decision.
The whole point is: the chef decides. Even when a customer books them, the chef has to accept the booking. It’s their ultimate decision. If it works for them, great. If not, it doesn’t go ahead.
Hala Sayess
F: Nice. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in transitioning from traditional restaurants to a food tech startup?
HS: The tech. Tech is the hardest part. Anyone who wants to create an app, especially one that hasn’t been done before, will find it challenging. For me, it was a real learning curve. I'm very good at visualising how things should go, but the mechanics of coding are something you really need to learn. It’s a very intricate thing. You’ve got front and back end and all these different components that go into bringing that design to life – things you wouldn’t even think of.
That was the most challenging part. Where I anticipated it would be challenging was actually easier, like when we were reaching out to chefs at the beginning and talking to them about Cheffie. The feedback was so positive. I didn’t realise how much it felt like chefs wanted someone in their corner. They loved the fact that we weren’t saying, “Yeah, you make the decisions,” while actually using their lack of work as a way to exploit them. No. This is truly about real foodies who appreciate chefs and what they create. They’re artists in their own right, but being an artist doesn’t necessarily mean you’re also a businessperson. And that can be taken advantage of. I wanted them to be in a place where they could just focus on what they do, without worrying about all the other components that come with it.
F: Just to circle back to the app really quickly – from the technology behind it to the idea of virtual restaurants where chefs can operate beyond the confines of a bricks-and-mortar kitchen – what are some of the innovative features or approaches that Cheffie is using to redefine the dining experience?
HS: If I put my customer hat on, we live in a world now where we are impatient and we want things to be quick and easy. I wanted to create an app that got to the point – that was easy to use, where I understood what it is and how it works. At the beginning, you want to do everything, but when you’re a startup, it’s very difficult. You’re trying to do everything for nothing, basically. So I wanted to create something that was simple, clear, and ultimately gives people a great experience. That’s still what I’m hoping to do, and improve on.
F: Do you have a favourite story or piece of feedback from a chef or diner using the platform that made you think, “Yes – this is exactly why I started the company?”
HS: Yes. One of our brand ambassadors, Nickolas, came onto Cheffie after being on MasterChef. He didn’t win; like many chefs in that position, he didn’t know where to go next. They all want that five minutes of fame, hoping it’ll open doors, but it doesn’t always.He’s a Latin chef and he’s so passionate about teaching people Latin cuisine and sharing that experience, but he didn’t know how to reach people. He was working crazy hours in restaurants, seven days a week. He’s got a wife and a kid he was barely seeing. He’d faced so many obstacles. When he joined Cheffie, he said he felt relieved, like he was finally being appreciated.
He was introduced to a new world of customers, people in nice and safe environments, and he could finally focus on his craft. Instead of being in the back of a kitchen cooking someone else’s vision, he could cook what he loved, set his own prices, and share his culture. That, for me, is what it’s all about. Chefs need that support.
Cheffie chefs in action
F: What excites you the most about bringing Cheffie to new regions like the South of France and Saudi Arabia? And how are you thinking about adapting the experience to different cultures and cuisines as you grow?
HS: Chefs are everywhere, but many of them struggle to be mobile and reach foodies. In the summer, especially, there's a gap: London gets quiet, and there's this seasonal circuit across places like Mykonos, St Tropez and Marbella. That’s a big opportunity for chefs but requires planning, money, and reliable customers. I wanted the platform to help chefs go to those regions and connect with food lovers already there. Plus, customers travelling from the UK could update their location and use Cheffie abroad.
We also work with yacht and concierge companies. They come to us for chef bookings, and that gives our chefs more opportunities. Some of our chefs have yacht licences too, so getting placed without going through agencies is easier and quicker. If the yachts are moored, any vetted chef can go on and cook. It’s a great opportunity.
In the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), the culture is very much about hosting in the home. That’s your domain – inviting someone in is a real compliment. And people there are very food-focused, very health-aware. Chefs sourcing quality ingredients – the right cut from the butcher, fresh vegetables from the market – that care translates to the plate. You can taste the difference.
"My kids are my champagne"
F: How did you celebrate founding the company?
HS: Honestly? My daughter was my celebration. Kids give you serious motivation. You’re exhausted, you haven’t slept – and then you look at their face and say, “Right. Got to keep going.” Hitting bottom is the best motivation, because there’s no choice. You’ve brought someone into the world – you can’t fail.
I didn’t open a bottle of champagne. I just did what I had to do. My kids are my champagne.
F: Do you have any favourite restaurants in London?
HS: I do. I love food, so it’s hard to pick. I love Ishbilia – it’s a Lebanese restaurant, with very good Arabic food. I also love Gymkhana, Imperial China.
F: I think your tastes get simpler after having kids. There’s rarely time for tasting menus, you just want something connected to the producer and the land.
HS: Exactly. Relaxed atmosphere, good meal – that’s what I care about most. If I have to run back to the kids, I want it to be quick. If I have the luxury of enjoying the meal, then we can go a little nicer. But it’s never about fancy, just good food.
F: Anything else that you’d like to add?
HS: Just that honesty is the best policy. I love what I do and I hope to create something that makes an impact. I don’t want to say “female founder” or any of that. I just want to do something that changes things for the better.
F: Platforming people, giving them the space…
HS: Exactly. I think we’re moving in a direction where people really care – about themselves, about what they eat. Covid scared us into taking our health seriously and appreciating experiences. I love going out to dinner, but I also love dinner at home with friends and family. You relax more, you open up more. That’s the heart of it.
