Having a private chef on staff is a luxury typically associated with big companies like Google and Facebook.
But Seattle online marketing startup HasOffers, not to be outdone by its bigger rivals, just hired a full-time chef to make sure its staff remains well fed as they code throughout the day (and night).
Chef Chris Blanco, who has worked as a private chef for events and dinner parties and most recently worked in the seafood department at Whole Foods, will start cooking up his creations (see menu below) beginning later this month.
“The gig appealed to me because it is a completely unique opportunity to cook high-end restaurant quality food using healthy ingredients and techniques,” said Blanco, adding that he was impressed by the “good energy” at the company and the “palpable sense of progress and optimism.”
For HasOffers, the benefits go beyond recruiting. Peter Hamilton, chief marketing officer, said that they wanted to create more of a healthy environment for the 47-person staff.
“Time really gets away from you in a startup environment. We found that being intentional about eating quality, fresh, and healthy meals was almost impossible for most of us. Sure, you get on a kick for a few weeks and do your office ‘no car’b diet or bring in a few salads, but it is so difficult to stay consistent. We already provide lots of snacks, sandwhich stuff, etc, but keeping fresh food is extremely difficult if you don’t have anyone preparing it and setting it out. As we started to weigh out the costs and the advantages, we felt like providing this to employees will vastly improve their quality of life. This way we can always have something new and fresh to enjoy and get back into our projects feeling great.”
Blanco plans to cook breakfast and lunch most days, expanding to dinner if all goes well. He also plans to create snacks and drinks throughout the day to keep the HasOffers staffer well nourished and hydrated. And, in case you were wondering, yes, all of the meals are free.
Here are some of the items that Blanco has the on menu already. Yum!
- Baked polenta with buffalo-fennel bolognese and sauteed swiss chard
- Smoked chili rubbed wild sockeye salmon tacos with green-apple and cabbage slaw
- Manhattan style seafood chowder made with fresh manila clams, true cod, and seasonal vegetables
- Clay pot roasted herb chicken with yukon gold and cauliflower mash
- Lot’s of fresh veg and salads available daily including ones like: Shaved beet and arugula salad with avacado lime dressing
