HOW TO HIRE · PERSONAL & LIFESTYLE · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a meal prep cook in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A meal prep service in Ireland costs €60–€250 per week, typically around €120. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a meal prep cook in five steps
- Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers meal prep cook work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — packaging & Storage — once meals are prepared, they are often packaged in convenient containers that are suitable for refrigeration or freezing.
- How does complexity of the meals change the price?The trickiest part of the job often takes the longest. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does dietary restrictions change the price?It is checked on the visit because it changes the method. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does ingredient quality change the price?The parts and products used are added to the bill. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Cooking & Preparation — the core of meal prep services is the actual cooking and preparation of meals — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a meal prep cook job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
NO REGISTER APPLIES to chefs, stylists, organisers, errand runners or concierges. You are buying somebody's time, taste and access to your home, so the checks are about trust and what is written down rather than about law.
Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.
What to check instead
Whether they are a trader — a business name and an invoice, not a favour with money attached; Public liability insurance, and who the insurer is; For anyone in your home unaccompanied, references you actually telephone; For food, whether they hold food-safety training and where the food is prepared; Exactly what the hours cover and what counts as extra; Keys and access in writing: who holds what, and how it comes back.
Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.
Insurance
Expect public liability; for food work, ask about product liability too. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
A good answer: No register covers meal prep cook work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — packaging & Storage — once meals are prepared, they are often packaged in convenient containers that are suitable for refrigeration or freezing.
A good answer: The trickiest part of the job often takes the longest. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: It is checked on the visit because it changes the method. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: The parts and products used are added to the bill. — ask before the quote rather than after.
A good answer: Cooking & Preparation — the core of meal prep services is the actual cooking and preparation of meals — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a meal prep cook job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
A good answer: Expect public liability; for food work, ask about product liability too — ingredient Sourcing — many meal prep services will source fresh, high-quality ingredients based on the planned meals.
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the meal prep cook starts, and an itemised invoice after — meal Planning — meal prep services often start with a consultation to understand dietary preferences and nutritional goals.
Getting the quote right
- Complexity of the meals — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest.
- Dietary restrictions — it is checked on the visit because it changes the method.
- Ingredient quality — the parts and products used are added to the bill.
- Access to your kitchen — height work needs equipment that a ground-floor job does not.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They will not talk about it: complexity of the meals — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest
- They will not talk about it: dietary restrictions — it is checked on the visit because it changes the method
- They will not talk about it: ingredient quality — the parts and products used are added to the bill
- A price for the meal prep cook before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
- No written quote, or one that moves once the meal prep cook has begun
What a meal prep cook costs: €60–€250 per week
The figures are for the job, per week, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Weekly meal prep and Diet-specific meal plans each carry their own band. Meal Prep Service price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Meal prep cooks near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstComplexity of the meals — the trickiest part of the job often takes the longest — that is what the meal prep cook is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneDietary restrictions — it is checked on the visit because it changes the method — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfIngredient quality — the parts and products used are added to the bill — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherAccess to your kitchen — height work needs equipment that a ground-floor job does not — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the meal prep cook is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, consider the materials used for packaging and storage to keep meals fresh.
- Meal Planning
- Meal prep services often start with a consultation to understand dietary preferences and nutritional goals.
- Ingredient Sourcing
- Many meal prep services will source fresh, high-quality ingredients based on the planned meals.
- Cooking & Preparation
- The core of meal prep services is the actual cooking and preparation of meals.
- Packaging & Storage
- Once meals are prepared, they are often packaged in convenient containers that are suitable for refrigeration or freezing.
- Diet-Specific Meal Plans
- These plans cater to specific dietary needs, such as low-carb, high-protein, or vegan, providing meals that align perfectly with your goals.
- Family Meal Preparation
- This service focuses on preparing meals for families, considering the preferences and nutritional needs of both adults and children.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a meal prep cook: questions people ask
The cost of a meal prep service can vary based on factors such as the complexity of the meals, dietary restrictions, and ingredient quality. Custom requests or specialty diets may also increase the overall price.
A typical meal prep session can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, depending on the number of meals being prepared and the complexity of the recipes. Clients should allow sufficient time for both planning and cooking.
Many meal prep services require advance booking, but some may offer emergency or same-day services for an additional fee. It's best to inquire directly with the service provider for their availability.
Yes, many meal prep services may offer package deals or discounts for booking multiple related services, such as grocery shopping or personal chef services. It's advisable to discuss this with the provider during the initial consultation.
Meal prep services generally do not include grocery shopping for non-recipe items, such as snacks or pantry staples. Additionally, they may not accommodate last-minute changes to meal plans once preparation has begun.
NO REGISTER APPLIES to chefs, stylists, organisers, errand runners or concierges. You are buying somebody's time, taste and access to your home, so the checks are about trust and what is written down rather than about law.
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