Why groups end up doing this
Twelve people going out to dinner in Marrakech is two cars, a booking that took three days to confirm, a walk through dark lanes and a negotiation about when to leave.
Twelve people eating at the villa is a table in the garden and no logistics at all. By the third night of a week, most groups have worked this out for themselves.
How it is normally arranged
Ask for it when you book the house, not on arrival. A cook needs to know numbers, dates and any dietary requirements in time to shop, and the market shopping happens the morning of the meal rather than from a store cupboard.
The usual split is that you pay for the cook and separately for the food. That is worth understanding up front: a single quoted figure often means the food budget is capped, which shows up at the table.
What gets cooked
Moroccan home cooking, mostly, and it is better than the restaurant version of the same dishes — tagines that have had four hours rather than forty minutes, bread from the neighbourhood oven, salads that arrive as ten small plates.
Ask for a mechoui or a pastilla if you want the set pieces; both need notice. Grills and simpler European food are equally possible if you have children who have reached their limit with cumin.
Dietary requirements
Say them at the point of booking, in writing, specifically. Vegetarian is straightforward and normal. Vegan needs more warning, mainly because butter and eggs are everywhere in the baking. Coeliac and severe allergies need a direct conversation with the cook, not a note passed down a chain.
Alcohol
If you want wine at dinner and you are in a villa, it is bought in advance from a licensed shop in the modern town. Riads inside the medina vary in whether they will allow it at all, and it is a question to ask the owner rather than assume.
EliteRak arranges chefs, shopping and the wine run as part of a stay. Tell us the numbers, the dates and the dietary requirements, and the rest is organised before you land.
Common questions
How far in advance do I need to book a chef?
At the time you book the house if you can. A cook shops the morning of the meal, so numbers and dietary requirements need to be known before the day.
Is the food included in the chef's fee?
Usually not. The normal arrangement separates the cook from the shopping. A single all-in figure often means a capped food budget, which is worth clarifying.
Can a chef cook vegan or gluten-free?
Vegetarian is routine. Vegan needs warning because of butter and eggs in the baking, and coeliac or severe allergies need a direct conversation with the cook rather than a message passed along.
Can we drink wine at the villa?
Generally yes, bought in advance from a licensed shop in the modern town. In a medina riad it depends on the owner, so ask rather than assume.
Planning a stay in Marrakech?
Tell us your dates and what matters to you, and we come back with what fits.