Dietary Restrictions & Private Chefs: What We Can (and Can't) Do

One of the most common questions I get: "Can you accommodate [insert dietary restriction]?" The short answer is usually yes. The longer answer? It depends on what you mean by "accommodate."

After 20+ years cooking professionally—from MICHELIN-selected restaurants to private villas—I've prepared meals for every dietary requirement imaginable. Some are straightforward. Some require creativity. A few are genuinely impossible in a home kitchen.

Here's the honest breakdown of what private chefs can do, what has limitations, and how to communicate your needs so your event runs smoothly.

The Easy Accommodations

These dietary needs are standard practice for any experienced private chef. No extra charge, no drama, no compromises on quality:

Vegetarian

Dead simple. I can design an entire multi-course vegetarian menu that rivals any meat-based tasting experience. Roasted beets with burrata and pistachio dust. Mushroom risotto with truffle oil. Charred cauliflower with tahini and pomegranate.

What works: Full vegetarian menus or mixed groups (vegetarian + omnivore dishes).
Cost impact: None. Sometimes cheaper due to ingredient costs.
Advance notice: Mention it at booking; no special lead time needed.

Pescatarian

Even easier in Lisbon. We're spoiled with access to incredible seafood—sea bass, octopus, prawns, scallops, turbot. I'll often suggest pescatarian options regardless because the quality is that good.

What works: Seafood-focused menus, mixed with vegetarian courses.
Cost impact: None, or slightly higher if using premium fish (turbot, wild bass).
Advance notice: None needed beyond initial booking conversation.

No Dairy / Lactose Intolerance

Manageable with minimal menu adjustments. Instead of cream-based sauces, I use coconut cream, cashew cream, or olive oil emulsions. Most guests can't tell the difference.

What works: Butter → olive oil; cream → coconut/cashew alternatives; cheese → nutritional yeast or skip it.
Cost impact: Usually none. Specialty vegan cheese may add 5-10%.
Advance notice: Mention at booking so I can source alternatives.

Gluten-Free

Straightforward if you're avoiding gluten for preference or mild sensitivity. I design menus around naturally gluten-free ingredients (proteins, vegetables, rice, potatoes) rather than relying on substitutes.

What works: Most of my menus are already 80% gluten-free. Bread courses get swapped for something else.
Limitations: Home kitchens aren't certified gluten-free facilities. If you have celiac disease requiring zero cross-contamination, read the "Hard Limitations" section below.
Cost impact: None for naturally GF menus. Specialty GF flour/pasta may add 5%.
Advance notice: Let me know at booking.

The Moderately Complex Accommodations

These require more planning, specialty ingredients, or menu redesigns—but are absolutely doable with the right notice:

Vegan

Plant-based cooking has come a long way. I can create vegan menus that feel luxurious and satisfying, not like you're missing out.

Recent example: Beetroot tartare with caper and dill; charred broccolini with almond romesco; coconut panna cotta with passionfruit. Zero animal products, full flavor.

What works: Full vegan menus or mixed groups (separate vegan versions of each course).
Challenges: Sourcing specialty vegan products (cashew mozzarella, aquafaba meringue) in Lisbon requires advance planning.
Cost impact: 10-15% premium for specialty ingredients and extra prep time.
Advance notice: Minimum 2 weeks for specialty sourcing.

Nut Allergies

Common and manageable. I eliminate all nuts from the menu and use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or breadcrumbs as textural alternatives.

What I do: Check every ingredient label. No nut oils, no almond flour, no pesto (uses pine nuts). Separate cutting boards and utensils.
Limitations: If the allergy is life-threatening (anaphylaxis risk), I need confirmation your kitchen is nut-free. I can't guarantee zero trace contamination if nuts are present in your pantry.
Cost impact: None, unless specialty nut-free substitutes are needed.
Advance notice: Mention severity at booking.

Shellfish Allergies

Similar to nuts. I simply avoid shellfish and any cross-contact risk (separate cutting boards, no shared fish stock unless verified shellfish-free).

What works: Substituting fish for shellfish dishes, or creating entirely shellfish-free menus.
Limitations: Same as nut allergies—if it's life-threatening, I need a controlled environment.
Cost impact: None.
Advance notice: Mention severity at booking.

Low-FODMAP

This one's tricky because the restrictions are complex and not widely understood. Low-FODMAP eliminates onions, garlic, wheat, certain fruits, legumes, and dairy.

What I do: Use garlic-infused oil (flavor without FODMAPs), swap onions for fennel or the green part of spring onions, avoid trigger ingredients.
Challenges: It's ingredient-intensive and requires careful label reading. Not every chef is familiar with FODMAP restrictions.
Cost impact: 10% premium for extra planning and specialty sourcing.
Advance notice: Minimum 2 weeks. Send me a detailed list of triggers.

The Hard Limitations

These aren't impossible—but they require specialized knowledge, equipment, or environments most private chefs (myself included) don't have:

Severe Allergies (Anaphylaxis Risk)

If accidental cross-contamination could send someone to the hospital, a home kitchen isn't the right environment—even with a private chef.

Why it's difficult: I can control my ingredients and equipment, but I can't control what's in your pantry, on your counters, or in your dishwasher residue. Allergen-free catering requires a certified kitchen or a chef with specialized allergen-safe training and insurance.

What I can offer: If your home kitchen is already allergen-free (no nuts, no shellfish, etc. anywhere in the house), I can work in that environment. Otherwise, I'll refer you to a chef who specializes in allergen-safe catering.

Strict Kosher Certification

I can work within kosher dietary laws (no pork, no shellfish, no mixing meat and dairy). But certification requires rabbinical supervision, kosher-certified equipment, and ingredients from approved suppliers.

What I can offer: Kosher-style menus that follow the basic rules but aren't certified.
What I can't offer: Certified kosher meals for observant Jews who require it.
Recommendation: If certification is essential, you'll need a kosher-certified caterer or chef.

Celiac Disease (Severe Gluten Intolerance)

I mentioned gluten-free above as "easy," but celiac disease is a different beast. It requires zero cross-contamination—no shared toasters, cutting boards, or even airborne flour particles.

What I can offer: If your kitchen is already celiac-safe (dedicated GF space, no gluten products in the house), I can prepare a fully gluten-free menu.
What I can't guarantee: Celiac-safe standards in a kitchen that also contains gluten products.

Religious & Ethical Dietary Laws

Halal

I can source halal-certified meat from Muslim suppliers in Lisbon and follow halal preparation rules (no pork, no alcohol in cooking, proper slaughter methods).

What works: Halal meat + seafood + vegetarian dishes.
Advance notice: 1-2 weeks to source certified meat.
Cost impact: 5-10% due to specialist suppliers.

Hindu Vegetarian (Sattvic)

No meat, no eggs, no onion, no garlic. This is similar to low-FODMAP but with religious significance.

What I do: Use asafoetida (hing) for umami depth instead of garlic/onion. Focus on vegetables, grains, legumes, dairy.
What works: Full sattvic menus or mixed groups.
Advance notice: 1 week to plan menu and source ingredients.
Cost impact: None, sometimes cheaper.

Multiple Dietary Restrictions in One Group

This is where it gets interesting. Dinner party for 8 with one vegan, one gluten-free, one nut allergy, and one who eats everything? Welcome to my standard Tuesday.

How I handle it: Design a menu that's naturally flexible. For example:

• Course 1: Roasted vegetable salad (naturally vegan, GF, nut-free) with optional goat cheese on the side
• Course 2: Risotto base (GF) prepared three ways: wild mushroom (vegan), seafood (pescatarian), or with parmesan (vegetarian)
• Course 3: Grilled fish with herb oil (GF, pescatarian) + roasted vegetables, with coconut cream sauce option (dairy-free)
• Dessert: Coconut panna cotta (vegan, GF) with berry compote

Everyone eats together. No one feels like they're getting the "special" meal. That's the goal.

Limitations: If restrictions are too divergent (e.g., strict raw vegan + red-meat-only carnivore), it's not feasible to create a cohesive menu. At that point, I'd suggest separate events or a buffet-style setup where I prepare multiple complete dishes rather than a tasting menu.

How to Communicate Your Dietary Needs

Here's how to make this process smooth for both of us:

1. Be Specific About Severity

"I'm vegetarian" → clear.
"I can't have dairy" → is that lactose intolerance (you can have hard cheese) or full dairy allergy?
"I'm allergic to nuts" → is that "I don't like them" or "I carry an EpiPen"?

Tell me why you're avoiding something. Preference vs. intolerance vs. life-threatening allergy changes how I approach the menu.

2. Mention It Early

Don't wait until 48 hours before your event to tell me about dietary restrictions. I need time to:

• Redesign the menu if necessary
• Source specialty ingredients
• Confirm your kitchen setup works for the restrictions

Ideal notice: At booking (2-4 weeks before event).
Minimum notice: 1 week for simple accommodations, 2 weeks for complex ones.

3. Provide a Written List

For complex restrictions (multiple allergies, low-FODMAP, religious laws), send me a written list of what to avoid and what's safe. I'll reference it during shopping and prep.

4. Trust the Chef's Expertise

I've been doing this for two decades. If I say something is doable, it is. If I suggest an alternative approach or tell you something isn't feasible, trust that assessment.

Example: Client once requested a fully raw vegan menu and a traditional roast lamb for the same tasting experience. That's not a cohesive dinner—that's two separate events. I suggested separate courses or a buffet instead.

When Dietary Restrictions Affect Pricing

Most don't. But here's when they might:

• Specialty ingredients: Vegan cheese, gluten-free pasta, kosher-certified meat—these cost more than standard ingredients.
• Extra prep time: Preparing three separate versions of every course (vegan, GF, regular) takes longer.
• Complicated sourcing: If I need to visit multiple specialty suppliers instead of one market, that's additional time and travel.

Typical upcharge: 10-15% for complex accommodations. I'll quote this upfront—no surprises.

The Bottom Line

Can I accommodate your dietary restrictions? Probably yes. Will it require creativity, advance planning, and honest communication? Definitely.

The key is transparency. Tell me what you need, why you need it, and how strict the requirements are. I'll tell you what's feasible, what has limitations, and how to make it work.

After 20+ years and thousands of meals, I've learned this: Dietary restrictions don't have to mean boring food. Often, they force creativity that leads to better dishes. Some of my best menus have come from working within constraints.

So yes—bring your vegans, your gluten-free guests, your nut allergies, and your religious dietary laws. Let's figure it out together.