SIOUX CENTER—One Sioux Center entrepreneur is ready to serve up homemade meals and pleasant conversation as she launches her own private chef business.
With the start of KVB Baking & Cooking, 19-year-old Kiara Van Beek will prepare in clients’ homes the meals of their choosing, providing food for people or events upon request.
“It all depends on the client. They can request whatever they want and as long as I have the means to do it, I’ll do it as long as I can find the ingredients in the grocery store,” she said. “I can do Mexican, I can do Italian, American. Those are probably the main ones I can do, but I’m also willing to branch out to new things I haven’t tried before also.”
Anyone interested in lining up a meal with KVB Baking & Cooking can contact her by phone at 712-739-0364 or through her Facebook and Instagram pages, which are listed as Kiara Van Beek Baking & Cooking.
Van Beek has been interested in cooking since childhood, growing up cooking right alongside her parents. Cookies remain a favorite treat of hers to bake.
Kiara Van Beek particularly enjoys baking cookies. Whether it’s treats or meals, Van Beek is eager to work in the kitchen as she starts her own private chef business, KVB Baking & Cooking. Photo submitted
Ever since her childhood, her love for the culinary arts has only grown. She’s even taken that passion to commercial settings, having worked as a line cook for Late Harvest Brewery in Sioux Center and as a cook for the Fox Hole in Orange City. As much as she’s enjoyed her work, Van Beek began a few months ago to think about the possibility of going into business herself.
“I wasn’t so sure about it, but it just kept coming back to my mind,” Van Beek said.
The idea that lodged itself in her mind was how private chefs are more of a common thing in big cities but are seen much less in small communities. Here, she an opening.
“I thought it would be a really good opportunity to start something like that locally and to see where it takes me,” Van Beek said.
So, she started to make work of it, getting things ready and making social media posts advertising her work. She’s been grateful for the support and assistance of her husband, Reagan, a Dordt University business major.
“He’s been very supportive and offering advice because he’s majoring in business administration. He knows more about the business side of things, which is very helpful,” Van Beek said.
Private chefs typically a variety of customers and commonly cater for events. Customers can be families or single people. They might not care for meal prep or cooking, or they might just want an occasional break from cooking. A private chef will serve at a variety of events, too, such as baby showers or other parties.
Regardless of the customer or the context, Van Beek is eager to get started with her work.
“I’m excited about being able to establish relationships with my clients because I’ll be cooking in their homes,” she said. “I really am excited to have conversations with them and build friendships with them.”
Dining and Cooking