The Story Behind RentAChef

Cooking for a living is one thing. But building a platform that trains, empowers, and connects hundreds of chefs—that is another level entirely. That is what Chef Abosede Sadiq has done. Today, she is reshaping how private dining works in Nigeria, and it all began in the most unlikely place: her living room.

I first heard about Chef Bee in 2023 when a friend told me, “There is this lady on Instagram who runs a private chef business so beautifully—you should check her out.” I did not even wait. I went straight to her page and from the very first video, I was hooked. What drew me in was not just the food. It was the way she told her story. She takes you behind the scenes—showing how a client books her, how she sets menus, how she prepares in kitchens that are not hers, how she laughs through Lagos frustrations, how she works with her interns and chefs, and how she still manages to enjoy herself while working. Watching her feels like being part of her world, and I found myself watching more videos than I planned that first day.

Her series, “Chronicles of Chef Bee and My Life Living as a Private Chef in Lagos, Nigeria,” quickly became one of my favorites. It never feels like just another post. It feels like her life, her work, her joy, and her passion, all poured out with honesty. And when I later explored the LegendChefNG website, I saw even more clearly what she was doing. She was creating something bigger. A system that brings clients and chefs together, gives young chefs opportunities to grow, and runs everything with structure and integrity. Today, she has close to 300 chefs under her network, and she still trains them herself. What started in her living room has spread beyond Lagos, reaching Abuja and Port Harcourt, with plans to expand to Owerri, Asaba, and Ibadan by January 2026.

What I love most about Chef Bee is that she is real. She knows her craft, she sets her standards, and she does not allow anyone to take her work for granted. There is a confidence about her, but also a warmth that makes you respect her even more. I saw her share her story on her InstaStory recently, and I knew it deserved to be told again. It is the kind of story that reminds you why grit, faith, and pure obsession with an idea can change everything.

The Story Behind RentAChef

Chef Bee was invited to a podcast recently, and she was asked: “How did you start your business, and how did you scale it to nine figures monthly?” Her story began in her living room. Back in 2020, she had just gotten married. She worked as a restaurant manager, which meant late nights and endless hours—often staying till midnight to lock up after the last customer. On top of that, she had a TV show on PopCentral and ran a side hustle selling flight tickets under her travel page, @dreammooners, helping couples find great deals for destination weddings and honeymoons. She was constantly busy. Then COVID hit. While most people stayed home, Bee was still working.

One morning, tired and drained, she decided she couldn’t keep going like that. She walked into work and dropped her resignation letter—no backup plan, no savings cushion. Just sheer exhaustion and faith. She resigned in August 2020. The night before her last day, she shared an idea with her husband: RentAChef. Initially, she imagined starting with an app, but her husband told her, “Abus, go start small. Start from where you are now.” She listened.

On September 1st, 2020, in her living room, she picked up the phone and began calling every chef she knew, pitching her vision. For the next four months, she lived in full strategy mode—planning, researching, and detailing every step. By January 2021, it was time to implement: uniforms, photoshoots, website, Instagram, graphics. But Bee knew trust had to be earned. For the first three months, RentAChef didn’t charge a chef’s fee. Clients only paid for ingredients, and she and her team showed up to cook. Those three months gave her something priceless: content, testimonials, and proof that the service worked.

By February 1st, the RentAChef website launched. By February 2nd, she had her first client. It wasn’t smooth. She remembers paying ₦150k for the first website. She remembers how Alexander Blage gave her a discount on uniforms. She remembers crying at the photoshoot when her uniforms didn’t arrive on time—the delivery man even switched off his phone. She remembers countless nights with her graphics designer Ayo, adjusting logos, colors, and layouts until they got it right.

On launch day, she posted everywhere—Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat. Her childhood friend Jen congratulated her, and she immediately used the opportunity to pitch the service. He booked her for the very next day. That first job became a breakthrough—Jen posted about it, tagged the free service, and more clients started rolling in. From there, RentAChef grew. No office. No big budget. No investors. Just strategy, positioning, and execution. Today, four years later, RentAChef is a household name across Nigeria. Many people assume it’s been running for a decade because of how solid the brand looks and operates. But it’s just four years old.

Bee is clear about the moral of her story: “The only person that can stop you is you.” Her secret? Obsession. She’s obsessed with improvement, growth, and execution. She admits there have been doubts, tears, betrayals, and tough days, but she never stopped. “Monday to Sunday, I stand on business,” she says. Looking back, she insists she didn’t start with funds. What she needed in the beginning wasn’t money but knowledge. She spent four months studying branding, marketing, and social media. When it was time to execute, she invested wisely—website, uniforms, photoshoot, graphics. Step by step, she built what many people now see.

Her journey reminds me that you do not wait for perfect timing. You move with what you have, and that bold step opens the doors. As she reminds people: “Even the Bible says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

So, the next time you are planning a dinner, a celebration, an intimate gathering, a corporate event, or even just want to experience the luxury of having a private chef in your own space, think of RentAChef.