Chefs who cooked for Bill Clinton, the queen and Prince Charles, and celebrities like Justin Timberlake, on the challenges of catering to the mega-rich and famous
- Uwe Opocensky cooked for the British royal family, and for billionaires’ parties with celebrity entertainers, and once worked for 72 hours straight
- Andrea Zamboni cooked for soccer team AC Milan on a China tour, while Vicky Cheng catered the wedding of Chryseis Tan, daughter of a Malaysian billionaire
On the entertainment deck of a multimillion-dollar superyacht, a huge white truffle from Alba in Italy is shaved over scrambled eggs, while a magnum of vintage Krug chills in a cooler.
That relaxed, luxurious lifestyle may be what the super-rich enjoy, but for those who work to make this kind of thing possible, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. Chefs who cook for the mega-wealthy lead a stressful life as they cater to the whims of their bosses while making it all seem seamless.
After joining Mosimann’s in the early 1990s, Opocensky quickly moved through the ranks and was head chef within 18 months. It was brutally hard work, in at 6am and out at 1am six days a week – but with it came unique access, meaning that Opocensky cooked for (and talked with), among others, the Prince of Wales.
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Naturally, the logistics and stresses of such high-profile guests and events meant that things didn’t always go smoothly.
“You get circumstances thrown at you, like having no electricity, or forgetting a dish. I was cooking for the queen on the Royal Barge on the Thames – only we’d somehow left the dessert behind. After she embarked, we slowed the boat down under Tower Bridge so the lemon tarts could be passed down to us!”
Opocensky also cooked for then-US president Bill Clinton on a visit to Britain where secret service agents stayed with the kitchen team, trying everything they made, and catered at 10 Downing Street for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales. Arguably the most glamorous gigs came with entertainment superstars.
It was great while it lasted, but does he miss that? “In a way yes, I do, but you develop as a chef. It really took few years off my life! I was single [then] and once worked for 72 hours straight and then slept for 24. It’s not something you can do forever.”
Chef Andrea Zamboni has more than two decades of experience working with some of the world’s best Italian chefs, including Gualtiero Marchesi – widely seen as the father of modern Italian cuisine.
“Da Vittorio is the perfect machine. They have three Michelin stars and [use] the very best ingredients. They have a very strong catering arm, everything from office functions to food for the Italian oil billionaires, the Moratti family.”
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Zamboni believes that the key to successful private catering comes in choosing the right dishes – it’s not the time to experiment with something new, he says. “It’s all about smart planning – and making sure you do suitable dishes. Tagliatelle is my signature, but by the time I’d finish [plating] the last [serving], the first is stone cold! So do risotto, don’t do a new dish, or a special.”
“There was no pass to check the plates before they go out, so I walked up and down the lines, checking the pace and rhythm. Army organisation was the only way to win! We would rather be ready and relaxed in good time, one hour before service.”
I’ve never had issues with famous or rich people
One of his favourite gigs was cooking for his beloved AC Milan football team on some of their foreign tours, notably in China in 2017. Zamboni revealed the pre-match snacks he’d provide the team: home-made apricot crostata tarts – and Nutella sandwiches.
“The food was mainly Italian, with well-done meat because they couldn’t risk anyone getting sick. There was a lot of salad, raw vegetables with no dressing, and fruit, as well as steamed rice for a few of the South Americans in the team. I asked [Gianluigi] Donnarumma [a 1.98 metre, or six foot six inch, tall young superstar goalkeeper], how do I fill you up?!”
He took some of the team’s superstars out for a night in Guangzhou, southern China, and has stayed in touch with them ever since, visiting them in Milan.
Through his private catering arm, Kitcheng Limited, he has overseen dozens of private dinners and events for superstars from the worlds of music, film, business and fashion, both in Hong Kong and abroad.
Cheng says: “Chryseis was a regular here at VEA with her friends. Once when we met, she told me she was getting married and asked if I would be able to cook at the wedding. She had some of her favourite dishes from VEA on the menu.”
One of them was a decadent caviar and cheese dish.
“It’s a very fancy grilled cheese with a crispy crust and high-quality caviar. It’s very comforting but luxurious at the same time. It could also be pre-made, warmed and the caviar scooped on top, while we added white truffle.”
To cater the event for around 200 guests, Cheng and three of his team were joined by Florilège’s team and the Four Seasons’ kitchen staff. By far the most challenging was a dish featuring Hokkaido crab, uni and chitarra, an egg pasta typical of Italy’s Abruzzo region.
“It’s not an item I would have written on a menu for 200 guests! But, of course, it was her party. Trying to twirl the pasta and keeping it hot and moist meant we had the whole team on the line doing it, maybe 20-30 people doing the one dish.”
So how much more demanding are the ultra-wealthy, compared to regular diners?
Cheng says: “Fortunately for me, and maybe based on their experience at VEA, I’ve never had issues with famous or rich people. In almost every way, they just let me decide.”
