Retreat Private Chef in Sedona, AZ
Every meal of your retreat, from coffee before the first session to dinner on the patio, timed to your schedule and cooked in the house you've booked.
Feeding the Whole Group, Three Times a Day
A retreat leader has a program to run, and lunch shouldn't be part of it. Yarrow is a two-cook team from the Village of Oak Creek that moves into your rental's kitchen for the length of the retreat and handles every meal and snack in between.
Yoga teachers, writing groups, leadership teams and families who rented one big house for the week have all eaten at our long tables. The schedule stays yours; food arrives when the sessions break.
- Breakfastthrough dinner
- Snacksbetween sessions
- Shoppingdone for you
- Kitchenreset nightly
Who Books a Retreat Chef
Two nights or a full week, six guests or twenty-four.
Breakfast Out When the Mats Roll Up
Most retreats start early. The coffee is made before the first session, and breakfast is set out the minute it ends: yogurt and granola, fruit cut that morning, eggs cooked to order, and something warm for whoever slept through the class.
- ✓Coffee before the first session
- ✓Eggs to order
- ✓Fruit cut that morning
Cooking in a Kitchen That Isn't Ours
Photos first
We ask the host for pictures of the kitchen and a list of the pans, burners and oven size.
Our own kit
Sheet pans, knives, a second coffee urn and serving platters for twenty-four come with us.
Day-before prep
Dressings, doughs and braises are started in our own kitchen the day before, then come with us on day one.
Back as it was
Pantry cleared, fridge wiped and the house's dishes put back where they live.
One Table, Everyone's Way of Eating
A retreat of sixteen usually has a vegan, two gluten-free guests and someone who won't touch cilantro. We collect every guest's allergies and preferences two weeks out and cook one menu with versions of each dish, so nobody ends up with a plate of sides. Tell us about any allergy and we cook around it. Every dish on the buffet has a card listing what's in it.
- ✓Forms two weeks out
- ✓Versions, not side plates
- ✓A card on every dish
What Retreat Leaders Tell Us
Twenty teachers in training for six days and the food never once got in the way of the schedule. Breakfast after the morning practice was what everyone talked about on the drive home.
Our leadership offsite ran on time because lunch did. We broke at 12:15 and it was on the table at 12:15, all three days.
Four generations in one house in the Village of Oak Creek. They fed a toddler, my vegan niece and my grandmother at the same long table, every night.
What Happens Before Day One
Most retreats are planned with us six to ten weeks ahead.
Dates and headcount
Send the retreat dates, the house or venue and an estimated headcount.
Schedule call
Twenty minutes on your session times, hike days and free evenings; a draft menu for each day follows.
Guest forms
Each guest fills in a form two weeks out, and the menu is finalized from the answers.
Move-in morning
Two cooks arrive the day the group does and leave after the final meal is cleared.
Retreat Dates Picked?
Spring and fall weekends in Sedona go first, so the earlier your dates reach us, the better.
Questions From Retreat Leaders
Do you cook at retreat centers, or only rental houses?
Both, as long as there's a kitchen we can use. Some centers have kitchen staff of their own, so we check with them first.
How many different diets can one menu handle?
As many as the group brings. Each dish gets a version for every diet on the forms, and any allergy you list is cooked around.
What if a session runs long?
Lunch waits. Tell either cook when the schedule moves and the next meal moves with it.
What does the grocery bill cover?
Food for every meal and snack, bought at cost with receipts. Wine and other drinks are yours to bring.
What's the smallest retreat you'll take?
Six guests for two days. For anything smaller, ask about the welcome dinner on its own.
Can you cook at a venue in Cottonwood or the Verde Valley?
Yes. Yarrow cooks across Sedona, the Village of Oak Creek, Cottonwood, Cornville, Jerome and Camp Verde. Farther out, just ask.
Send Your Retreat Dates
Dates, venue and headcount are enough to start. Availability comes back by email.