In the remote Western Australian mining town of Karratha, private chef Brita Brundin prepares customized meals for nearly 100 families. Many of her clients work 12-hour shifts at the mines and rely on her service, Chef For You, for affordable, ready-to-eat options.

"People think personal chefs are just for the rich," said Brundin, 44, who has 25 years of cooking experience. "I'm cooking for hard-working families in Australia."

Keeping costs down with smart sourcing

She keeps meals affordable with a base cost of under AU$8 (US$5.30) each, compared with AU$12 for a sandwich at a local cafe. To maintain those margins, she sources kitchen equipment through Temu, where she’s bought everything from pots and piping bags to fondue kits and dumpling makers.

“Whatever I save goes into my profit margins,” she said.

Beyond equipment, she orders branded merchandise through the platform: customized aprons, backpacks and T-shirts featuring the Chef For You logo. “When I go around town, I’m like a walking advertisement,” she said.

From oil rigs to home kitchens

A Karratha native, Brundin spent more than 20 years cooking on oil rigs, in the army and at fine-dining establishments around the world before returning to the town of 24,000 for a quieter life.

She launched Chef For You in 2022 after demand for her dishes convinced her to formalize the business. Repeat customers regularly order her Thai green curry, lasagna, Argentinian BBQ and butter chicken.

Through Chef For You, Brundin has built close ties with the community, occasionally joining them for holiday meals. “You become part of their family,” she said.