Pixie Dust Gourmet

contact for price

Zip code

Number of people

Recipe difficulty

Desired cooking skills

Sorry this pro can’t do your job, but we know other pros who can.

Check them out

Introduction: Welcome to Pixie Dust Gourmet, a healthy whole-food personal chef service based in Waltham, Massachusetts! Chef Beth Beard offers upscale gluten-free, healthy and delicious meals prepared in your own home. Serving the Greater Boston area, we customize our service to meet your individual tastes and dietary needs and take care of everything from menu planning and shopping to meal prep, cooking and clean-up, so you can enjoy delicious, organic cuisine all week long! Whether you are looking to meet health goals, lose weight, treat an auto-immune condition or just free up time to enjoy other pursuits and eat delicious food every night of the week, we can help! Pixie Dust Gourmet personal chef service is the brainchild of Chef Beth Beard, who blends her passion for cooking fabulous healthy creations with her love of bringing people together around food. The result? Amazing meals, made with care, prepared in your own home exactly the way you like them from the freshest local organic ingredients available! For me, food, family and friends have always gone together like peas and carrots. I think my love affair with food may have taken hold in the womb; having an Italian mother might have played a small part! From the time I was a little girl, the kitchen was never just a place to prepare meals, but a place to create, to explore, to take risks and most of all, to have fun! Whether making one of my home-cooked favorites (chicken noodle casserole and beef broccoli pie jump to mind) or rolling extra pie crust trimmings and cutting them into fanciful shapes, I have many fond memories of the smells, tastes, textures and colors that only come with cooking at home. My friends and family are my inspiration, my greatest supporters and my most honest critics. From my maternal grandmother, Nanny, I inherited my tendency to “wing it” and improvise with whatever I have on hand. A classic direction in her recipes reads, “put it in the oven and cook until done”. From my friends, I have learned about cultures and cuisines from around the globe, expanding my horizons as well as my palate. They know the best birthday gift ever is a cookbook from a new region of the world. An invitation to dinner and recipe tasting is a treat they will rarely pass up.

Overview

Hired 14 times

2 employees

9 years in business

Payment methods

This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, PayPal, and Venmo.

Social media

Facebook, Instagram

Featured Projects

14 photos

Reviews

Customers rated this pro highly for responsiveness, punctuality, and value.

Excellent 4.9

8 reviews

88%

12%

Margie K.

Jul 17, 2016

Hired on Thumbtack

Personal Chef (Ongoing)

Hilary G.

May 31, 2016

Hired on Thumbtack

Love Pixie Dust Gourmet!

Personal Chef (Ongoing)

Inger B.

Jul 2, 2017

Hired on Thumbtack

It was great

Personal Chef

Deb W.

Aug 30, 2017

Great food, professional, responsive.

Personal Chef

Catherine L.

Sep 16, 2016

Hired on Thumbtack

Beth has been very easy to work with, and we love her food. She is extremely flexible, and is willing to either cook at her own home and deliver, or cook in your home. She will either provide you with a menu, or let you send her recipes! And the food is delicious and healthy. We're glad we found her and decided to give a personal chef a try! It's really helped the weeknight dinner rush and made evenings more enjoyable with the family since we can focus on being together after a long day, rather than worrying about what's for dinner!

Personal Chef (Ongoing)

FAQs

What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Service Plans Meal plans are priced per cook session and vary based on the number of meals I prepare. I package dishes in environmentally friendly reusable glass or plastic containers in whatever portion sizes you choose. Plans are designed to be affordable and are similar to a moderately priced restaurant. All desserts, breakfast breads and sides (unless included with a meal) are priced individually and average $5 per serving. Weekly Cook Sessions 2 meals per week, 2-6 servings of each: $170 + groceries 3 meals per week, 2-6 servings of each: $220 + groceries 4 meals per week, 2-6 servings of each $270 + groceries 5 meals per week, 2-6 servings of each: $320 + groceries Bi-Weekly Cook Sessions (every other week) 3 meals, 4-8 servings of each: $250 + groceries 4 meals, 4-8 servings of each: $300 + groceries 5 meals, 4-8 servings of each: $350 + groceries Average Grocery Costs Groceries range from $1- $11 per serving (soups, sides and vegetarian dishes tend to be less, fish and organic meat dishes tend to run higher). Parties, Special Events and Home Catering Pixie Dust Gourmet is the perfect choice for your next special anniversary or birthday dinner, party or other memorable occasion. After planning the menu together, I will arrive at your home with all of the ingredients for making and serving a delicious meal to remember! I also can arrange bartender services, wait staff, photography or live music for a small additional fee. Plan Options All prices include meal planning, food shopping, food costs, preparation, cooking and clean up. For parties of 2-5 meals are individually plated. Larger parties are served buffet style. 2-5 Guests: $70-$90 per person, includes 1 appetizer or dessert, 1 main dish and 1-2 side dishes 6-10 Guests: $60-$80 per person, includes 1 appetizer or dessert, 1-2 main dishes and 1-2 side dishes 11-20 Guests: $50-$70 per person, includes 2-3 appetizers or desserts, 2-3 main dishes and 2-4 side dishes; Note that parties over 15 guests includes a second chef 21+ Guests: Call for more information Additional Options Appetizers: $4-$10 per person Dessert: $4-$10 per person Proteins over $10 per pound – additional up-charge Disposable baking dishes and serving platters/utensils priced per person
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
I take care of it all, from meal prep and food shopping to cooking, storage and clean-up. By bringing my passion for creating healthy and great tasting food right into your kitchen, you will have more time to pursue the things that you love! All of my dishes are gluten-free and I use organic, non-GMO, whole-food ingredients sourced from local farms whenever possible. In addition to the paleo, vegetarian and vegan items already on the menu I can also adapt others to suit your needs. Lower salt, fat, carbohydrate or glycemic-index meals are all possible. The first step is calling me for a free, personal consultation so that I can learn more about your tastes, preferences and lifestyle. I will then come to your home to do a comprehensive inventory of your kitchen and a survey of your family’s dietary needs, allergies, etc. Then you select from one of the service plans below, we pick your cook day and let me do the rest!. The menu changes monthly, offering a wide variety of main dishes that I will customize for your unique tastes and dietary needs. All meals are prepared from scratch in your kitchen, sourced from local farms using fresh, natural and organic ingredients whenever possible. Finished dishes are packaged by serving size in your fridge and are freezer-friendly, with cooking/re-heating instructions included!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I was first introduced to the world of personal chefs when I worked as a private chef for a number of families while I was in college and through my mid-20’s. In addition to a background in cooking, nutrition and celiac disease, I have spent the last 20 years working with nonprofit education and youth organizations as a manager, strategy consultant and most recently leading marketing and communications. I hold a Masters of Education degree in Narrative Family Systems Therapy and have been working to improve the lives of children and families for almost 30 years.