What happens if my chef doesn't show up on the day of my event?

It's completely understandable to want guarantees before your event — here's exactly what protects you, and what happens if something goes wrong.

What a chef commits to when they accept your booking

When a chef accepts your booking on ChefMaison, they're committing to deliver the service at the date, time, and address you agreed on together. This isn't just a casual arrangement — it's a confirmed commitment on the platform.

If something goes wrong on the chef's side

If a chef has a last-minute problem or cancels close to your event, our team steps in to help — and where possible, we'll find a replacement chef so your event can still go ahead.
If you're ever in a situation where your chef hasn't shown up, contact us immediately at operations@chefmaison.com (or via chat) so we can act as quickly as possible — the sooner we know, the more we can do to help. If we don't find a chef, we guarantee your full refund.

Why your payment is part of what protects you

Here's the part that actually guarantees your security: your payment is held by ChefMaison, and the chef is only paid 2 days after your event has taken place. This means the chef isn't paid upfront — they're only paid once the event is confirmed to have happened. This is intentional, and it's what protects you as a client: there's a real incentive on the chef's side to deliver the service as agreed, since payment depends on it.

What you're covered for if a chef cancels

If a chef cancels your booking, our Cancellation Policy protects you — see Cancellation Policy for Clients for the exact terms, including refunds.

We're here before and during your event

Our team stays available both before and during your booking in case anything comes up — you're never on your own with a confirmed booking, even outside of a worst-case scenario like a no-show.

💡 The best way to make sure everything goes smoothly is to keep communication with your chef open in the lead-up to your event — Confirm the exactly address and the date in advanced!

Updated on: 26/08/2026