Graduate insight with Agathe Dugardin, private chef
Faire défiler la pageAgathe Dugardin, better known as Agathe Cuisine on Instagram, is a graduate of the Bachelor’s in International Hospitality & Restaurant Management. With true entrepreneurial spirit, she had the idea during her third year to diversify and combine all of her knowledge of the hotel industry with her passion for cooking. She set herself up as a private chef in parallel with her studies, and just two and a half years later, she now travels throughout France and around the world making every occasion unforgettable!
Can you tell us about your career since graduating from Institut Lyfe?
I had the opportunity to create Agathe Cuisine, my private chef business, during the 3rd year of my Bachelor’s degree in International Hospitality & Restaurant Management. I developed the business in parallel with my studies because I enjoyed cooking and it allowed me to gain experience with clients outside of the course. I created my Instagram account where I shared my daily life, my achievements, my organisation, and word of mouth did the rest.
When it came to looking for a placement in the 3rd year, I didn’t have a precise idea of what I wanted to do, and several people had asked me to do events for them over the summer. I wanted to say yes, but it seemed impossible, because I needed to be on placement during that period. I decided to make an appointment with my Talent Manager and told him about the business that I had started alongside my course. He was very open, and gave me a month to present my project with a business plan to a jury from the school, in order to decide if I could create and develop my business as the placement.
So I completed all the administrative steps to create a business, communicated via social networks and the press, promoted it, and above all cooked for lots of different occasions!
I was able to carry on with the business with no pressure because it was considered a placement, and even if I made mistakes, I’d have lost nothing, because I would have learned so much about the world of entrepreneurship.
I loved the work, I finished my studies, and it has now been two and a half years since I started out. I’m thriving and I’m very happy to have made this career choice!
Tell us about your business and your responsibilities today?
I am a personal chef in clients’ homes, and I also offer my services for events. I’m based in Toulon in the Var region, but I travel all over France and also abroad, offering seasonal, colourful and convivial cuisine.
I always find it difficult to describe my cooking, but it’s always ingredients and dishes that I love. I started cooking for my loved ones, with my grandmother and my dad: I was always taught to do things from the heart.
As regards my responsibilities, I’m in constant contact with the client and must ensure I’m available as much as possible. I handle each job from start to finish, so it goes from understanding the client’s expectations and desires, to creation of the menu, the administrative part – providing quotes, managing budgets, interaction with suppliers and other service providers, being on site during service, and customer assistance to ensure continuous improvement.
Being an entrepreneur, there is also the whole accounting part with invoicing, customer reminders, the recruitment aspect when I need support based on the assignment, work to develop Agathe Cuisine via customer lead generation, communication and research with new suppliers, etc., there are numerous roles but they are rewarding!
What do you think are the essential skills needed in your role?
The main thing is not really a skill, but you have to be passionate: it’s such a demanding job that you have to put a lot into it, but being passionate allows you to stay motivated on a daily basis.
It’s also necessary to be flexible, because each service is different: the requests and expectations of the clients are different, so you have to be creative, listen to the customer and be proactive.
Knowing how to communicate and use social media is essential: without my Instagram account, I wouldn’t have had so many opportunities!
What challenges have you encountered in your life as an entrepreneur?
The biggest challenge is knowing how to surround yourself with the right people when you start out on your own. Certain situations have taught me that this business is not always simple: an unhappy customer questioning everything, a bailiff showing up at the door because I didn’t know how to pay the social security agency, a dishonest customer not wanting to pay their bill, etc. I work alone, I think I have an amount of pressure to manage on a daily basis which is not always easy, but it also makes the experience more rewarding!
What are you most proud of today?
My greatest pride is taking part in important events in my clients’ lives: weddings, birthdays, family celebrations, and even marriage proposals. Contributing to these unique moments by bringing a personal touch to their table is what makes my job so meaningful.
I’ve also been able to seize opportunities such as cooking for the UN at the Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, competing with renowned Parisian caterers, or cooking in a private hotel for celebrities that I’ve been watching on TV since I was little!
How has Institut Lyfe enabled you to get where you are today?
Institut Lyfe gave me the essential foundations to achieve what I do today: solid technical and managerial skills, professional rigour and a creative approach to cooking.
It’s also where I understood the importance of the customer experience, which is at the heart of my job as a private chef. My training has allowed me to develop a specific approach regarding the expectations of my clients. For me today, each job is 100% personalised, created with the client and for the client.
Does your time at Institut Lyfe continue to open doors for you today?
A resounding yes! Institut Lyfe enabled me to grow and still brings me so much today. My journey at the school allowed me to acquire skills, values and tools that serve me on a daily basis! The reputation of the school inspires confidence in prospective clients, and the network of former students and partners has given me access to valuable interactions that have allowed me to develop my business.
What would you say to students who want to start up as a private chef or with a catering business?
My first piece of advice would be to prepare well and stay passionate. It is an extraordinary profession, but it’s also demanding, and requires a lot of adaptability, organisation and resilience. You have to go for it and get as much experience as possible!
I think that I’ve been able to get to this point because I said yes to every opportunity I was offered: jobs for associations with small budgets where my pay was low or even zero, events for Christmas, jobs on the other side of France or abroad … but that formed me, it allowed me to get myself known, to gain experience and generate content to promote on social media to develop my client base!
A springboard to entrepreneurship thanks to the training at Institut Lyfe
Institut Lyfe stands out for its innovative and experiential approach, combining technical education, management and a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship. The third-level Bachelor’s courses enable our students to develop key skills including project management, digital marketing and human resources, while at the same time cultivating their creativity, boldness and sense of service.
This is the background that enabled Agathe to construct her business as a private chef from her third year, thanks to the personalised support of her Talent Manager (Coach) and the tangible tools provided by the school.
The 4th year specialisation in “Restaurant and Hospitality Business Management and Entrepreneurship“, open to students on all of our Bachelor’s degrees (International Culinary Arts, Pastry, Hospitality & Restaurant Management), supports students looking to launch their own business in the gastronomy, restaurant or hospitality sectors. The course offers a complete immersion in the fundamentals of entrepreneurship as applied to the hotel and restaurant industry.
A career as a private chef: an exciting and thriving sector
The profession of private chef is becoming more and more attractive, combining the worlds of cookery and events. By creating unique gastronomic experiences for special occasions – weddings, birthdays or private parties – this profession combines creativity, attention to detail and customer relationships. Being a private chef also means adapting to diverse environments, managing sophisticated logistics, and offering cuisine that reflects both the expectations of customers and the personality of the chef. This rapidly expanding sector offers rewarding career opportunities for passionate individuals seeking to combine gastronomy and entrepreneurial freedom.