Need to find cook/housekeeper

[AK1974]

Hi,
I hope this isn't against the rules but I'm a dad. My wife recently passed away and I need help with cooking, in that I'm terrible at it and find it a struggle to do my job and sort lunch/dinner for the family. I'm looking to hire a live-out cook temporarily while we adjust to life without my DW. Can anyone recommend a good company that they've used to hire a cook?

Many thanks.

I can’t help with a recommendation but your local facebook page is often a good starting point. In the meantime Cook frozen meals are good (my local coop stocks them or I think you can get a delivery), otherwise the better supermarket ready meals, get an Ocado delivery etc. finally there are people who will prepare and deliver meals to you that you just put into the oven (I did it in a past life) to get you through this period.

so sorry for your loss, thinking of you

Which part of the UK are you in?

What kind of support are you looking for?

• a fridge/freezer full of prepared meals that just need heating and plating
• Someone to visit every day and get the food cooked and on the table at dinner time then prep the lunches for the next day?
• Are the kids needing lunch prepared at home every day or are they at school/nursery during the week?

If a load of re-heatable meals would help then there are services that will deliver a box each week and then you just use as you like. If it’s more about getting it on the table then you’re looking for a very part time role maybe 1.5-2 hrs a day after school hours I’d be looking at something like a part time nanny service through a childcare agency.

Thank you @hohahagogo , am trying to avoid frozen foods. Meal prep is a possibility but wanted to be able to learn from a cook.

@Nevergotdivorced I'm in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

I'm a nanny/cook and this is the kind of thing I do. I can't recommend any companies but I've always found jobs through local Facebook parents and childcare/housekeeper pages and local community forums, also through word of mouth- do you know any families with nannies who cook and might be looking for extra part time work?
We also have a street WhatsApp group (it's a very long road) where requests and recommendations are often made for things like babysitting/cooking/cleaners/housekeeping/ pet-sitting etc.

Sorry for your loss and hope you find a cooking solution.

@AK1974 First of all, so sorry for your loss, suddenly finding having to do new stuff must be daunting on top of what you are already dealing with. I agree with some other posters here, going local is probably the way forward if you can find someone to do it who is an "all round home help". Meal boxes, ready meals and all of that are fine, and there is nothing wrong with the occasional takeaway or simple meal (pot noodle or fish and chip supper, even beans on toast) but I suspect you may need a bit "more" that is more understanding of your situation. There will be people locally that will be able to help, that will do a bit more of a tailored thing than if you just get a big company in. So a bit of wrap around childminding, a bit of food provision and a bit of cleaning and housework I realise that you probably don't want, at this moment to be interviewing the perfect person, but do ask on FB sites and whatsapp streets because it may be the answer. If not, sometimes you can find cooking classes that you do with your kids (depends how old they are) and there is some legs in that also. Hope you find something. Cooking itself is not that hard, but on top of everything else, it is probably a mountain you don't fancy climbing right now. HTH xxx

Thank you @InfoSecInTheCity @Bundtingcake @avignon1234 for all your advice, I will try and get a personal recommendation from community groups on Facebook/Whatsapp.

@AK1974, you may also check out the NextDoor website.

@cheekaa, already enquired on nextdoor, seems most housekeepers on there are cleaners. Still waiting for some to respond.
Thanks.

I’m so sorry about your loss, how terribly sad.
Have you thought of HelloFresh? It’s taught my 37 year old daughter to cook, she loves it. You can choose quick meals for during the week, longer stuff for weekends, they give you timings on the website. No waste. Delivered to your door. Not great portion sizes, but we like a lot of food! Some great offers, I live in Hemel too, they’ve been door knocking this week.
It’s not cheap but neither will a housekeeper be and you’ll pick it up so quickly, the recipes are so detailed. My DH has never cooked, even he had a go and actually enjoyed it, apparently, his words not mine, “if you can read, you can cook”, I’m not sure about that but honestly my family have surprised me. Might be worth a try whilst you’re waiting to employ someone, just pick all the ‘easy’ or ‘quick’ meals.

Really sorry for your loss - the lady magazine is good for things such as you want.

The Lady was perfect but it has folded

The Lady still exists online. https://lady.co.uk

@minnowonthesay Thank you, I did look at HelloFresh but sadly they don't cater for our dietary requirements (halal), although there seem to be alternative meal prep services that do - so it is a possibility.

@patooties @Bundtingcake Thanks for directing me to the lady, never knew that existed (I'm probably not their target demographic), will check that and littleoneslondon.co.uk.

Stay clear of Little O L agency. They are renowned horrific and dishonest

This is the Housekeepers, Cooks, Au Pairs, Mother's Helps and Nannies FB group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1165391071120625/
I don't know if this link will work but you can also search the name.

Interesting, they have a lot of good reviews, but I will heed your advice and steer clear.

Thank you, link works fine, will take a look.

They spend a lot of money to come up top search results on Google and fixing their reputation.
Their negative reviews are very true to how they are. Although watered down where they can with false reviews.

Know many personally that have been burnt through them. A cook may be different but with childcare they make sure they say they can find you someone quicker than any other agency. Tie you in on the ‘one time’ finders fee. To those I know that equated to a percentage of candidate yearly salary. Thousands. To find themself with less than qualified or professional candidates and candidates promised the world by the agency. They really are an awful agency who are on for hard sell, once they have their ‘finders fee’ likely won’t see them for dust

Understood, have stayed away from them.

Thanks all for your advice, I've reached out on facebook and local community pages, just trying to find the right person now.

Good luck 🙏🏻 I’m sure you’ll find some great from personal recommendations. Wish you all the best

Hope you do find what you need soon