Private Chef on the Sunshine Coast
Fine dining trained in Canberra, cooking in Coast homes since May. I hold one or two household placements at a time, and both are taken. When the next one opens, the waitlist gets first call.
- BasedSunshine Coast, since May 2026
- Weekly placementsCurrently full
- WaitlistOpen, reviewed personally
Reclaim your time.
Elevate your table.
True luxury is not what you own. It is how your week actually runs. You finish a long day, the fridge is stocked, the kitchen is spotless, and dinner is restaurant quality and already waiting.
Whether that is a full working week or a set two or three days, my job is bigger than the food. I give you back the hours.
-
Menus built around you
Written to your palate, your dietary goals and your household's rhythm. Never a fixed menu you have to work around.
-
Hyper seasonal, locally sourced
Coast markets, specialty butchers and the producers worth driving for. What is best that week is what you eat.
-
Zero friction
I shop, I cook, I clean. You come home to it.
Ten years of fine dining, now cooking in Coast kitchens
In May 2026 I packed the knives and made the move north. After nearly a decade in Canberra's best kitchens I am now Sunshine Coast based, cooking for households between Noosa and Caloundra.
My philosophy is simple. Restaurant quality should not be restricted to restaurants. I bring the discipline of fine dining into your home and leave the formality at the door.
The Canberra years
My foundation was built in the high pressure, high standard world of Canberra fine dining. I sharpened my technique at The Boat House, Courgette, and the two hatted Aubergine. Those kitchens taught me that every detail counts, from how an ingredient is sourced to how it lands on the plate.
Then Terra, with its produce led, fire driven menu, pulled me back toward bold flavour and honest cooking. Food is meant to be eaten, not just admired.
Already a coastal cook
The Sunshine Coast is not a new language for me. I spent years cooking in the Whitsundays, at Daydream Island and Hayman Island, and came out of it with a real love for tropical produce and properly fresh seafood.
Luxury reads differently up here. It is lighter, fresher, and it should feel effortless. That suits the way I cook.
Why private, not restaurant
Before the move I spent my last stretch as private chef to a rural estate outside Canberra. I left the restaurant line because I wanted the connection with the people I feed, week after week, rather than a ticket rail.
A roast chicken on a Tuesday or a degustation on a Saturday, I handle the shop, the cook and the clean. You get the time back.
How a placement works
The consultation
Before I set foot in your kitchen we talk through your household's rhythm. Dietary requirements, keto, coeliac, plant based, the hard no ingredients, and the flavours you genuinely love.
Sourcing and prep
I handle all of the procurement. Local markets, specialty butchers, the best of what is in season. I cook in your home, then either serve it fresh or package it properly for the week ahead.
The immaculate finish
The best part of a private chef is the clean up. Kitchen spotless, fridge organised, pantry managed. The only thing I leave behind is the smell of dinner.
Eleven five star reviews
From the households I have cooked for, in Canberra and on the Coast. Weekly placements, complex dietary needs, and a kitchen left better than I found it.
Alysia“If you’re looking for a private chef who brings so much more than incredible food to your table, look no further. She comes to us every Wednesday, and it has genuinely become the highlight of our week.”
Samantha“I honestly don’t even know where to begin because five stars simply doesn’t feel like enough for how amazing she is. She deserves more than five stars.”
Kurt“Maddy is absolutely wonderful and I cannot recommend her enough. Her cooking is creative and delicious, the food she prepares is simply excellent. To top it off, she is an amazing person who loves life, she always has a smile and she has integrity and is genuine. You will not be disappointed if she is your private chef.”
Jo“I have had the pleasure of utilising Maddy’s chef experience in the home environment. I found Maddy to be very open to discussing likes and dislikes; dietary/health requirements; suggesting great options; delivery of nutritional and tasty food; and most of all she has a huge repertoire of amazing dishes. There was no rotating the same menu each week (unless that is what you want!) and she covered all options - meat/seafood/vegetarian.”
Toby“We’ve had the absolute pleasure of having Maddy cook for our family as a private chef, and I honestly can’t recommend her highly enough.
Her food is incredible — always fresh, seasonal, and made with really high-quality whole ingredients. You can genuinely taste the difference. Everything she prepares feels nourishing but still full of flavour, which is such a rare balance.”
George“Miss that cooking already Maddy. The experience and variety was exceptional from start to finish. My new lifestyle continues and thank you so much 🙏”
Lisa“I have been lucky enough to have had Maddy cook for me privately. Each meal has been beyond delicious! I am still baffled about how she can pack so much flavour into her meals, particularly her sauces. She has also cooked my seafood and steak to perfection - every time.”
Recent plates
Straight answers
Is Maddy taking new clients on the Sunshine Coast?
Not right now. She holds one or two ongoing household placements at a time and both are currently taken. A waitlist is open, and when a placement frees up she works through it in order.
What areas does she cover?
The Sunshine Coast, from Noosa down to Caloundra. That includes Sunshine Beach, Peregian Beach, Coolum Beach, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba and Buderim.
What does a private chef placement actually include?
Everything from the shopping to the washing up. Weekly menu planning built around your household, all grocery procurement, cooking in your kitchen on set service days, portioning and labelling meals for the nights in between, and leaving the kitchen and fridge in better order than she found them.
Does she cater one-off dinner parties or events?
No. Maddy only takes regular, ongoing household placements. Entertaining is covered for households she already cooks for, but she does not take standalone event or party bookings.
What does a private chef cost on the Sunshine Coast?
Private chef work is priced weekly, and the figure depends on how many service days you want, how many people are eating, and whether groceries are included. It is agreed at the consultation before anything is booked.
Can she cook for dietary requirements?
Yes, and it is a large part of the work. Coeliac and gluten free, ketogenic and low carb, plant based, nut allergies and specific health or nutrition goals are all routine. Requirements are built into the household menu rather than served as a separate meal.
What is her cooking background?
Nearly a decade in Canberra fine dining, including The Boat House, Courgette and the two hatted Aubergine, then Terra for its produce led and fire driven cooking. She also spent years cooking in the Whitsundays at Daydream Island and Hayman Island. She moved to the Sunshine Coast in May 2026.
Is a personal chef the same as a private chef?
For what Maddy does, yes. Personal chef and private chef are used interchangeably in Australia for someone who cooks in your home on an ongoing basis. The older distinction, that a private chef works for one household full time and a personal chef cooks for several, has largely fallen away. If you are searching for either on the Sunshine Coast, this is the service you are looking for.
What is the difference between a private chef and a caterer?
A caterer cooks for a one-off occasion, usually offsite and to a fixed menu. A private chef cooks in your home on an ongoing basis, learns what your household actually likes, and handles the shopping, the cooking and the cleaning as a regular part of your week.
The books are full.
The waitlist is not.
In home cheffing is high touch work, so I keep it to one or two regular households at a time. Both places are currently taken. Tell me about your household and where you are, and you go on the list. When a placement opens I work through it in order, personally.
The form takes about three minutes. It asks about your household, your diet and your kitchen, because the fit matters more than the order I get to people in.