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4.2

Great rating - 4.2/5 (11114+ reviews)

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  • Home cooking
  • Cooking Lessons
  • Vegetarian meal preparation
  • Vegan meal preparation
  • Meal planning
  • … or anything else
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Recent Cooking reviews in East Melbourne

High recommend Rachel! Great communication and organisation for the task. She's also really attentive and goes above and beyond with each stage of preparation ☺️

Meal Prep & Deliver (10 per week to start with)

$95

We loved her work. She was so independent and the cake looked amazing and was a hit at our wedding

Wedding cake

$300

Nailed an absolutely left field cake suggestion! Thank you J!

BIRTHDAY CAKE!!!

$200

We had a sit down dinner party for 13 at our place . Mel helped with Menu planning , came over to our place a day before to do initial preps and then on the party she cooked a wonderful meal of entree , mains and dessert. She was very happy to accommodate special dietary requests . The food was delicious and especially the negri yakitori and fish were very well appreciated by our friends !

Chef for dinner party at home

$650

Franco was lovely to deal with, honest and communicative

Rice cooker repair

$10

Thanks for the last minute help!

Make a cake

$120

What's the average cost of a cook in East Melbourne

$25 - $212

low

$25

median

$150

high

$212

Low, median and high bar chart distribuiton

Average reviews for Cooking Services in East Melbourne

based on 12 reviews

4.67

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Suggested reads about Cooking

What do cooking services include?

You can hire a cook to provide food for a range of meals and occasions, from home cooking and meal prep to specialty cooking and even dinner party catering. You can arrange cooking services to happen in your own kitchen or your cook can bring the food ready-prepared. Your chef will take care of everything from buying ingredients to cleaning up. Here’s what you can expect depending on your cooking service:

Home cooking
Want fresh meals in your home? Your home chef can either offer regular home cooking services where they cook multiple nights per week, or provide a one-off meal if you just need occasional help. Your private chef will ask if you have any food preferences or intolerances, how many people they need to cook for, and what appliances and equipment they can use. They’ll usually plan the meals ahead of time, purchase the ingredients, and freshly cook the meals in your kitchen, and then clean up before they go.

Baking
Want to impress your best friend with an amazing cake for her birthday party? Or perhaps it’s your turn to bring some baking to work for morning tea? Hire a pastry chef or professional baker to create a cake, biscuits, muffins, or something else tasty. They’ll ask you how many people you’re baking for, any flavour preferences, and any special decorations you’d like. Your baker will bake at their place and deliver the finished product to your home or office once it’s ready.

Dinner party chef
If you’re planning a dinner party with friends, why not hire a dinner party chef to help take all the stress out of hosting? Your professional cook will contact you to confirm the number of guests, what courses/canapes you’d like, and whether the event is formal or informal. They’ll usually prepare most of the food where the event is being held (whether at your home or at a venue) and clean up the kitchen after they’re done.

Specialty cooking
Cooking paleo, vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free can be a challenge, whether it’s for yourself, a family member, or for an event you’re catering. Fortunately, many cooks are experienced with a range of different food requirements, including food intolerances, special diets, and allergies. When you hire a cook, they’ll choose recipes and ingredients that are suitable, confirming any dietary requirements before they get started. They’ll be careful to avoid cross-contamination if they’re preparing alternative meals for certain members of your family or party.

Meal preparation & planning
If you struggle to come up with meal ideas and always find yourself short of time throughout the week, why not hire a cook to prep your meals for the week? Your personal cook will confirm how many meals you’d like, the number of people, and if you have any preferences. They’ll choose meals that keep well and are easy to store, and taste great fresh or reheated. They’ll either prepare the food in your kitchen (cleaning up afterwards) or drop your freshly prepared meals off when they’re done, packaged and ready for the fridge or freezer.

Recent Cooking tasks in East Melbourne

Cleaning cooking and meal prep

$25

Hawthorn East, Victoria

20th Jan 2026

Need help with cooking, house cleaning and do some meal prep Rate 25/hr Requirement- 2-3 times a week for 4hrs Please Quote me your hourly rate

Zoe did a great job with cooking and meal prep. The food was lovely and it made a big difference for our family. Thank you, Zoe!

Cleaning cooking and meal prep

$25

Hawthorn East, Victoria

20th Jan 2026

Need help with cooking, house cleaning and do some meal prep Rate 25/hr Requirement- 2-3 times a week for 4hrs Please Quote me your hourly rate

Meal prep chef

$150

Doncaster East VIC, Australia

17th Jan 2026

Need help preparing healthy meal prep for family of 3 with young baby. Preference for Asian food (Chinese/japanese/cantonese/korean). Come to my house weekly to meal prep for the week

I need an Elsa (Dolly Varden) cake

$190

Templestowe VIC, Australia

13th Jan 2026

I would like an Elsa doll cake for my daughters 4th birthday

Private chef - need help with meal prep

$250

Box Hill VIC, Australia

10th Jan 2026

Need private chef to cook meal prep for me (either done from your home and then delivered or visit me to cook at mine) You will need to buy ingredients (off a specific recipe, everything sourceable from coles/woolies). Need to be able to deliver 1x a week to Box Hill Total time to cook: 20 mins per recipe Clean: 10 minutes (~30 mins per recipe) I will pay you ingredient cost + ~$150 (for your time) per week (to cook 2-3 sets of recipes and deliver, estimated total is $230 per week, ingredient cost $80, for ~8 meals)

Child birthday party decoration

$200

Balwyn VIC, Australia

5th Jan 2026

Need help setting up a hello kitty theme party for my child. Will need someone with props preferably and with design expertise

Cleaning, cooking and meal prep

$25

Hawthorn East, Victoria

2nd Jan 2026

We are looking for someone who can come 2–3 times a week to help with cleaning, cooking, and meal prep. It’s a small 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom unit. Hours: 4–5 hours per day. Please quote your ongoing hourly rate for future work. My budget is $25/hour, so kindly do not quote a rate that would be difficult for me to afford.

Zoe did a great job. I would definitely recommend her to family and friends

Birthday decoration at home

$150

Box Hill VIC, Australia

17th Nov 2025

Just some decoration at home for baby boy's first birthday. The colour scheme is blue-white-gold, with a cute backdrop appropriate for a 1-year-old. I can get the balloon garland kit from Amazon but I'm open to suggestions regarding where to get the best backdrops from. Please refer to the images below to see what I have in mind - doesn't have to be an exact copy of this but something along these lines. Small scale, sweet, and memorable. Availability wise, either the evening of Nov. 26 or between 9am-noon on Nov. 27. Thank you.

Twice Weekly Meal Prep for Coeliac/Food Sensitivities

$50

Kew VIC 3101, Australia

14th Oct 2025

Task price is for initial consultation to plan out meals. Any further work to be paid at same hourly rate (negotiable). I am seeking a careful, health-focused meal prep cook for twice-weekly batches (for perishable food). Work can be done at my home in Abbotsford, or off-site if you have a strictly coeliac-safe kitchen and can deliver ready-to-eat meals. About the diet: I have multiple dietary sensitivities. Requirements include coeliac safe and zero gluten, no added sugar, no added salt, mostly vegan with occasional paleo-style protein options, simple whole foods, minimal additives. I also have ARFID: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. This means strong sensory sensitivities and a very specific profile of safe foods and textures. I need predictable recipes, consistent textures, and no surprise ingredients (including seasonings). What you will do: • Plan a small rotating menu that fits the rules, confirm ingredients by text before cooking. • Shop, or cook with groceries I provide. Read every label for gluten, sugar, and additive risks. • Batch cook mains, sides, and snacks, portion into labelled containers with ingredients and date. • Deliver to Abbotsford if cooking off-site, put items away neatly, leave the kitchen tidy if on-site. • Keep a simple log of what was cooked, portions, and reheating notes. Good fit: • Meticulous about cross-contamination and food safety, ideally with Food Handlers certificate. • Experienced with coeliac cooking and special diets, comfortable following strict rules. • Calm, organised, good communicator by text, able to repeat successful recipes for consistency. • Happy to adjust texture, seasoning, and prep method to meet sensory needs. Examples of foods I like: • Smoothies • Salad wraps • Buddha bowls • Vegetable soups • Mixed greens (bok choy etc) with seasoning

Indian Vegetarian Cook / Tiffin Delivery – Burwood

$5

Burwood VIC, Australia

19th Aug 2025

Looking for either: • Homemade Indian vegetarian tiffin delivery, or • A cook who can come home once a week to prepare weekly meals that can be frozen. Simple, tasty, hygienic, home-style vegetarian food preferred.

Housekeeper - tidying, fold laundry, meal prep

$160

Bulleen VIC, Australia

10th Aug 2025

Looking for a reliable and friendly housekeeper to help with general household tasks including tidying, folding washing, washing dishes, meal prep, and changing sheets. Could be ideal for a uni student or those looking for extra shifts – we are flexible around times and days. Looking for a few short shifts each week (e.g. 2 × 3-hour shifts), with the possibility of longer-term work and more shifts . Must be organised, and trustworthy. We also have a friendly golden retriever so must be ok with the dog hanging around.

Whilst I was initially looking for a house cleaner (and Jenny’s team was not the right fit for this in the end), they were a fabulous team. The cleaning job is one of the best I’ve had and they worked efficiently and professionally. Would highly recommend.

Need a kitchen helper for cooking vegetarian dinner meals weekly

$20

Camberwell VIC, Australia

22nd Jun 2025

Need someone who can help with cooking Indian vegetarian meals for dinner once or twice a week on hourly basis

Cooking Indian vegetarian Gujarati food for a family of 6

$50

Blackburn North VIC, Australia

14th May 2025

I would like a home cook to prepare Indian vegetarian, Gujarati, meals for a family of 6 people. The meals must be heart healthy and low-sodium, using only a little Light Olive Oil sparingly. Also the food must NOT be spicy, as there are children and elderly people that cannot take spicy, oily or sodium-rich food. Traditional Gujarati healthy vegetarian food is ideal. NOTE: The first 2-3 times, the cook can come to the house to prepare the meals and clean-up afterwards, however, after that, they may prepare the meals beforehand and just deliver them. However, this is flexible and can be further discussed. We live in Blackburn North. Please advise further on the details and availability, including the pricing and type of meals that can be prepared.

Cake Maker Wanted

$5

Balwyn North VIC 3104, Australia

12th May 2025

Looking for a cake maker/baker to make an amazing cake for our daughter's first birthday. Theme is Alice in ONEderland. Please submit offers and description of what can be done

Cake 1st birthday

$130

Burwood VIC 3124, Australia

12th May 2025

I would like a cake for a 1st birthday. I’m looking for a round cake with Australian baby birds on top (one has to be a little magpie).

Meal prep chef

$180

Kew VIC, Australia

6th May 2025

I want someone who will cook my meal prep once a week

Looking for someone to meal prep for a family and 2 toddlers

$200

Hawthorn VIC, Australia

24th Apr 2025

Looking for someone to cook/meal prep for a family that includes 2 toddlers.

Cooking, meal prep, family meals

$200

Mont Albert North VIC, Australia

22nd Mar 2025

Looking for a chef to help with preparing all family meals (2 adults + 2 kids 5 & 7).

Weekly meal or monthly meal prep.

$70

Hawthorn VIC, Australia

20th Mar 2025

Looking for a home cook to prepare meals for two people. I need: • 4 vegetarian and 3 non-vegetarian options per week • Meals to last up to two weeks • Someone to come in once every two weeks to cook and prepare meals • Budget: $70 per visit Let me know if you’re interested!

Laundry, meal prep and housekeeping

$115

Kooyong VIC, Australia

28th Jan 2025

I'm looking for someone to help with some housekeeping, cleaning, laundry and meal prep tasks. It can be before or during school hours for 4 hours.

Lani was wonderful to work with. She was flexible and easy to communicate with. She helped me organise my life, and made things look effortless. I really appreciate her help!