Alan Bender

Chef de Cuisine
Alan Bender Profile

Short bio

Chef Alan is a fully certified Shomer Shabbos Jewish Chef with a complete understanding of Jewish food customs, traditions, tastes, and kosher laws & regulations.

  • Experience rating 6
  • Talkativeness 2
  • Location: Australia, New South Wales, Upper North Shore, St Ives
  • Events done: 6
  • ID verification:
  • Recommendation score: 90
  • Insurance:
  • Member since: Mar-2019
  • Food safety certificate:

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Bio

He has been a qualified chef for over 30 years and is acknowledged as a fellow Master Chef of the South African Chefs Association, having owned numerous restaurants and catering businesses in South Africa. Chef Alan’s unique skills afforded him the opportunity to cater in the bush as part of 5-star safari establishments. He is a true perfectionist with an ‘everything is possible’ mindset.

Some of Chef Alan’s proudest career moments include cooking a dinner for Nelson Mandela and catering for kosher travellers in South Africa’s luxury safaris.

Chef Alan believes that CHEFIN is the perfect platform to work and grow as a professional chef.

Chef Alan Bender is one of the only fully Kosher certified Private Chefs in the Upper Noth Shore & St Ives. His background originates from South Africa having worked in a wide variety of restaurants including Michelin starred ones. He was once upon a time an all-rounder chef – explored & learned cuisines & working with ingredients outside of the Kosher echelon. He then re-settled from South Africa to the Upper North Shore in St Ives to be the local Private Chef nearby the culture-rich local community. Chef Alan’s tradition boasts deeply into his family’s views and the raising of his children. With both, his wife and himself agreeing on the Kosher traditions are extremely important for the heritage of who they are and who their kids are to become as adults Chef Alan moved to fully Kosher certified services in the Upper North Shore & wider Sydney areas. Chef Alan runs his own catering company that is fully Kosher certified – Soul Gourmet.

As a Private Chef from St Ives Chef Alan travels across Sydney to service his clients from the Lower North Shore suburbs to the Northern Beaches area. his Kosher Private Chef services are of high demand across Sydney with the community being highly affectionate for his food & personal touch.

Chef Alan Bender is a rare breed of Private Chef – he couples a vast experience from his exposure to diverse clientele through the CHEFIN platform & learnings across his travels and cuisine exploration back in his home country of South Africa to his traditions of being Kosher certified Private Chef. A vast population of Upper North Shore clients enjoy his Kosher prepared meal subscription service and his St Ives Private Chef services.

Favourites

Alan loves to cook fish and dishes that please the customer. He has a secret obsession with chocolate fudge (the healthy version - without condensed milk!) and is extremely proud of his house-smoked ocean trout/Atlantic salmon recipe, made using his custom-made transportable smoker.

Cusines

  • Continental European
  • Kosher
  • Middle Eastern
  • Modern Australian
  • South African

Reviews

  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Food was excellent, well presented and tasted good. The services given by the 2 chefs were impeccable.

    Catherine Ferrari
  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ As always, Chefin delivered high quality food and experience for my guests

    Jennifer Cramond
  • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The edible spoon mushrooms canapé was delicious, I confess… I had 3! I love the edible spoon concept. So much easier than having to faff about with an empty standard serving spoon.
    The deconstructed Greek salad was fresh and left me feeling light and ready for a heartier main. Impressive presentation.
    The cheese blintz was my favourite! Seriously one of the best desserts I’ve had. The savoury cheese yet sweet syrup is a good contrast for the tastebuds. Addictively delicious!
    The salmon main was outstanding. It had a delicious smoky flavour to it and the texture was superb.
    Thank you, Chef Alan & Team CHEFIN, my first Kosher kitchen experience was sensational. The deconstructed Greek salad was fresh and left me feeling light and ready for a heartier main. Impressive presentation. Can not stop thinking about the cheese blintzes 🤤 Perfection!

    Hayley