Private Chef Mike Shand Cooking for Beyoncé

Paparazzi seem to be constantly catching your favourite celebrities coming and going from restaurants like Nobu in Malibu, the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, or Le Rock in New York City, but have you ever wondered who’s keeping them well-fed at home? David Nash investigates for Town & Country, including New Zealand-born Mike Shand, 42, who cooks for Beyoncé, in the article’s A-list of private chefs.

Shand’s love for food started on his family’s farm in Christchurch with its abundance of fresh produce, and his mother’s ability to transform it into something spectacular at dinnertime. By 1999, he was working in fine dining restaurants while earning an early degree in the culinary arts.

In 2010 Shand joined Beyoncé’s ‘I Am’ world tour and was offered the role of private chef to the musical icon, Nash reports.

While he continues to cook for both Beyoncé and Jay-Z – and occasionally for other artists like Adele – the chef’s life has come to a rolling boil.

“I’m pretty good at noticing what people like, listening when they tell me what they’re in the mood for, and cooking with whatever the heck is around me – that’s the part I love most,” Shand says.

Another of his ventures, is Elite Private Chefs, a chef placement agency that pairs private and personal chefs with a discerning clientele.

Original article by David Nash, Town & Country, March 9, 2023.