About Wil Crutchley

Wil Crutchley grew up in the coastal North Carolina town of Elizabeth City, and began working in restaurants at the age of 15.  After graduating high school, he moved to Greensboro, N.C. working for the next two years in an upscale restaurant/bistro. He went on to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta, where he excelled in the AIA’s international culinary arts program. 

During his tenure at the AIA, he was asked by Swissotel to be their head garde manger chef at their Atlanta property.  Two and one-half years later, Wil was solicited by a French auberge to cook for a summer in their one star restaurant.  This was an eye-opening experience.  He spent an additional six weeks in Europe working as a personal chef and as a chef in a gastropub in Bournemouth, England.

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Wil Crutchley Private Chef in Las Vegas

Wil Crutchley Personal Chef

Working as a personal private chef, in many cases, can be more challenging than working in a Michelin 3-star restaurant.  The chef has to operate with a totally different mindset and has to constantly be aware that there is not a restaurant wall separating himself from the client; he is working in the home of the client and is completely integrated into the fabric of the household dynamic as well as the lives of the principal(s). 

Wil Crutchley Private Chef in Las Vegas

Not only does a private chef have to cook and manage his time in expertly fashion, he has be like a waiter in the fact that he has to be well-spoken, presentable and give first-class service.  “The Butler’s Guild” best defines the role of a private chef:

  • Prepares all menus for approval by the employer. Works closely with the Butler or Personal Secretary to plan /coordinate for upcoming activities such as guests and parties, birthdays, seasonal themes and such. Also, pays attention to any requests, keeps track of likes and dislikes, “hit” or “missed the mark” menus.
  • Does the marketing personally or by delegation in some organizations. As possible, develops relationships and strategies with purveyors to insure that only the best ingredients are purchased and used.
  • Performs or coordinates (if not there), all the cooking in the residence, yacht, aircraft including baking, parties, buffets. Is sensitive to considerations such as strong odors, noise in the kitchen at meal times, and last minute requests. Understands the importance of beautiful presentation, but not at the expense of great taste. Exhibits attitudes and behaviors that are supportive of other staff and the combined effort of all to provide great service to the employer.
  • Responsible for the cleaning of the kitchen and related facilities such as coolers and freezers, usually with assistance in the form of a helper or another staff person such as a housekeeper who pitches in at a proscribed time on a regular basis.
  • Serving, depending on the specific employment situation (with assistance when over 6-8 people) and also depending on the style of service and level of formality involved. It must be recognized that calm and relaxed dining is not enhanced by a professional who must rush in order to cover both the dining room and the kitchen.

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My Story

Upon his return to the U.S., Wil moved to New York to assume a position as chef de partie for two years at the famed Drake Hotel, a Swissotel property.   Wil left the Drake to expand his studies, attending Baruch College for journalism, and continuing to work as a temporary catering chef with a number of high end New York catering companies.  During this period, he established his food consulting business, working with a number of restaurants and businesses to improve their menus, lower food costs and improve their day-to-day operations.  

After college, he achieved his goal of working in 4 star restaurants by working at Le Cirque and Le Bernardin.  To strengthen his skills in the pastry arts, Wil took a job as a pastry production chef at Payard, arguably the best pastry shop in the United States.

Having amassed a wide range of educational and practical culinary experiences in the United States and Europe, Wil decided that his greatest interest lay in expanding his consulting business. He worked with West Village restaurant, Paris Commune, revamping the restaurant and improving the day to day workings of the restaurant.  He went on to test/create recipes for “The Big Book of Southern Italian Food & Wine” cookbook with renowned food writer, Arthur Schwartz.   Today, Wil freelances with Remy/Cointreau as chef consultant for their premium cognac brand, Louis XIII, continues to advise with foodservice businesses and works as a private chef.

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Wil has worked as executive chef most recently in New York City’s renown West Village restaurant, “Paris Commune”.  During this period he achieved monumental successes for the establishment including:

  • -Consistently having a food cost of 22% or lower (2 months the food cost was 19%)
  • -Achieving a labor cost that averaged less than 25%
  • -Instituting a sanitation program that delivered impressive scoring on subsequent health inspections
  • -Dramatically improved the speed, consistency and quality of dining & catering operations
  • -Creating, cataloging and standardizing recipes for lunch, dining and catering operations as well as implementing signature recipes for marketing purposes

With over 25+ years in the hospitality business, Wil Crutchley has an impressive amount of experience running foodservice operations.  Contact him and find out how he can help you with your Restaurant’s organizational needs.

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