ladychef

What ladychef does

Ladychef is a sole proprietorship (ZZP'er) operated by Marjolein Scholder from Zandvoort, Netherlands, delivering freelance chef services across two complementary tracks: B2B culinary staffing/consulting for restaurants, hotels, institutional kitchens, beach bars, events, and cruise ships; and B2C private dining and catering experiences for individuals and families hosting gatherings of 2 to 200 persons. The principal brings 28 years of kitchen experience, a full suite of SVH certifications (levels 1-4), Euro-Toques Nederland membership, and Dutch Cuisine chef credentials, supported by regional awards including the Lekker Top 100 and Iens Topper. Service offerings span chef-kok engagements, kitchen management, advisory work on cost control and digitalization, staff training, private dining menus (3-6 courses), themed dinners, BBQ, walking dinners, high teas, food truck, and cooking workshops. Underlying operational tooling includes kitchen management and ERP software (Inone, Horeko, Booq, Exact) for cost price calculations and margin management, plus Bureau de Wit and the Hygiëne app for HACCP registration. Pricing is published at €35/hour for self-employed chef, €40/hour for sous chef, and €45/hour for chef-kok, with executive, demonstration, and private chef services on custom quotes valid for 14 days; catering quotes above €500 require a 50% deposit. For larger projects, capacity is augmented through Freelance Koks Gilde, a network of freelance chefs co-founded by Scholder. Go-to-market is direct-to-client via phone, email, and organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) with the website serving as the primary digital presence.

Name

ladychef

Legal name

Marjolein Scholder

Website

https://ladychef.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ladychef is a Dutch sole proprietorship in Zandvoort operated by chef Marjolein Scholder, offering freelance chef staffing and kitchen consulting to hospitality businesses plus private dining and catering experiences for individual clients across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freelance Chef Staffing and Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (722320), Food Service Contractors (72231), Food Service Contractors (722310)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Chef & In-Home Dining Services (HSACAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Culinary Experiences (Chef’s Table, Home Dining, Market-to-Meal) (THAJALAH), Contract Foodservice Management (Outsourced Catering) (THAFAIAH), Exclusive Dining Access & Chef’s Table Reservations (HSACAMAJ)

Keywords

• Freelance chef services
• Private dining catering
• Kitchen management consulting
• Chef staffing solutions
• Culinary event catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Zandvoort

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Freelance Chef Services: Provides skilled chef services (self-employed chef, sous-chef, executive chef) on an hourly or project basis to restaurants, hotels, institutions, and private clients. Revenue is generated through hourly rates or fixed project pricing.
2. Private Dining and Catering: Offers private chef experiences including 3-6 course dinners, tapas, walking dinners, BBQ, shared dining, high teas, themed dinners, and more for private gatherings and events. Revenue is generated through per-event pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ladychef is a freelance chef business run by sole proprietor Marjolein Scholder, delivering professional kitchen staffing (chef-kok, kitchen manager, consulting, and chef training) to restaurants, hotels, institutional kitchens, beach bars, cruise ships and events, alongside private dining and full-service catering for gatherings from 2 to 200 guests. Services are sold at hourly rates (€35–€45/hour excluding VAT) or as custom per-event quotes valid for 14 days, with a 50% deposit required on quotes over €500.

Product overview

Ladychef is a freelance chef business operated by Marjolein Scholder, offering a dual-service model combining professional kitchen staffing/consulting and private dining/catering experiences. The staffing services (Chef-kok, Keukenmanager, Keukenadvies) provide experienced chefs for restaurants, hotels, and institutions with expertise in cost control, digitalization, and kitchen optimization using tools like Inone and Horeko. The private dining arm offers curated culinary experiences ranging from intimate 3-6 course dinners to full-scale catering for up to 200 guests, including themed dinners, BBQ, cooking workshops, and food truck services. The company leverages 28 years of kitchen experience and a network of freelance chefs to deliver both on-demand staffing and premium event catering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chef-kok (Head Chef) Services Professional head chef services for restaurants, hotels, institutional kitchens, and events, covering kitchen management, team leadership, training, reorganization setup, efficiency optimization, cost control, digitalization, menu creation, and banquet coordination.
• Keukenmanager (Kitchen Manager) Services Kitchen management services including scheduling, rosters, recipe documentation, digitalization, supplier negotiations, purchasing centralization, and margin management for hospitality clients.
• Keukenadvies (Kitchen Consulting) Advisory services for kitchen operations including cost control, digitalization, cost price calculations, purchasing centralization, supplier agreements, and margin management.
• Opleiden van Koks (Chef Training) Training and development services for kitchen staff, leveraging Marjolein's qualifications as Leermeester (master trainer) and Gekwalificeerd beoordelaar (qualified assessor).
• Privé Diner (Private Dining) Private chef dining experiences featuring 3, 4, 5, or 6-course menus served at the client's location, with setup, service, and cleanup included.
• Catering Services Full-service catering for events of 2 to 200 persons, including walking diners, tapas, BBQ, shared dining, themed dinners (wild, truffle, asparagus), baby showers, high teas, high beers, lunches, and weddings.
• Kookworkshops (Cooking Workshops) Culinary workshops taught by experienced chef for groups seeking hands-on cooking education and team building.
• Foodtruck Mobile food truck service for events, providing flexible catering solutions at various locations.
• BBQ Services Professional barbecue catering services offered as part of Ladychef's catering portfolio.
• Chefs Proeverij (Chef's Tasting) Chef's tasting menu experience featuring curated dishes and wine pairings.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Freelance Koks GildecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLadychef Marjolein Scholder is co-founder of Freelance Koks Gilde, a network of freelance chefs collaborating on larger projects. The gilde works exclusively with the best chefs to provide quality culinary services for events and temporary staffing needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Kookjij: Dutch platform connecting clients with private chefs for in-home dining and catering. Directly comparable private-chef marketplace model serving the Netherlands.
• Chef4you: Dutch private chef and catering service offering in-home dining experiences and event catering. Directly comparable on private chef dinners, catering for groups, and personal-chef service model in the Netherlands.
• Koksgilde / Freelance Koks Gilde: A network of freelance chefs in the Netherlands co-founded by Marjolein Scholder. Directly comparable as it operates in the same freelance chef staffing and event catering space with overlapping chef pool and customer base.
• Soigné: Dutch private chef and catering company providing private dining experiences and event catering. Comparable in service scope (chef at home, group catering) and Dutch-market positioning.
• Chefs & Zo: Dutch freelance chef staffing and event catering provider serving restaurants, hotels, and private clients. Comparable freelance-chef service model and customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Albron: Large Dutch contract foodservice provider operating institutional, hospitality, and event food services. Comparable in serving hospitality and institutional clients with outsourced kitchen support, but at enterprise scale with full HR and SLAs.
• Maison van den Boer: Established Dutch full-service catering and event hospitality company with broader scale and event-venue partnerships. Comparable catering and event food service offering but operates at significantly larger scale with corporate infrastructure.
• Vandersterre: Dutch group active in contract foodservice, catering, and institutional kitchens. Comparable institutional kitchen services and contract food service angle, but as a broader incumbent rather than a freelance-chef niche.

Emerging players

• Thuisafgehaald: Dutch community/marketplace platform enabling home-cooked meal sharing and private dining connections. Comparable consumer-facing angle for in-home dining experiences, but operates as a marketplace rather than chef-led service.
• Uitgekookt: Dutch fresh meal delivery service for seniors and individuals. Adjacent in Dutch home-meal services space; partially comparable to the private-dining-at-home angle but focused on recurring meal delivery rather than chef-led events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ladychefnl
• Facebookfacebook.com/191967754178684
• Instagraminstagram.com/ladychef1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ladychef

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ladychef