Last Updated on 10 months by Anoob P T
In this post, we are going to look at Shef Reviews, Pros, Cons, Requirements & How to Make Money on Shef.
Shef is an online platform for people who are passionate about cooking and want to make some extra income through their cooking skills.
Shef provides a platform for people interested in cooking to monetize their skills and for people interested in buying high quality, authentic home-made dishes.
Shef Reviews, Pros, Cons, Requirements & How to Make Money on Shef
Table of Contents
What is Shef?
Shef is an online platform for people who are passionate about cooking or owning a food businesses.
Shef provides such individuals an opportunity to earn some money through the platform.
Shef also provides access to wholesome, homemade and affordable meals to people. Shefs focuses on being authentic.
The platform first started with the goal to help immigrants and refugees in difficult times.
Shef was started by Alvin Salehi who was a former White House Technology Advisor under President Obama and founder of Code.gov and Joey Grassia who was a former Facebook employee and he also also started two food startups before Shef.
Shef was founded in 2019 and the founders say that the platform was inspired by their parents who themselves were immigrants and struggled to make a living.
The platform is available in many states across the United States including San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Houston, Austin and Boston.
Official website of Shef: https://shef.com/
Shef definition
Though Shef company is now gaining in popularity, the word Shef is French way of pronouncing chef and the company Shef is a play on word for the English word “Chef”.
Shef Afghan Refugees Program
The founders originally started Shef to help refugees and immigrants during times.
The platform acts a tribute to their parents who once struggled as immigrants and had to rebuild their lives from scratch to settle in a new country.
Shef has opened the platform for Afghan refugees who are trying to resettle in America.
The platform will waive the fee for being a cook on Shef and will also provide additional resources and support services to help refugees have a source of income.
Shef also set aside $3500 per refugee to help them pay for cooking supplies, food safety training and marketing for the refugee’s new cooking business.
To make the process easier, Shef made a separate onboarding application process.
Shef launched a donation program in partnership with Women for Women International, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides support to female survivors of war.
The platform will help mobilize the customers to help by directly donating to the relief efforts in Afghanistan and emergency support services for refugees.
Shef also partnered with the Afghan Coalition to help donate meals directly to refugee families.
Shef Funding
Shef has raised $20 million in Series A funding for developing the platform.
Shef collects a 15% transaction fee for each order, the delivery fee is based on region and the rest of the payments and tips go to the chefs.
The funding goes towards hiring, expanding in new markets and development of the mobile app.
Shef is constantly trying to expand and increase the reach and good funding enables them to do so.
How Shef Works
Shef has two sides for the business.
One for the consumer who buys home-made food on the platform and the other, Chefs or Shefs who make this food.
How Shef Works for Customers
For the customer, you need to sign up for the platform and choose a Chef or Shef of choice.
Then, to get your food delivered, enter a valid zip code on the platform.
If Shef delivers in the area, the platform will allow the user to choose from the dozens of varieties of chefs in the neighbourhood.
Shef also provides an easy search-bar option to browse through favourable dishes which include a variety of cuisines, chefs and dishes.
When something of your liking is found, just press add to cart and build an order.
You can also specify a particular delivery day if needed.
Pay the required amount and the food will be delivered fresh and in an insulated package at your door.
How Shef Works for Shefs
To join Shef as a Chef, you need to sign up for the platform using this official link.
You will have to provide your name, Email, Zip code, Phone number and your specialization to get started.
Once you have submitted your details, you will be contacted by Shef to complete your on-boarding before you can start making money.
These are some of the benefits of joining Shef as a chef.
Shef Features
Free to Apply & Make money: You can apply to become a Shef for free and earn money after you have been approved.
Training: Get access to training and start building a food business.
Own a business: Design a menu, set prices and work according to your availability. Shef will help you with payments, logistics and customer support.
Serve customers: Shef provides marketing support to food businesses so as to increase the business’ reach across the community.
Shef Requirements
Shef requirements include a computer/phone with a good internet connection.
Additionally, you will also need a valid phone number, any licenses (food handling and business) required in the jurisdiction, agreeable to Shef’s terms and conditions and being able to pass food safety certification.
Do note: Since you will be cooking for other people, you might have to redo some dishes in case you make any mistakes.
How to Join Apply for Shef
Joining Shef is easy.
Go on Shef.com and click on “Become a Shef”.
Enter a valid phone number, agree to the terms and conditions and specify whether you’re an Afghan refugee applying for an expedited review.
Just click on “Get Started”.
After you fill all the required details, an executive from Shef will get in touch with you for further approval.
Once you get approved after passing the certification, you can start cooking and make money.
How much does Shef pay
Chefs are allowed to set their own prices for the designed menus for their communities.
This helps chefs grow their food businesses.
Shef collects a 15% transaction fee for each order, the delivery fee is based on region and the rest of the payments and tips go to the chefs.
Shef Fees
Shef collects a 15% transaction fee for each order, the delivery fee is based on region and the rest of the payments and tips go to the chefs.
The funding goes towards hiring, expanding in new markets and development of the mobile app.
Shef is constantly trying to expand and increase the reach and good funding enables them to do so.
Shef Pros
Safe and fresh food– Meals are delivered fresh and cold in insulated bags with ice packs. This allows the customer to just heat and consume the food.
Known cooks– Shefs allows chefs to sell their food in the neighbourhood and local communities which builds trust amongst people in the same area.
Vetted Chefs– Cooks go through training and rigorous certification tests to build trust and serve the best quality food possible.
Homelike feeling– As the food is created by locals it gives the feeling of home which is not always available with foods ordered from restaurants.
Shef Cons
False claims– There have been reports that customers and Shefs on the platform have made false claims regarding order or quality of food.
High Competition– As many chefs join the platform to increase their reach and Shef is restricted to a local area, more competition could mean less customers for existing Shefs.
Quality of Food: Some customers have complained that the quality of food based on the cost is not justified.
Shef Review
The platform allows both professional and amateur chefs to build a business on Shef, making the platform an ideal eco-system for food lovers and food creators.
Overall reviews about Shef suggests that the platform is good to increase reach and learn things about marketing (especially the food business).
Shef highly encourages new businesses to enroll, get trained and start building their food businesses.
Overall, Shef has a 3.5 Star rating out of 5 which means most users are satisfied but there is lot of scope for improvement.
In this section, we are also going to show you one positive and one negative review of Shef so that you get a general idea about the platform.
Shef Positive Review
You can read more Shef Reviews here
Shef negative review
You can read more Shef reviews here
Shef Customer Contact Information
Shef has an active customer support team that will resolve all your queries and concerns.
If you need any support from Shef team, you can get in touch with the customer support team via these official channels.
Shef Support Email: support@chef.com
Shef Customer Support Text: (415) 639-4535
Shef Support Widget: Support
Shef Social Media Handles
Shef is also active on most social media channels. If you want to follow Shef on social media or get in touch with someone at Shef, you can do so using these official social handles.
Is Shef Safe?
Shefs only takes in vetted and trained chefs that follow strict food safety standards and local regulations to ensure quality.
The meals are delivered fresh, cold and are packed in insulated bags with ice packs.
Shef also requires chefs to use gloves, masks and thermometers to ensure safety of food.
Shef has also raised more than $20 million in funding and therefore Shef is a safe platform for customers and people who want to join Shef to cook food.
Shef Alternatives
There are many platforms similar to Shef that can be also used by customers and people who want to join Shef as chefs.
Some of the more popular Shef alternatives include:
Frequently Asked Questions about Shef
What is the Shef?
Shef is an online platform for people interested in providing cooking services and buyers-similar to that of Airbnb.
Is Shef legal?
Yes, Shef is legal as the state of California signed AB-626 into law, making it legal to start a home-based food business in the state. Subsequently, Shef has also raised $20 Million in Venture Capital to expand business.
What cities is Shef in?
As of October 2021, Shef is available in Bay Area, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Seattle and New York and more areas are expected to be added to the list soon.
How does Shef delivery work?
Shef enables local chefs to delivery food to customers in the neighborhood.
What percentage does Shef take?
15%
How does Shef make money?
Chefs on Shef make money by selling thier cuisines at a cost and Shef the platform charges 15% of the transaction value.
How much can you make with Shef?
According to Shef website, you can possibly make $1000 per week, which seems like a lot but realistically, you can make somewhere close to $500 per week.
How do I read a Shef review?
You can go to the section of each “Shef” and read the review left by previous buyers.
Where is Shef com located?
San Francisco, CA
Why is chef pronounced Shef?
Shef is French way of pronouncing chef and the company Shef is a play on word for the English word “Chef”.
How do I advertise my home cooked meals?
You can use Shef to advertise your home cooked meals in major cities in the U.S.
How do you become a Shef?
You need to sign up using the Shef website, complete your registration and get approved before you can start using Shef.
Who started Shef?
Shef was started by Alvin Salehi (former White House Technology Advisor under President Obama and founder of Code.gov) and Joey Grassia (former Facebook employee and two-time food startup entrepreneur).
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Shef
Shef Summary
Shef is an online platform for people who are passionate about cooking and want to make some extra income through their cooking skills. Shef provides a platform for people interested in cooking to monetize thier skills and for people interested in buying high quality, authentic home-made dishes. Overall, Shef has a 3.5 Star Rating out of 5 which means most users are satisfied but the experience could be a lot better. Shef also charges 15% commission. If you are interested in starting a food business, may be you can give Shef a try and then expand to owning your own kitchen.
Overall
3.5-
Shef
Pros
- Safe and fresh food– Meals are delivered fresh and cold in insulated bags with ice packs. This allows the customer to just heat and consume the food.
- Known cooks– Shefs allows chefs to sell their food in the neighbourhood and local communities which builds trust amongst people in the same area.
- Vetted Chefs– Cooks go through training and rigorous certification tests to build trust and serve the best quality food possible.
- Homelike feeling– As the food is created by locals it gives the feeling of home which is not always available with foods ordered from restaurants.
Cons
- False claims– There have been reports that customers and Shefs on the platform have made false claims regarding order or quality of food.
- High Competition– As many chefs join the platform to increase their reach and Shef is restricted to a local area, more competition could mean less customers for existing Shefs.
- Quality of Food: Some customers have complained that the quality of food based on the cost is not justified.
