Meet the Chef

Born and raised in Northern Germany, Chef Jan developed an early love for everything cooking. He learned the ropes over 25 years ago in an Italian restaurant in Germany. Chef Jan worked his way up from washing dishes to becoming head chef and manager.

From his Italian-trained roots, he branched out to explore a broad range of global cuisines - from the Caribbean to Asia.

Since 2012, Chef Jan relocated to New York City and founded Der.Chef NYC in 2018.

As a personal chef and caterer, Der.Chef offers a unique personal culinary experience that will take you on a world tour of flavors.

Over 35 years ago, my dad wrapped an apron around me and moved the step stool closer to the kitchen counter. I was in charge of cranking the pasta maker while my dad maneuvered the slowly stretching dough onto the work surface.

We made ravioli with ricotta, spinach, and walnut filling. That was the moment I fell in love with cooking and I haven’t left the kitchen since.