I am starting a business as a personal chef. Would there be any halachic issues if I were to cook non-kosher food for a gentile client in the client's own kitchen?

There are a few minor problems. 

You would not be allowed to cook kosher meat with kosher milk. Non-kosher meat with non-kosher milk is OK.

You cannot cook with non-kosher wine.

 

You cannot cook chometz on Pesach

 

You obviousely may not taste anything even to see if it needs seasoning.

There's no reason why you shouldn't take this position, but you should be aware of certain Halachic (Jewish legal) issues. In fact it might not be a bad idea to put up a sign with the following rules as an ongoing reminder. The first and most important rule to follow is that you can't do something that most chefs do: taste test. Since you observe kashrut and you're cooking non-kosher food, you might have the reflexive action of tasting what you're cooking. So, if you feel that it would be impossible to cook food for this non-Jewish client without taste testing then you should respectfully turn down the offer.

 

Further, there are certain things from which a Jewish person may not derive any benefit (Hebrew: hana'ah). The cooked mixture of meat and milk can't be done for a Jewish person's benefit. Thus, if your client requested a meal that includes milk and meat cooked together, you should refuse. This law is known as basar b’chalav assur b’hana’ah. Incidentally, this prohibition does not apply to mixtures which are only forbidden by the rabbis of the Talmud such as poultry cooked with milk, or meat and milk mixed together without cooking]. 

 

Passover would also be an issue in this situation. On the eight days of the Passover holiday you would not be allowed to derive any benefit from cooking with hametz (leavened products). So, your choice would be to either take a vacation during Passover or see if your client(s) was willing to eat Pesadik food for the week.

 

If you follow these few rules, I believe that taking this position as a personal chef in a non-kosher kitchen would be acceptable.

 

Rabbi Jason Miller is the founder and director of Kosher Michigan, a kashrut certification agency. Through KM, Rabbi Miller promotes the observance of kashrut by supervising and certifying select institutions, vendors and products that meet strict standards. KM seeks to bring more options into the local marketplace and make kosher certification a trusted, affordable and sensible option for businesses.

I would see no issues with you serving as the cook or chef for this person in itself. 

 

We are taught in the Mishnah, and it is expanded upon in the Talmud, that one may be in the busiess of making and selling idols to pagans. 'Af al pi' (a fortiori, all the more so), I would think, preparing food for others - specifically for a non-Jew, should present no inherent prohibition. . 

 

The obvious issue for you to note would have to do with your own observance of Jewish law (halachah), such as not working on Shabbat, or preparing/heating food.to be used on Shabbat. 

 

You may need to be concerned with Issues around wine (kosher - entirely made/handled by Jews, as opposed to mevushal or boiled wine vs other forms, may be a concern for reasons of Kashrut - dietary laws - in halachah/Jewish law).

 

If you observe a halachic form of kashrut, then you probably can't consume anything you are preparing, not even to taste it for seasoning. Tasting things as you prepare them is a problem in any case, and if you are preparing completely treif (unfit or forbiddden by kosher standards) items - surely no tasting while you make dishes such as shrimp diavola, ham rolls, chicken cordon bleu, etc.  

 

Even if you yourself are observing a non-halachic form of Kashrut (following a 'kosher style' practice), you would still have some of the problems noted here. 

 

If you can avoid crossing the lines you have established for your own observance, there is no reason you can't take the position. 

 

Hatzlachah (success) in your new endeavor! 

 

Rabbi Joe Blair