For Arushi, a 33-year-old HR professional from Delhi, hosting a barbecue dinner for twenty guests on New Year's Eve was remarkably stress-free. She didn't spend the evening in the kitchen. Instead, she relaxed with her friends, welcoming 2026 without culinary worries. The secret? A chef she booked through a mobile application, embodying a new 'Uber for chefs' trend captivating young professionals across the National Capital Region.
The Rise of On-Demand Culinary Help
While app-based home chef services have operated in metros like Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Mumbai, and Bangalore for nearly a decade, startups report a significant surge in demand from the 25-35 age bracket. Arushi's experience is typical: she discovered an app on Instagram, downloaded it, and selected from services like private chefs, gourmet experiences, and bartenders. Customers can pick chef-designed menus or customize them, with rates typically starting from Rs 3,000, depending on dishes and guest count.
Akshat Gupta, Co-founder & CEO of COOX, an app providing house party services, witnessed frenetic activity on December 31. "We received around 500 orders across the country on New Year's Eve," he said. Demand patterns vary regionally: Delhi-NCR peaks during Diwali, Mumbai and Pune around Ganesh Chaturthi, and Bengaluru during Christmas and New Year. However, events like India-Pakistan cricket matches trigger a uniform spike nationwide.
Youth Driving Demand for Experimental Menus
COOX, launched six years ago, now has a 100-member team and a network of roughly 5,000 chefs. Akshat notes the service is most popular with the young and newly married. "People of this group are more experimental," he explained. They are moving beyond traditional party hosting and even the classic Indian palette, no longer sticking solely to North or South Indian meals.
Orders now frequently feature a fusion of cuisines. "In any random order, you will see at least 3-4 different cuisines," Gupta observed. Starters might combine Chinese and Italian continental dishes, though the main course often remains North Indian staples like dal, roti, rice, and butter chicken. Some clients also opt for full continental meals.
This shift is echoed by Vansh Banga (29), co-founder of 'Look My Cook'. He confirms most of their clientele falls in the 25-35 demographic, with 90% of clicks on their Facebook and Google ads originating from this group. A recent user study revealed a change in Delhi's preferences: while 60% previously chose Punjabi food, young party hosts in farmhouses and Airbnbs now crave variety, combining multiple cuisines. Gurgaon and South Delhi show the highest demand.
Convenience, Quality, and Chef Empowerment
For customers like Madhukar Pandey, an IT professional from Noida, these apps offer a perfect solution. After a cook cancelled last-minute years ago, he found an app by accident. With a three-year-old child, restaurant parties are a hassle. "The home chef concept suits me," he stated. While food delivery apps are an option, he finds them expensive, with food often arriving soggy and of uncertain quality. With a home chef, he purchases his own ingredients, ensuring freshness and transparency.
On the supply side, most chefs on these platforms are freelancers. Ganesh (34), a chef for 18 years who previously worked in restaurants, joined such an app two years ago via social media. He now cooks in homes across Delhi-NCR, accepting bookings based on proximity. He secured about 45 bookings in December 2025 alone. Hailing from near Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Ganesh appreciates the freedom to experiment beyond restaurant-set tastes and earns approximately Rs 60,000 per month.
As Akshat Gupta succinctly puts it, the model is "like an Uber service for chefs." This innovative approach is transforming how urban India entertains, merging culinary skill with digital convenience to create seamless, personalized dining experiences at home.
