Cancellation Policy for Clients
We know that plans don't always work out. Life happens, and we've designed our cancellation policy to be as fair and transparent as possible.
This guide explains:
- How cancellation refunds work
- What Booking Protection is
- How deposit payments work
- What happens if a chef cancels
- Exceptional circumstances
How cancellations work
You can cancel your booking at any time.
The amount refunded depends on how far in advance you cancel. The earlier you cancel, the higher your refund. This is because chefs begin preparing well before the event by:
- Planning your menu
- Purchasing ingredients
- Reserving time in their schedule
- Organizing staff and logistics when required
Standard bookings (chef quote below €3,000)
Cancellation timing | Refund (without Booking Protection) | Refund (with Booking Protection) |
|---|---|---|
More than 14 days before | 80% | 98% |
7–14 days before | 40% | 70% |
3–7 days before | 15% | 50% |
Less than 3 days before | No refund | 20% |
No-show | No refund | No refund |
Important: The service fee is never refundable, regardless of when you cancel. If you purchased Booking Protection, that fee is also non-refundable. |
Booking Protection
Booking Protection significantly increases your refund across every cancellation window. It costs 8% of the chef quote (minimum €49) and can only be purchased at the time of booking — it cannot be added afterwards. If there's any possibility your plans might change, especially for larger or more expensive bookings, we highly recommend adding it.
Please note that the Booking Protection fee itself is non-refundable.
Large events (€3,000 or above)
Bookings with a chef quote of €3,000 or more follow a different cancellation policy.
We know this might feel stricter, but there’s a good reason for it. Large events require an enormous amount of preparation on the chef’s side: pre-ordering groceries and specialty ingredients, hiring and briefing additional staff, planning transport and equipment. And on your side, rescheduling a large event — a wedding, a corporate lunch, a celebration — is rarely straightforward. The wider windows give everyone more time to plan and, if needed, find a solution.
Cancellation timing | Refund (without Booking Protection) | Refund (with Booking Protection) |
|---|---|---|
More than 60 days before | 80% | 98% |
30–60 days before | 50% | 70% |
14–30 days before | 20% | 40% |
Less than 14 days before | No refund | 20% |
No-show | No refund | No refund |
Paying with a deposit
For eligible bookings, you can reserve your chef by paying a deposit first and the remaining balance closer to the event.
Standard bookings (below €3,000)
- Deposit: 30%
- Remaining balance: 70%
- Balance due 14 days before the event
- Email reminders sent 14 and 10 days before
- If payment is not received 7 days before, the booking is automatically cancelled
- Minimum booking value: €600
- Deposit payments are only available for bookings made more than 30 days before the event
Large events (€3,000 or above)
- Deposit: 50%
- Remaining balance: 50%
- Balance due 21 days before the event
- Email reminders sent 25 and 21 days before
- No grace period
- If payment is not received by the deadline, the booking is automatically cancelled
What happens to my deposit if I cancel?
If you cancel before paying the remaining balance, different refund rules apply:
Standard bookings
Deposit = 30%
Cancellation timing | Refund (without Booking Protection) | Refund (with Booking Protection) |
|---|---|---|
More than 14 days before | 15% | 28% |
7–14 days before | No refund | 8% |
Non-payment at 7-day deadline | No refund | No refund |
Large events
Deposit = 50%
Cancellation timing | Refund (without Booking Protection) | Refund (with Booking Protection) |
|---|---|---|
More than 60 days before | 30% | 48% |
30–60 days before | No refund | 25% |
21–30 days before | No refund | 10% |
Non-payment at 21-day deadline | No refund | No refund |
Once the remaining balance has been paid, the standard cancellation policy applies.
What happens if the chef cancels?
If your chef cancels your booking, you will always receive a 100% refund, including:
- Chef quote
- Service fee
- Booking Protection fee (if purchased)
ChefMaison will also immediately begin looking for a replacement chef whenever possible and contact you directly to assist with rebooking.
We understand how important these events are, and our team will do everything possible to help you find an alternative.
How to cancel
To cancel your booking, contact our Operations team:
operations@chefmaison.com
Please include:
- Your booking reference
- The reason for cancellation
We'll confirm your cancellation and process any applicable refund as quickly as possible.
Exceptional circumstances
In rare and unforeseeable situations, we may make an exception to our standard cancellation policy.
All requests must be submitted to our support team and are reviewed individually.
Situations that may qualify
- Government-issued restrictions preventing your event
- Severe weather making the event impossible
- Natural disasters affecting the event location
Situations that are not covered
- Change of plans
- Personal scheduling conflicts
- Lower-than-expected guest attendance
- Budget changes
- Circumstances that were foreseeable when booking
All exception requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and supporting documentation may be requested.
If you believe your situation qualifies, please contact our Operations team as soon as possible. The earlier we are informed, the more options we have to assist you.
Our goal is always to find the fairest possible solution while balancing the interests of both our guests and our chefs and maintaining a trusted marketplace for everyone.
Updated on: 03/07/2026
Thank you!