A new business aims to reduce the stress of running a busy kitchen with a rent-a-chef service. If your chef calls in sick or you are still awaiting immigration approval, Chef Rene Notter of Chefs 'R' Us is offering a solution to keep the kitchen operating smoothly without sacrificing food quality.

Rather than having one chef do the work of two, Mr. Notter supplies the chef for a short term basis to businesses or individuals in need of some assistance.

While customers supply the food and the facility, Mr. Notter supplies manpower. With a background of more than 25 years in the culinary industry, Mr. Notter opened the business in March with local demand growing for his service.

"Some people call me a God-send or a life-saver," he said. "What I find is becoming popular now is the summer barbecues, people really want to have someone else to take care of the food so they can focus on their guests."

The cost for renting a chef is $32 an hour. Customers can also request their favourite chef on a repeat basis.

The concept is popular overseas where freelance chefs have services advertised on the Internet offering everything from menu preparation to cooking and clean-up services.

"I find that I'm ahead with these ideas and it's a new business concept in Bermuda," said Mr. Notter. "I thought of it because I worked in the industry and I know the demands and the challenges that it faces. Rather than having one person do two people's job for the same amount of money and risk the quality of the food you can contract a chef to help out."

He has advice for people who are thinking of striking out on their own to open a new business.

"For me, it's my passion. I like what I do, the advice I would give to someone who wants to start up a new business is to go with your passion and your talents, don't do something because you see someone else has been successful."

Chefs 'R' Us uses the services of qualified chefs who hold a culinary diploma or who have reached the level or chef de partie ? meaning they have enough training in a specific area of cooking in the kitchen.

Mr. Notter, who is married to a Bermudian and is originally from Switzerland, used to run a restaurant and catering business on the Island. He has worked in Europe and in the United States in the culinary industry and also has plans to open a base for his business in the near future.