Chongqing - For discerning food lovers looking to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal at home, whether it is a feast fit for a romantic date night or an intimate dinner with friends, a group of "amateur chefs" are available to book in Chongqing to bring cuisine to your dining room.

Chinese "amateur chefs" are made up of post-90s young people who are passionate about starting up their own businesses or having side hustles to earn extra money. This has become a popular trend on social media in China. 

Chongqing, Chengdu, and Changsha are also emerging as first-tier cities, with a strong demand for "amateur chefs." Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen are the cities with the highest demand for such chefs.

There is the option for customers to order dishes on their own, bring their own ingredients, or ask "amateur chefs" to purchase the ingredients for them. Prices are determined by the number of dishes, ranging from 66 yuan to 88 yuan for four dishes, and from 88 yuan to 128 yuan for six dishes.

New side hustle for the young generation

Deng Xiaowei, a 29-year-old hotel executive who works as an "amateur chef," made those dishes. (Photo/ cqnews.net)

"I have been looking for a side hustle," said Deng Xiaowei, a 29-year-old hotel executive in Chongqing. "I saw someone asking for a home cook on Xiaohongshu. I love cooking and sharing food, so why don't I have a try?" 

Xiaohongshu is a Chinese social e-commerce platform where users can share product reviews and shopping experiences. It is estimated that 70% of its users were born after 1990, and nearly 90% are female.

Since receiving orders in September, Deng's monthly revenue has increased to more than 3,000 yuan. Weibo and Xiaohongshu are the main channels for receiving orders, and weekend demands are even higher.

Another 23-year-old girl, Liu Jia, started her own "amateur chef" business.

Half a year ago, Liu set up a small group of "amateur chefs" with eight staff members, most of whom were born in the 1990s and 2000s.

"Our team unified promotion and orders according to distance, and the customer needs to arrange an appropriate chef to serve," she explained. "Our profit comes from the agency fee of five yuan per order."

Liu stated that despite low profit, their team believes the business model is in a positive direction.

"Amateur chefs" still stand in the early stages for most of the post-90s generation, and the younger generation finds it attractive to combine work and interest along with the flexibility of the schedule.

Food safety becomes a potential problem

"Amateur chefs" service is not necessary for second-and-third-tier cities. It often occurs when people are sick or on special occasions such as family dinners, house parties, or house parties.

The stable demand for "amateur chefs" is more concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Due to scattered customers, long distances, and high expenses, labor costs rise sharply.

As a long-term business, "amateur chefs" face more problems.

For example, chefs should consciously apply for health certifications and medical examination reports to avoid disputes and clarify responsibilities.  

Considering most chefs are female, personal safety will be the biggest problem to worry about. Some female chefs make it clear that they will not accept orders from males who live alone.