Le Chef Mobile was born from an idea by Chef Pierre Jenatton while he was in between jobs when he first moved to the US, in Boulder, Colorado in 1985. At the time, the concept of a personal chef was not yet invented, and the only companies available were large catering companies delivering mediocre food with no service or cleanup. As a European, Jenatton felt that a service catering to intimate dinners in people’s homes could be a great business idea, following a European tradition of enjoying an evening of a meal, instead of a hurried attempt at a loud restaurant with other patrons waiting for the table. He checked with the local health authorities, and as long as he cooked on-site, he was within regulation.

At the time, Jenatton’s command of the English language was very limited, but at his friend’s insistence, he contacted the local food critic for the Boulder Daily Camera and invited him for lunch. Jenatton was very nervous, but so impressed the food critic, that an incredible idea, Un Chef Chez Soi (a chef in one’s home) was born. The response was overwhelming—Jenatton became an overnight sensation among the socialites in Boulder. The food critic continued to publish Jenatton’s recipes, keeping his name in the public eye, which only furthered his success. He continued to work as a chef, doing private parties on the side as he grew his business.

In 1990, Jenatton met Jeanine Buckley, a marketing consultant who loved the idea, but felt he needed to upscale it to make it a viable business. She also felt the name was difficult for Americans to understand, so they changed the name to Le Chef Mobile and the rest is history. Spending two years in Monterey/Carmel, Le Chef Mobile lied dormant while Jenatton learned California cuisine and California wine, working in several fine dining restaurants as an Executive Chef.

In 1992, Jenatton and Buckley moved to Boston, where they decided to pursue Le Chef Mobile as a full-time venture. Armed with Buckley’s newly acquired MBA with an emphasis on international marketing, and Jenatton’s creative cuisine and entrepreneurial spirit, Le Chef Mobile was off to a running start. Focusing on the wine market, since Boston ranks 4th in the US in the consumption of fine wine, Jenatton made an early discovery—people who like good wine ALWAYS like good food. So he would offer some free samples of his home-smoked Salmon, or homemade chicken liver mousse paté, and somehow clients would find him.

In 1995, the Boston Globe covered Le Chef Mobile, as part of a trend in personal chefs. This article helped grow Le Chef Mobile into what it is today. Sixteen years and hundreds of dinner parties and events later, Le Chef Mobile is as mobile as it ever was. We hope you’ll include us in your plans for your next event . . .