Local chefs cooking fresh meals with care, for the families and neighbors around them.
At Shef, we’re bringing humanity back to mealtime by empowering communities to nourish and feed one another.
By introducing the sharing economy to the dinner table, we create meaningful economic opportunities for chefs while making homemade meals more accessible and affordable. Shefs on the platform craft menus inspired by their passion and expertise, preparing meals in small batches and delivering them to your door—so you can enjoy the warmth of a homemade meal without the hassle.
Shefs are local culinary professionals who bring care, skill, and heart to every homemade meal they create.
Each shef shares their own story and culinary craft, offering flavors and traditions from around the world. Most importantly, they’re your neighbors — passionate, vetted food entrepreneurs dedicated to nourishing their communities with food made with integrity and love.
We built Shef to bring humanity back to mealtime, by enabling communities to nourish and feed one another.
Shef is part of a growing movement to empower local food entrepreneurs and create a more inclusive food system for all. By giving talented chefs the platform, tools, and support to share their homemade meals, we’re helping every chef to turn their passion into opportunity. Since 2019, thousands of “shefs” have delivered tens of millions of homemade meals to households across the US — each one made with care by a neighbor who loves what they do. Because when food is made with heart, it connects us all.
Why We Started Shef
Shef was inspired by a longing to bring back what makes food special — the warmth, intention, and human touch behind every homemade meal.
Our founders, Joey and Alvin, grew up in immigrant households where food was more than just a meal—it was an expression of love, culture, and connection. As adults, they both felt how rare it had become to experience the comfort of a homemade meal, and when they met, they bonded over a shared hope: to empower people like their parents, who poured their hearts into nourishing their families and their communities. So they built Shef to do what communities have done for generations - nourish and feed one another.
