Every chef who creates meals for HomeCooks brings their own background, training, and passion. But certain principles unite them. These aren't marketing slogans - they're the genuine beliefs that shape how our food is made.
Real Food, Honestly Made
Our chefs share a common frustration with the modern food industry: too much of what's sold as "food" barely resembles actual cooking. Reconstituted proteins, artificial flavours, and ingredients you can't pronounce.
"When I create a dish, I want someone to taste it and think 'this is proper food.' Not something assembled in a factory. Real ingredients, cooked the way you would at home - just with the skills and time that most people don't have."
This means using whole ingredients, traditional cooking techniques, and recipes that would make sense in any home kitchen - just executed at a higher level.
The Principles Our Chefs Share
Ingredients First
Good cooking starts with good ingredients. Our chefs prioritise quality over cost-cutting. If a dish needs real butter, it gets real butter. If it needs fresh herbs, they're fresh. This isn't luxury - it's how food is supposed to be made.
Technique Matters
The difference between a home-cooked meal and a chef's meal is often technique - proper browning, correct seasoning, understanding of heat and timing. Our chefs bring professional skills to everyday food, elevating simple dishes without over-complicating them.
Nutrition Without Sacrifice
Healthy food shouldn't taste like health food. Our chefs believe deeply satisfying meals can also be nutritionally sound. High protein doesn't mean bland chicken breast. Lower calorie doesn't mean tiny portions of sad salad.
Cultural Authenticity
Each chef brings their culinary heritage. When Chef Verna makes Chinese food, it's based on family traditions and regional knowledge. When Chef Gigi creates Mediterranean dishes, it's from lived experience. Authenticity isn't a buzzword - it's respect for food cultures.
"I grew up watching my grandmother cook. She never measured anything, but every dish was perfect because she understood her ingredients. I try to bring that intuition to everything I make - that sense that someone who loves food made this for you."
What This Means for Your Food
These principles translate into practical differences you can taste:
- Recognisable ingredients - Open a container and see actual food, not mystery protein
- Proper seasoning - Flavour that doesn't rely on excessive salt or sugar
- Texture and variety - Different components, not homogeneous mush
- Honest portions - Meals sized to actually satisfy, not disappoint
- Balanced nutrition - Protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates in sensible proportions
The Difference Between Chefs and Factories
Factory food optimises for shelf life, cost, and consistency at scale. Chef-made food optimises for taste, nutrition, and the experience of eating. They're fundamentally different goals that produce fundamentally different food.
Our Chefs
HomeCooks works with over 30 independent chefs, each bringing unique expertise. From Mediterranean cuisine to Chinese regional dishes, British comfort food to pan-Asian flavours - our chefs represent diverse culinary traditions united by common standards.
Every chef maintains their own kitchen, their own recipes, and their own quality control. They're not employees following factory recipes - they're independent professionals creating food they're proud of.
Meet all our chefs →