Love to cook? Share it. Get paid.
Homemade is a Boston-based platform that connects independent home cooks with local clients looking for help with meals. Whether you're a trained chef or just someone who’s always feeding your friends, you can earn flexible income doing what you love — right in someone’s home kitchen.
Why Join Homemade?
Flexible schedule You set your availability and accept requests
No client hunting We connect you with local customers
No kitchen needed All cooking happens in the client’s home
Meaningful income Get paid for doing something you’re great at
Community connection Share your food and culture with others
How Cooking Homemade Works
1
Create your profile
Share what you love to cook, your hourly rate, and your availability. All cooks complete a background check and food safety certification before getting started. Clients are also required to complete a background check.
2
Get matched with clients
We help you get discovered by local clients based on your cooking style and schedule. You choose which requests to accept. There’s no minimum number of sessions you need to take, and no penalty if you decline.
3
Show up and cook
Cook in the client’s kitchen, portion and store meals, tidy up, and head out. If grocery shopping is requested, shop beforehand — you’ll be compensated for ingredients + an extra 30 minutes of time. We handle payments through Stripe, so you can focus on the food, not the logistics.
FAQs
Not seeing the answer to your question here? Let us know!
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Homemade is a platform that connects talented home cooks with local clients who want fresh, home-cooked meals prepared in their own kitchens. We handle the client sourcing and admin; you focus on doing what you love: cooking.
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We welcome cooks of all backgrounds and styles! To join Homemade, you must:
Be based in the Greater Boston area (for now)
Complete a background check (through Checkr)
Provide proof of an ANSI-accredited food safety certification (e.g., ServSafe)
Be eligible to work in the U.S.
Be able to travel to and from client homes
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Cooks on Homemade are independent contractors, not employees. You control your schedule, set your own pricing, and choose which client sessions to accept.
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You get to earn income doing what you love, on your terms. Homemade provides visibility to new clients, handles payments through Stripe, and supports you with the platform experience. There are no minimum commitments — just cook when it works for you.
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All food is prepared in the client’s home kitchen. Clients provide basic kitchen equipment, and you bring any specialty tools needed (as agreed in advance).
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Once your profile is complete, Homemade shares it with clients who are looking for cooks. They’ll select from available options based on menus, availability, and pricing. Our team facilitates the match.
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No. You always have the right to accept or decline any request. You’ll see the client’s basic profile information (such as whether they have pets at home, or if they have dietary restrictions) and menu selections before you make a decision.
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Yes! All clients who use Homemade:
Complete a third-party background check
Have public reviews from other home cooks
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Clients pay for your session through Homemade using Stripe. You’ll receive a payout to your linked bank account after the session is completed.
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You set your rate. Homemade adds a 15% platform fee, which helps fund client acquisition, onboarding, support, and operations.
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It depends on the client. If grocery shopping is requested, we’ll inform the client of the estimated cost based on your recipes. You’ll be reimbursed for grocery purchases through Stripe. If you do the shopping, you’ll also be paid an additional amount equal to 30 minutes of your time at your hourly rate.
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Yes! You decide your hourly rate and when you're available to work.
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That’s up to you! Most clients are looking for healthy, delicious meals that reheat well. We encourage you to share sample menus and meal types that reflect your cooking style.
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Yes — you’ll be responsible for getting to and from client homes. We recommend factoring travel time and costs into your hourly rate when setting your pricing.
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Clients are asked to cancel at least 48 hours before their scheduled session. If they cancel late or book within 48 hours and then cancel, they are responsible for the full cost of the service, including your time and any groceries you were asked to shop for.
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We’re here to help. You can contact our team anytime at cookinghomemadeteam@gmail.com and we’ll support you as best we can. Once a session is scheduled, you’ll also be able to reach us via text for real-time support during your service window.