Chef Akeeli

We hold your payment until after your event, so you never have to hand money to your chef on the night.

Your chef is paid once they have checked in at your event, uploaded their event photos and completed our post-event steps. We aim to release payment within 48 hours of the event, usually the day after, though it can occasionally take a little longer over weekends and public holidays.

So if something goes wrong, tell us before 12pm on the day after your event, local time where the event was held. Email [email protected] and, while your complaint is open, we hold the money for the affected service instead of releasing it to your chef, and we work with you and the chef to put things right. If you come to us after that deadline we will still look at it, but your chef will usually already have been paid, so it is much harder to resolve.

One important thing: payments need to stay on the platform. If you pay your chef directly, you lose our payment protection, refund handling and complaint support.

Full rules: Booking Terms, Sections 15 and 16.

Pay your own share when you book, and we’ll organize individual payment links for everyone else. We email you a link to share with your guests, so nobody has to chase the group at the end of the night.

All guest payments need to reach us at least 30 days before your event.

Because you placed the booking, you stay responsible for the full total price. Anything still unpaid 30 days before your event is charged automatically to your saved payment method, and if a guest pays their share after that, we refund you the same amount. If the balance still cannot be collected after we have been in touch, we may cancel the booking and keep what has already been paid, unless we have agreed something else with you in writing.

Split the bill is available when your event is more than 5 weeks away. If your event is sooner than that, the full total price is charged when you book.

Full rules: Booking Terms, Section 7.

Pay 20% now, and the remainder will be auto-charged to your payment method, 1 month prior to your event date. Available when your event is more than 5 weeks away.

This rarely happens. Our chefs are carefully vetted, and a confirmed booking is a commitment they have made to you.

If your chef does cancel, we will do everything we reasonably can to find you a replacement, and we will raise a new quote request for the same date with your event details already filled in. So that you can rebook straight away, we may credit everything you have paid to your yhangry wallet.

That credit is never a trap. If no replacement is agreed, or you would rather simply have your money back, email [email protected] and we will refund it to your original payment method. You can ask at any time, including for any unused balance left over after you rebook.

The same applies if your chef does not show up, or does not provide the service materially as booked. Please tell us before 12pm on the day after your event, local time where the event was held, so we can look into it quickly and find you a replacement where we can. Telling us later does not take away your right to a refund for a service we can reasonably verify was not provided, but it does limit what we can offer and how fast we can act.

One thing this does not cover: a chef turning down a change you asked for, or agreeing to it only on revised terms that you do not accept, is not a cancellation by them. Your original booking stands and your chef is still committed to it.

Full rules: Booking Terms, Section 9.

If you cancel at least 7 days (168 hours) before your event start time, you get a full refund of everything you have paid.

If you cancel later than that, we keep the full price. Your chef has already held the date, turned down other work, planned your menu and in many cases bought the ingredients, and a date canceled at short notice is very hard to fill.

You also get a full refund if:

• you cancel within 10 minutes of placing the booking;
• you asked us for a change at least 7 days before your event and it was not agreed. That window stays open until the later of 7 days before your event and 48 hours after we tell you the change was not agreed, and it closes at your event start time; or
• we send you a corrected booking confirmation that materially changes the price, date, location or start time. You then have 48 hours to cancel.

Two things worth knowing. If you move your event to a different date less than 7 days before the original start time, your money stays committed to that new date and is not refundable, no matter how far ahead the new date is. And peak days have their own policy, shown to you at the time you book: these are Christmas Day, Boxing Day (December 26), New Year’s Eve and any other day marked as peak on our site when you book. Christmas Day bookings are not refundable.

To cancel, use our website or email [email protected]. What you get back is set by the time your cancellation reaches us, so always tell us, not just your chef. And if your event fell through for a genuine reason outside your control, let us know: we can waive some or all of the cancellation fee at our discretion, and we may ask for supporting evidence.

Full rules: Booking Terms, Section 9.

Yes our chefs can bring waiters, although this might be at an extra cost depending on your booking size. Please mention wanting a waiter in the comments section or message your chef about it. The sooner you ask the better.

Your chef will usually arrive a couple of hours before the serving time to prepare, though it’s always best to confirm the exact time directly with them, as it can vary depending on the menu and number of diners.

Speak to your chef to confirm dietary requirements. Our chefs are professionals and will adapt their menu where possible or provide an alternate option.

No, unless otherwise specified, you will need to provide basic equipment and enough cutlery & crockery for all of your guests (plates, forks, spoons, serving platter, etc.). The chef will arrive with the groceries and use your kitchen equipment and facilities.