What is Chef Insurance?

ONLY Members of The Chef Alliance can save hundreds of dollars with access to the low Chef Insurance rates.  Major insurance companies don't underwrite micro-businesses directly. By joining The Chef Alliance, you pool your buying power with other food professionals across Canada to unlock wholesale group rates.  The Chef Alliance acts as your corporate umbrella, unlocking group rates you literally cannot purchase anywhere else on the open market.

Since each member who is approved will have their OWN insurance policy through the Chef Insurance program (i.e. not a certificate on a group/master policy), there are many regulatory and compliance issues that the insurer must comply with.  Insurance must, therefore, be quoted separately from membership. 

NOTE: you don't need to get insurance in order to be a Member - many small businesses offer services outside of the parameters of the Chef Insurance program, or have annual income that exceeds the maximum limits.  All Members can access the full array of member benefits even if they don't have Chef Insurance coverage.

To access the incredible rates that the Chef Insurance program offers, you must be a member in good standing of The Chef Alliance.

The business must fall within the parameters of the program - refer to the 3 Tiers available or connect with a Success Manager.

Chef Insurance policies are

• for 1 year
• non-refundable
• subject to a policy fee of $25
• subject to applicable taxes

In addition, there

• must be no claims related to the business in past 5 years
• must have a valid food safety or food handlers certificate

Although Chef Insurance does not cover all risks that a food business may face, it may provide coverage for bodily injury, personal injury, and property damage caused by your business operations, products, or injury that occurs on the premises. The Chef Insurance program is considered a comprehensive business insurance program, and it's only available through The Chef Alliance.

Without the protection of Chef Insurance, you could be personally liable if someone gets sick or injured for...

• legal fees related to a claim or lawsuit
• lost wages of the claimant
• cost of health care services for the claimant
• cost of rehabilitation services for the claimant
• a settlement awarded to the claimant by the court

Without the protection of Chef Insurance, you could be personally liable  for damage to property for...

• repairs/replacement of equipment or property
• legal fees related to a claim or lawsuit
• a settlement awarded to the claimant by the court

... if your business rents a commercial kitchen, attends a local event or a farmers market to sell food etc.

Without the protection of Chef Insurance, you could be personally liable  if a client dies for...

• a settlement awarded by the court to the claimant's estate if the claimant dies directly from an injury or illness from consuming food you prepared or from other medical issues that stemmed from consuming food you prepared.

Chef Insurance includes: policy limit of $1 million, $2 million or $5 million.

• Bodily Injury /property damage
• Personal & advertising injury
• Products Completed Operations (Aggregate)
• Medical payments: $10,000
• Tenant’s legal liability: $250,000
• Owners, managers or lessors of premises as Additional Insured

• USA and international sales, operations and jurisdiction exclusion
• Total automobile exclusion
• Total liquor exclusion (Chef may make recommendations if requested but will not buy or serve alcohol)
• Abuse
• Not available in QC
• Product manufactured by a 3rd party contractor/business
• Businesses that have their own leased physical commercial location
• Businesses with prior claims 

The deductible is $1,000.

Each member has their own policy through the Chef Insurance program. Payment should be paid directly to The Chef Alliance who will forward it to the insurer.  

Chef Insurance can be paid along with the payment of membership fees or after the membership has been set up. (Application required.)

Invoices are issued via PayPal. You don't need a PayPal account; simply click on the link in the invoice and pay by Interac or credit card.  Alternatively, you can pay by e-transfer.

Or, if it's too much to pay at once, it can be financed through a third party financing company.  This allows members to spread the cost of membership and insurance over time in manageable instalments - up to 60 months.  And if you decide to pay the balance off early, no problem - there's no penalties.  Applying is quick and easy!

If all of the culinary services or food products being sold are provided under one business name/ legal entity, then only one policy is required.  

So, for example, if you have a sole proprietorship or corporation and provide private cooking lessons, attend at a weekly farmers market to sell your vegan dips, and also cater private and corporate events under this business, then they are all covered under one policy, provided terms and parameters of the policy are still adhered to.

Here are some sample descriptions of operations.

• I make authentic Korean meals and snacks in a commercial kitchen and I sell them through food delivery apps such as Uber Eats.
• I offer in-home personal chef or private chef services, where I cook in clients' homes.
• I make packaged snacks in a commercial kitchen and sell them at local  farmers markets, night markets, festivals and events.
• I make boxed meal kits in a commercial kitchen. These are pre-ordered through my website and social media and are delivered to clients on scheduled days.
• I produce bottled sauces in a commercial kitchen and sell to resellers (e.g. specialty food stores, ethnic grocery stores, chain supermarkets) and also direct to end users through our website.
• I offer small group and private cooking classes (up to a max. of 25 people) in my community, in clients' homes, community centres and commercial kitchens. 

Please connect with a Success Manager for assistance if you're still not sure what to write.

You may be asked to provide a certificate of insurance naming a farmers market, an event or a shared commercial kitchen as an Additional Insured.  This form should be completed so that the insurer can provide a complete and accurate certificate of insurance.

Commercial kitchens: If you prepare food in a shared commercial kitchen that has a requirement to be added to your policy as an Additional Insured, their details will be entered on this form.

Farmers Markets: If you attend a farmers market to sell food or drinks, then they will likely ask to be added to your policy as an Additional Insured or to provide proof of insurance. In the latter case, they will be added as a Certificate Holder.  We recommend that you copy and paste the exact requirements into the form for accurate processing.

Festivals, Fairs and Events: If you attend a festivals, fairs and other local events to sell food or drinks, then they will likely ask to be added to your policy as an Additional Insured or to provide proof of insurance. In the latter case, they will be added as a Certificate Holder.  We recommend that you copy and paste the exact requirements into the form for accurate processing.

NOTE: a nominal administration fee may be required.

$250,000 

(updated August 2026)

 There is no coverage for non-owned auto claims.

A commercial automobile policy would have to be in place to cover food deliveries.

Non-owned auto is liability coverage (not physical damage) for vehicles not owed by the company (i.e. if am employee uses their personal vehicle to drop off the deposit to the bank or to a meeting with a client and an incident etc.)

Chef Insurance is a commercial general liability policy.  You would need a commercial property policy to provide coverage for loss to stock caused by equipment breakdown.