Freya Gascoigne chatted to Jojo Kelly, founder of Nomad Cooks, whose chefs are part of the wider freelance revolution
When Jojo Kelly was working as a private chef in the Algarve, he noticed that there was room for improvement. Poor organisation, unfair pay, and a lack of personal service inspired him to start his own agency. Nomad Cooks allows you to book a private chef to serve a dinner party in the comfort of your own home. Jojo understands the need for personable, transparent service. Clients can see reviews and photos of each chef’s unique menus – from sample menus to full course meals – and select according to their tastes. Having recently graduated from Durham University, Jojo is now ready to launch himself into Nomad Cooks full-time. We talked to Jojo about the journey of his business, and how things have changed after Covid-19.
What was the inspiration behind Nomad Cooks?
A horrible boss! Two years ago during my university holidays, I was working for a private chef agency in the Algarve with a group of private chefs living in one big villa. During the days we would drive off and cook in the houses of premier league football stars and millionaires’ villas.
It really could have been a dream job except, as workers, we were experiencing three main issues. 1) The organisation was all over the place; we were often sent to the wrong villas at the wrong times. 2) We had no control over our pay; we were paid less than minimum wage and basically had to drive our boss to the bank to make him get the cash out for us. 3) Our customers had no idea who they had booked until we were knocking on their door.
Of course, it wasn’t all bad. I had lots of time to lie in the sun and think about the problems we were experiencing. I was reading a lot about the ‘gig-economy’ and freelance revolution and I thought: Why had this not happened for chefs?
I got in touch with all the chefs I knew from working in Portugal and also my ski season and I made them profiles online using an easy website builder. This included a menu of five dishes for each course which they could price themselves. I then established a job board and allowed chefs to apply to bookings which we received through the website. This solved the issues I had experienced in Portugal: 1) Chefs could manage their own time and only apply to jobs they wanted to do. 2) Chefs set the price of their own menu and get paid 100% of it (we charge a 10% service fee to the customer). 3) Most importantly there is now transparency between customers and personal chefs. Before, you have no idea who was cooking for you. Now, you can read their reviews and even see pictures of the delicious food they have cooked.
You’ve got some great testimonials on your website. What makes Nomad Cooks unique?
Well, I’d love to say it’s our slick website and cool branding but to be honest the credit lies with the chefs, or Nomads as we call them. I have been so impressed as each one has produced a sensational menu. It is particularly frustrating when I have to review them before lunch!
What we get the most credit for is bringing together talented London based caterers who have struggled to achieve enough visibility to be able to support themselves. They can now use our platform to market their skills. This lets them focus on what they’re great at – the cooking.
Oh and also the price. Because we do not charge the chefs any commission, this allows our prices to be far lower than any other service you will find online. The average price for a three-course meal in your house by one of our professional chefs is £25 per person; we think that’s pretty unique.
How has COVID-19 affected the business?
When I told my parents I was leaving university and launching Nomad Cook full-time this summer, they thought I was crazy. “Dinner parties and pandemics don’t fit”. Of course, they’re right.
However, as the lockdown measures ease we are finding that our offering is becoming more and more necessary for the hospitality industry. We are giving your local furloughed and unemployed chefs a chance to get back in the kitchen and create a unique dining experience.
We also think that what we offer is great for young families. Doing a fair portion of the cooking at home during lockdown, I can safely say that I have had enough and need a break! Nomad Cooks lets busy parents, who cannot risk going out to restaurants with young ones, enjoy the restaurant experience in the comfort and safety of their own home.
With advice and guidance, we created a Covid-19 policy and have ensured each chef understands exactly what is expected.
What has been the most rewarding thing about starting your own business? Especially at such a young age.
The support from my friends and family. It feels amazing to have so much advice and offers to help, I have been blown away by their supportive response on social media.
What are your plans for the future?
Our mission is to make entertaining easy. We are going to create a procured community of friendly, professionally private chefs. We aim to let you book browse and book a Nomad just like you would book an Airbnb.
We are also excited to be announcing soon a partnership with One Feeds Two. For every place at the table laid by a Nomad, we are now going to donate a school meal to a child living in poverty.
If you are having a dinner party at home to mark a special occassion or just simply want a break from the kitchen then visit our website at www.nomadcooks.co.uk and view our wonderful Nomads. Even better, since you have read the whole interview you can use the discount code “DARLING2020” at the checkout for 10% off!
Over 300 hungry guests have been fed. They’ve not only said that the food was delicious, that the chef service was fantastic, and that having a private chef at home saved them travel costs to restaurants, but that they’d highly recommend. Nomad Cooks’ passion for cooking shines through their services.
Instagram: @nomadcooks.london
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