Zoetermeer Tom has a special profession. He works as a chef at home. People hire him for luxurious dinners, parties and other special moments. His profession takes Tom to all kinds of places!
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Tom grew up in Drenthe and has been living in Zoetermeer for nine years now. In the meantime he has seen a lot of the world. He worked in America, London and Dubai, among others. We wanted to know more about his company Taste of Moments.
Entered the catering industry
Cooking is an important part of Tom’s life, but it wasn’t always that way. Before becoming a chef, Tom completed administrative training. During this study he had to do an internship and that is how he ended up behind the bar. “I chose to do an internship in a café where I already knew people. That’s how I initially got into the catering industry. I immediately really liked it.” Tom therefore decides to register at the Lage Hotelschool, but this course was disappointing. “I quit after three quarters of a year, the training was too difficult. However, I really enjoyed working in the kitchen,” says Tom. A new passion was born and Tom is training to become an independent chef.
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Out into the world
When Tom is 21 years old and has completed his education, he decides to go out into the world. “I wanted to explore abroad. Through an exchange agency with contacts in Orlando, I found work there and left for America.” Tom looks back on his years in the American catering industry very positively. “My colleagues were very nice and amicable. Orlando is a Disney area, everything revolves around entertainment. So I partied a lot during those years.”
English and French
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In America, Tom gets into a relationship with a colleague. The couple eventually decides to move back to Europe and settle in London. “English was a language we both spoke, so Britain was a natural choice for us,” says Tom. He gets to work with a good British chef from whom he learns a lot. Tom also agrees with the British working mentality, but when he later ends up in a French company, Tom notices a cultural difference. “There was quite a bit of rivalry in the kitchen.”
I can cook in any kitchen
Cooking at home
Tom no longer works in the kitchen of a restaurant, but has his own business where he visits people’s homes. Tom can be hired as a chef for private dinners, parties and other special occasions. “I really enjoy cooking at people’s homes. Because I am usually hired for festive occasions, there is almost always a cheerful mood. I also experience many special moments. I have already witnessed three proposals during working hours!”
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Thawed quickly
Of course, this way of working also demands a lot from Tom. “I always work in a different place and for people I don’t know. Usually it takes some time to get used to a strange person in the kitchen. Fortunately, I’m quite down-to-earth and I like a joke, which helps to defrost things,” says Tom. The type of kitchen in which Tom has to cook does not matter to him either. “I know most people don’t have a restaurant kitchen at home, it would be crazy to expect that. I can now cook in any kitchen. I already do a large part of the preparations at home, I only have to finish the dinner on the spot.”
A very special dinner
Tom recently had the opportunity to provide a very special dinner. “Normally I mainly attend festive occasions, but recently I was allowed to cook in a hospice. A patient there wanted to have dinner with loved ones one more time. I was allowed to cook and provide this dinner. It was a very special evening, full of moving and intimate moments. That dinner will stay with me for a long time.”
The new dining out
As far as Tom is concerned, he will not be switching to working in a restaurant anytime soon. “The way of dining that I offer is also becoming more and more common. Nowadays people regularly hire me for a nice dinner with friends, as they would normally have in a restaurant. When you share the costs with a group, a chef at home does not have to be more expensive than a dinner in a restaurant,” says Tom. In addition to his culinary dinners, Tom also provides more accessible catering such as buffets or his specialty paella. “One day I am in a country house, the next day at a holiday park. That variety makes it extra fun!”