“Hmmm…this tastes so good”

Those were the first words from my young daughter after her first bite of chicken pot pie. This was significant because this wasn’t just any chicken pot pie. This was the first bite of the first meal from our new personal chef courtesy of Easy Platter, a platform to book a local chef to do your in-home, weekly meal prep.

Now before clicking away thinking this is a story pushing an unrealistic lifestyle, hang on. Founded in 2019, Easy Platter is built on the idea that fresh, healthy, and delicious food prepared personally for you by professional chefs needn’t be a luxury. At $7.75 per person per meal, which includes all meal prep and cleanup, plus groceries, which you buy regardless, the cost is much lower and healthier than eating out, food delivery, or with meal-kit services like Hello Fresh.

“We founded Easy Platter after discovering there was just no easy way to eat home cooked meals affordably,” says co-founder Manny Singh. “Meal-kit companies seem unsustainable and you still have to cook and clean. Meanwhile, getting food delivered can get very expensive and you are always restricted to a menu.  

The Easy Platter process is simple. The first step is to go to EasyPlatter.com to book your personal chef and decide how many meals you want. I am in a family of five (two adults and three children) so I decided on three meals, selecting Shepherd’s Pie, the aforementioned Chicken Pot Pie, and Pad Thai. The Easy Platter site includes recipes from which I took these three but the chefs at Easy Platter can work with any recipe you have whether it is from some new aged diet to your great grandmother’s baked beans. 

Once the meals were submitted, along with other info like my address, preference for day and time and any food allergies in our home, I was promptly sent a list of ingredients needed for my meals. It was nice to see that many of the items were already in our fridge and cupboard. Meanwhile, we picked the other items up during our regular trip to the grocery store and when the doorbell rang at 9:30 the next morning we were all set. 

Emily getting situated in our kitchen.

Our chef’s name was Emily and after a couple of minutes getting used to our dog and a quick tour of the kitchen, she set to work and I went back to work upstairs. Aside from a couple of questions I didn’t hear from her again until she announced she was all done just over two hours later. When I came downstairs I found three wonderful looking pies – Emily had managed to turn the ingredients I had into two Shepherd’s pies instead of one – and a casserole dish full of beautifully steaming Pad Thai. 

As she was leaving for her next appointment, I thanked Emily and took the opportunity to learn more about Easy Platter and how it worked for her. She explained that being a personal chef was wonderful and works perfectly for her, saying “working so much better than a restaurant kitchen which leaves no choice but to work long hours and late nights.” She also explained how the meals get better as the chefs build a personal connection with their clients. The chefs understand  their client’s dietary preferences, their kitchen layout, resulting in tailored meals just for their customers. As a result, this means  efficient use of groceries, reduced grocery invoices and less food waste. 

“We support local chefs and help them choose a lifestyle that works best for them,” explains Singh. “And by having a personal chef, you can get them to make anything you want. Whether you are trying to feed a family healthy meals, lose weight, or gain muscle, you can personalize a menu for your needs. It is a win-win for everyone.”

No leftovers here.

To learn more or to start eating better, visit www.easyplatter.com today.

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