THE ART OF HOSTING: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
I. OUR SERVICES & EXPERTISE (Maison Twister)
What are your geographic deployment zones and areas of intervention?
Our services are exclusively reserved for a prestige clientele (UHNWI, VIP), Family Offices, luxury real estate agencies, and international property owners seeking to elevate their estates. Maison Twister is a borderless, nomadic network of culinary excellence. Our primary deployment hubs include:
The Alpine Arc: Complete mountain experiences (Megève, Courchevel, Gstaad...).
The French Riviera & Mediterranean: South of France luxury villas. In Sainte-Maxime, we serve the most exclusive gated communities, including Domaine de la Vierge Noire and Domaine du Golf, as well as historical neighborhoods like Le Sémaphore.
Business Hubs: Paris, Lyon, Geneva...
International & Overseas: Switzerland, Caribbean, Emirates...
A. Bespoke Gastronomy & Private Chefs
Live-in & Private Chefs: Available for a unique dining experience (gala, business dinner) or deployed for a complete season at your estate.
Chef Profiles: Renowned Executive Chefs, Michelin-starred chefs, specialists in specific diets (vegan, keto, gluten-free, sports nutrition, anti-aging).
Fridge-Filling: Stocking your refrigerators and pantries with exceptional local products before your arrival for a seamless, chore-free holiday.
C. Yachting Division (High Seas)
Superyacht Chefs: Deployment of chefs accustomed to the stringent constraints of high-seas navigation and luxury yacht charters.
Yacht Provisioning: Exceptional logistical sourcing and delivery to the most confidential marinas and ports.
D. Events, Corporate & Confidential Seminars
Private: Luxury weddings, engagements, bachelor/bachelorette parties, birthdays, New Year's Eve, and villa inaugurations.
Professional: Executive seminars, business lunches in secured boardrooms, product launches, store openings, and culinary team building.
E. Private Concierge & Epicureanism
Exclusive Access: After-hours art gallery tours, private opera boxes, escapes to nature reserves with private coaches or therapists.
Exceptional Cellars: Access to Master Sommeliers, creation of ephemeral cellars in your villa, private tastings of Grand Crus and rare spirits.
VIP Mobility: Prestige chauffeured vehicles, ground transfers from helipads, privatized TGV stations, or private airports.
II. BOOKING, BILLING & LEGAL CONDITIONS
How is our service created and organized?
Everything begins with a confidential consultation (with you or your assistant) to understand the essence of your stay (chalet, villa, yacht, or urban stay). A bespoke proposal is then drafted. Once validated, Chef Cyrille Witz designs your menus, organizes the logistics, and the brigade takes over so you can entirely focus on your guests.
How are your rates set and how is billing structured?
As all our services are strictly bespoke, our rates are established by quote only after a consultation. Our billing is transparent and rests on three distinct pillars:
Service fees: The exclusive time of the Chef and their brigade.
Logistics and sourcing fees: Our research expertise, purchasing time, and the secure transport of exceptional products via our luxury grocery service.
Provisioning cost: The actual cost of the fine food and ingredients sourced for your stay.
Who covers international bank transfer fees or payment taxes?
All payments must reach us strictly net of any charges. Taxes, exchange rate fees, and banking commissions related to international transfers (outside the SEPA zone) are entirely the responsibility of the Client. When making your transfer, please ensure you select the option where all fees are charged to you ("OUR" option for SWIFT transfers) so that the amount we receive precisely matches the invoiced amount.
In the event of a cancellation, are international transaction fees refunded?
No. If a cancellation occurs that results in a partial or full refund on our part (according to our cancellation policy), the initial bank fees and payment taxes paid are non-refundable. Furthermore, any bank fees associated with the refund transaction itself will be deducted from the amount returned to you.
I use a translation tool to read your documents, what happens in case of a translation error?
We communicate and draft our official agreements in French. If you use an automatic translation tool (such as Google Translate) and there is a misunderstanding, only the original French version of our documents and correspondence shall prevail. We cannot be held responsible for interpretation errors linked to the use of automatic translation tools.
How far in advance should I book?
For peak seasons (end-of-year holidays in the mountains, summer on the French Riviera, major urban events), we strongly advise booking several months in advance. Nevertheless, our agency's elite network allows us to be highly reactive to spontaneous dinners or last-minute requests.
Can we book a chef for the entire duration of our holiday?
Yes, we deploy our brigades for single events (gala dinners) as well as for full seasonal residencies (summer villa or winter chalet), ensuring a "chore-free" holiday for you and your family.
What are the booking conditions, cancellation policies, and applicable laws?
The reservation (mobilization of the brigade) is confirmed upon signature of a private agreement and the payment of a deposit. The balance must be settled prior to the beginning of the stay.
The Deposit (Firm Commitment): Sums paid upon booking constitute a deposit. The commitment is definitive for both parties. In the event of cancellation on your part, the deposit is retained and, according to our General Terms and Conditions (CGV), the balance of the service may be claimed.
Cooling-off Period: In accordance with Article L221-28 (12°) of the French Consumer Code, the 14-day right of withdrawal does not apply to catering services (private chefs) to be provided on a specific date.
Due to the exclusivity of our schedules, the cancellation policy is strict (retention of the deposit according to the deadlines stipulated in the CGV).
Can we directly hire the Chef at the end of our stay?
No. It is strictly prohibited (contractually) to directly hire or recruit our personnel (Chefs, Butlers, etc.) following the service. A strict non-solicitation clause is integrated into all our contracts to protect our teams and the agency.
III. THE MENUS & CULINARY EXPERIENCE
Are the menus fixed or can I choose my dishes?
There are no standardized menus at Maison Twister. Every meal is a unique creation, designed around your tastes, the geography of your stay (terroir gastronomy), seasonality, and client wishes. Initial proposals are entirely adjustable.
We have very different diets at the same table (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Allergies). Is this an issue?
This is our daily routine. A Private Chef excels in the art of serving a table where a dry-aged meat lover, a strict vegan, and a person with severe allergies dine together, with the same level of excellence for each, and a strict protocol against cross-contamination.
Do you provide tailored meals for children?
Absolutely. Adapted menus that elevate comforting flavors are planned for children. Specific meals for infants can also be prepared upon request, always using fresh, ultra-premium ingredients.
What happens to unconsumed food after the service?
Out of respect for the product, unconsumed preparations are packaged and precisely labeled (with dates and reheating instructions) to be safely enjoyed at a later time.
IV. LOGISTICS, PROVISIONING & EQUIPMENT
Who takes care of purchasing ingredients and grocery shopping?
Maison Twister handles the entirety of sourcing and delivery through its own nomadic luxury grocery service. Noble products are meticulously selected from trusted artisans (local breeders, market gardeners, and elite fishmongers). Additionally, our concierge offers a "fridge-filling" service so your residence is fully stocked upon your arrival.
Is a professional kitchen required?
No, our Chefs adapt seamlessly to classic family kitchens as well as professional-grade setups. If the architecture of the event requires it, Maison Twister has its own rental service to deploy ephemeral kitchens or heavy equipment.
At what time does the brigade take possession of the premises?
The team needs access to the premises a few hours before the first service to receive goods and organize the prep work calmly.
What are the respective responsibilities regarding the state of the premises, kitchen cleanliness, and leftover management?
To guarantee the excellence of our service, the scope of our teams' intervention is subject to a strict framework:
Provision and state of the kitchen: The client commits to providing a compliant, functional, and perfectly clean kitchen space before the brigade's arrival. The Chef must under no circumstances be hindered by pre-existing waste, soiled surfaces, or dirty dishes from previous meals or external to our service. Initial preparation of the premises is the exclusive responsibility of the client (or their household staff).
Scope of the Chef's intervention: The intervention of the Chef and their brigade is strictly limited to elements directly related to the ongoing culinary service. Our teams are not tasked with tidying up, cleaning, or managing elements outside of their specific service.
End of service and food management: Following each service, the Chef ensures the clinical cleaning of the preparation area and the equipment used. After reviewing the unconsumed dishes with the client (to determine what should be kept, packaged, or discarded), the brigade's responsibility ends. Any subsequent management of leftovers, as well as the responsibility for the premises after our teams depart, falls exclusively and entirely on the client.
Does your brigade handle the complete cleaning of the residence?
No. The Chef and their brigade ensure a clinical restoration of the kitchen, workspaces, cooking equipment, and the dining area after each service. Cleaning the living spaces (bedrooms, lounges, bathrooms) is not included but can be provided as an option by our Estate Management department (Housekeepers).
Do you provide tableware, glassware, and linens?
For standard in-house meals, the Chef uses the tableware present at the residence. For major events, the agency offers rental services for tableware from prestigious brands.
Are pets allowed in the kitchen?
For absolute hygiene reasons and the safety of our brigade during hot services, pets are strictly forbidden in the preparation and cooking areas during our presence.
How do you handle climatic hazards (storms, snow) and technical issues?
Climatic hazards: Supplies are secured via our luxury grocery days ahead of weather alerts.
Power outages: Teams are trained to adapt to isolated conditions. They will use available thermal resources (gas, fireplaces, cold cooking) to guarantee the service regardless of the situation.
Do you cook outdoors regardless of the season?
Cooking on a brasero in the dead of winter or orchestrating a summer BBQ on a yacht is entirely possible, provided the local weather and your outdoor layout permit it.
V. WINES, SPIRITS & LEGAL ALCOHOL FRAMEWORK
LEGAL FRAMEWORK: SALE, SERVICE OF ALCOHOL AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Maison Twister operates in strict compliance with French legislation regarding the supply and service of alcoholic beverages during private events. The legal framework imposes obligations on both the Agency and the Client (host of the event).
1. Regulations on the supply of alcohol by Maison Twister (Licenses and Permits)
The activity of supplying and billing alcohol by Maison Twister is subject to strict takeaway sales regulations:
Alcohol up to 18° (Wines, champagnes, beers, ciders): In accordance with the Public Health Code, the Agency holds the "small takeaway license" (3rd group beverages). It is therefore legally authorized to source, supply, and directly bill these beverages to the client.
Strong alcohol and spirits over 18° (Rum, whiskey, vodka, gin, etc.): The Agency does not hold the large "takeaway license" (4th and 5th group beverages). Consequently, Maison Twister never sells or rebills these strong alcohols. If the client wishes to offer these spirits, two options apply:
- Supply by the client: The client purchases and provides their own bottles.
- Provisioning Service (Purchasing Mandate): The Agency can handle the logistics, but the purchase is strictly made in the name and on behalf of the client (the invoice is issued directly by the supplier to the client).
Role of service: Once the client provides their own bottles, Maison Twister acts solely as service staff. The entire responsibility for the origin of the beverages lies with the client.
2. Legislation on service: Protection of minors and prohibition of drunkenness
Even within a private property, the brigade must respect public order laws:
Prohibition of service to minors (Art. L. 3342-1): It is strictly forbidden to offer alcohol to minors. The staff may demand proof of age and will refuse service in case of doubt.
Prohibition of serving an intoxicated person (Art. R. 3353-2): The staff has a legal obligation to immediately cease serving alcohol to any guest showing obvious signs of inebriation to avoid criminal liability. The client cannot force the staff to break this law.
3. Responsibilities of the Client as Host (Civil and Criminal Liability)
During a home service, the client is the legal "host" and holds responsibility for their guests.
Private premises: Once the service ends or if guests have free access to bottles, monitoring consumption is the client's sole authority.
Endangerment of life (Art. 223-1) & Failure to assist (Art. 223-6): If a guest drives drunk and causes an accident, the client's liability can be engaged by French justice if they allowed the guest to drive knowing their condition.
Agency Liability Waiver: The responsibility of Maison Twister cannot be sought in the event of bodily injury, property damage, or traffic accidents caused by the client or their guests under the influence of alcohol. The client commits to taking all necessary safety measures (breathalyzers, private drivers, on-site accommodation).
Do you offer food & wine pairing and mixology?
Yes. You can entrust your own cellar to the Chef, or call upon the agency's Private Sommelier to unearth grand crus. The agency also collaborates with renowned mixologists to create bespoke cocktail menus (alcoholic or non-alcoholic).
For long stays, does the Chef work without interruption?
For stays of several weeks, the Chef is granted a weekly rest day. A relief Chef or a sumptuous cold meal organized the day before will seamlessly take over.
I only need a Butler or a Housekeeper, is that possible?
It is entirely possible to call upon the Estate Management department (Housekeepers and Butlers) without hiring a Private Chef.
Do you offer real estate assistance?
We offer a digital concierge service to source "Off-Market" real estate properties to find the perfect rental for your next exceptional stay.
VI. CONFIDENTIAL PROTOCOL, SECURITY & GDPR
Do you guarantee confidentiality and manage high-security profiles?
Absolutely. Our teams are trained in absolute secrecy ("golden silence"). The agency routinely signs NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements). We implement encrypted confidentiality systems and supply runs can be made in unmarked vehicles. We expertly manage strict security protocols (checkpoints).
Can you handle catering for our security teams or staff?
We can orchestrate staggered meals for accompanying staff (security agents, pilots, nannies) to ensure your estate operates flawlessly.
How do you ensure the protection of our personal data (GDPR)?
Absolute security and discretion: We collect only the data strictly necessary for the excellence of your stay (identity, preferences, residence addresses, billing). This data is stored on secure servers and is never sold to third parties.
Sensitive data (Allergies and health): The collection of your medical diets or allergies is done with your explicit consent. This information is shared confidentially only with our Executive Chef to guarantee your food safety.
What are my rights regarding my personal data?
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to access, rectify, port, and erase (right to be forgotten) your data at any time.
Post-stay destruction: Following our service (and excluding legal accounting retention obligations), you may demand the complete purge of your client file from our systems, ensuring no trace of your stay (menu history, family composition) is retained.