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Join & Become a Member

Membership in The Chef Alliance

We started The Chef Alliance with a simple goal: to provide a forum where chefs, cooks and food entrepreneurs can grow their business and share ideas, save money and access industry resources and mentorship at an affordable price. 


Our passion and dedication to customer service has made us a staple in the food community across Canada.


Our Members come from diverse culinary paths, including:

Personal Chefs, Private Chefs, Home Cooks, Custom Bakers, Culinary Instructors, Caterers, Meal Delivery and Tiffin services, Cottage Industry and Farmers Market Food Producers or 'Makers', Meal Prep, Meal Kit and Recipe Box services, and many others.


Applying for membership in The Chef Alliance is easy.  Simply download the Member Application form below and submit it by email.


*Rates are subject to applicable taxes; Chef Insurance is available for an additional fee.

Contact usAPPLICATION FORMSFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSOUR MEMBERS

Our Members @ The Chef Alliance

Food Producers Selling to Stores

Food Producers Selling to Stores

We now welcome members who sell their food products to grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants and distributors. Whether you're selling muffins to your local bakery, or barbecue sauce to a chain of grocery stores, give us a call!

LEARN ABOUT SELLING TO RESELLERS

Personal Chefs & Private Chefs

Food Producers Selling to Stores

Increasingly, Personal Chefs and Private Chefs are found working in the kitchens of average Canadian families.  Much like gardening or cleaning service, these professionals are an integral part of our lives, and a growing trend across Canada.​

LEARN ABOUT PERSONAL/PRIVATE CHEFS

Home Cooks & Food Sharing

Mise En Place, Meal Kit, Recipe Box and Meal-Prep Services

The growing home-based food sharing industry is a great revenue stream for foodies who cook at home.  It's easy to call it a hobby, but at the end of the day, a business is still a business - from a tax, insurance and food safety standpoint.

LEARN ABOUT COOKING FROM HOME

Mise En Place, Meal Kit, Recipe Box and Meal-Prep Services

Mise En Place, Meal Kit, Recipe Box and Meal-Prep Services

Mise En Place, Meal Kit, Recipe Box and Meal-Prep Services prepare and portion produce, protein and grains, ready to be incorporated into recipes cooked by clients.  This is a fast-growing sector across Canada , with cuisines from around the world.

LEARN ABOUT MEAL KIT SERVICES & MORE

Cottage Industry, Small-batch Artisan Food Producers

Prepared Meal, Tiffin, Lunchbox & Meal Delivery Services

'Cottage industry' or small-batch, artisan food producers make a variety of food items - jams, sauces, pickles, juices, power drinks, baby food, specialty teas, baked goods, spice blends, desserts, ethnic foods, smoked meat... the list goes on and on!

LEARN ABOUT THE COTTAGE FOOD INDUSTRY

Prepared Meal, Tiffin, Lunchbox & Meal Delivery Services

Prepared Meal, Tiffin, Lunchbox & Meal Delivery Services

Prepared meal services have exploded on to the culinary scene.  Meals are typically prepared in shared commercial kitchen settings and are ordered in advance as a one-off service or as a regular meal service for busy families, offices and professionals.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MEAL DELIVERY SERVICES & MORE

Caterers

Pop-Up 'Restaurants'

Catering companies serve prepared food or live cooking stations to a multitude of people - from private catering of a small dinner party in a client's home to a larger event, such as a wedding, outdoor event or corporate event

LEARN ABOUT CATERING BUSINESSES

Pop-Up 'Restaurants'

Pop-Up 'Restaurants'

Pop-up restaurants are gaining in popularity and are a great way for new businesses to promote their food to a local community, using existing commercial kitchen or restaurant space; they appear for a short time only, e.g. a single day or a week.

LEARN ABOUT POP-UPS

Dinner Party Chefs

As a more intimate and relaxed alternative to restaurant dining, Chefs are offering in-home dinner services across the country. The Chefs create menus with their clients, then cook onsite and serve dinner to guests - even the dishes are taken care of - no stress, no mess.

LEARN ABOUT IN-HOME & DINNER PARTY CHEFS

Culinary Instructors for Virtual and In-person Cooking Lessons

Chefs and Culinary Instructors are found working in the kitchens of average Canadian families and in schools, stores and commercial kitchens to hold private one-on-one, group recreational and group institutional cooking lessons.

LEARN ABOUT OFFERING COOKING CLASSES

... and many more!

... and many more!

Including:

- Grazing & Charcuterie Board Services

- Commercial & Commissary Kitchens

- Dessert Table Services

- Menu Planning Services

- Custom Bakers...

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION

Application Forms and Information

  • The forms, below, are for new members.  If you are a current member who wants to renew, complete the forms available here.
  • Certificates of Insurance are not issued on evenings, weekends or holidays. New applications should allow a min. of 2 business days for processing; additional requests for certificates should be made a min. of 1 business day before it is required.  
  • The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all information provided is accurate and complete, and that payment is processed on time.
  • The Certificate of Insurance Request Form is generally required to add shared commercial kitchens, farmers and holiday markets, fairs and local events as Additional Insured. These can be added at any time throughout the Term.
  • For assistance with completing the form(s) check out the FAQs below or contact a Success Manager

Membership Brochure (pdf)Download
Member Application Form (pdf)Download
Insurance Application Form 12.24 (pdf)Download
Certificate of Insurance Request Form (pdf)Download
SAMPLE Certificate of Insurance Request Form (pdf)Download

Subscribe

Frequently Asked Questions

Please contact us if you can't find an answer to your question.

Membership in The Chef Alliance gets you access to thousands of dollars in savings on goods and services, to strategic industry resources and alliances, to business tools, marketing and mentorship. 


One of the premier benefits is the exclusive access to Chef Insurance and complimentary membership in Restaurants Canada and access to Chef Insurance.


To save money on liability insurance for your food or chef business, you must meet the parameters of the Chef Insurance program, operate your business in Canada (except QC) AND be a member of The Chef Alliance.  


Members save at least $500 each year on liability insurance, through the Chef Insurance program.


To access The Chef Insurance program, you must be a member of The Chef Alliance.


Tier 1 and Tier 2: members must run their own business (can be sole proprietors or an incorporated business), sell a culinary service or food product directly to the end-user/ consumer, have annual revenues of under $100,000 or $200,000 respectively, operate within Canada (except QC), have no prior insurance claims for the business and have valid food handlers certification.


Tier 3: members must meet the same criteria as Tier 1 and Tier 2 but can also sell their food products to resellers (e.g. stores, bakeries, restaurants etc).


Here are some sample descriptions of operations to help you complete the form.


  • I make authentic Korean meals and snacks in a commercial kitchen and I sell them through food delivery apps such as Uber Eats.
  • I offer in-home personal chef or private chef services, where I cook in clients' homes.
  • I make packaged snacks in a commercial kitchen and sell them at local  farmers markets, night markets, festivals and events.
  • I make boxed meal kits in a commercial kitchen. These are pre-ordered through my website and social media and are delivered to clients on scheduled days.
  • I produce bottled sauces in a commercial kitchen and sell to resellers (specialty and ethnic stores, supermarkets) and also direct to end users through our website.
  • I offer small group and private cooking classes in my community, in clients' homes, community centres and commercial kitchens. 


Need help? Contact a Success Manager for guidance.


Each member has their own insurance policy through the Chef Insurance program.  Unlike some associations and low-cost programs, Chef Insurance does NOT issue certificates on a master policy - these group programs could leave you unprotected if another group member has a successful claim.  With Chef Insurance, you are protected, irrespective of our chefs' claims.


Regulatory and compliance issues dictate that we have to quote insurance separately from membership. This allows members to better understand what they are purchasing.


The Chef Insurance program, however, can ONLY be accessed by members of The Chef Alliance.  Without membership, you can't access the Chef insurance program.  


The deductible is $1,000.


The low membership fee must be paid in full in order to access the member benefits, which includes being able to get the low rates for Chef Insurance.


Each member has their own policy through the Chef Insurance program.  Payment can be paid:

  • directly to The Chef Alliance, or 
  • financed through a third party financing company.  This option allows members to spread the cost of membership and insurance over time - up to 60 months.  And if you decide to pay the balance off early, no problem - there's no penalties.  Minimum finance amount is $1,000.


Chef Insurance is a commercial general liability insurance product, designed with food businesses and chefs in mind. It includes:

  • Bodily injury /property damage
  • Personal & advertising injury
  • Products Completed Operations (Aggregate)
  • Medical payments $10,000
  • Tenants legal liability $250,000
  • Owners, managers or lessors of premises as Additional Insured.  


  • USA and international sales, operations and jurisdiction exclusion
  • Total automobile exclusion
  • Total liquor exclusion (Chef may make recommendations if requested but will not buy or serve wine or alcohol)
  • Production through third party vendors
  • Abuse exclusion
  • Not available in QC.


Here's what we found when we compared our most popular product - Tier 1 Chef Insurance with $2million liability insurance - to others in the marketplace. 

Our price: $430/year. 


  • A short term policy: $283.20 for ONLY 21 days of coverage - that's $4,922/year!
  • A 1 year policy from another provider - $1,200/year


So even once the membership in The Chef Alliance is factored in you're still saving money!


Currently, IF Express is offering financing to members of The Chef Alliance.  They were selected because of their simple application and terms.  To apply click here


Copyright © The Chef Alliance - All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER: Information provided may be incomplete. This article should not be considered a substitute for professional, legal, insurance or financial advice. Each business is unique and the advice provided is intended to be general. Please contact a professional for advice best suited to your business and to meet the requirements of regional government laws and bylaws.

MEMBER BENEFITS: The Chef Alliance is an industry member organization for food entrepreneurs, chefs and cooks in Canada. Member benefits may be subject to change without notice and may not be available for all membership plans. Access to the Chef Insurance program is a member benefit that is provided through a third party licensed insurance broker.

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