About Chef Rachel
Chef Rachel Aiken is the rare individual who chose restaurant work not as a stepping stone to greater dreams but as the fulfillment of a passion for food, wine and hospitality. After a stint at the world-renowned Canyon Ranch Health Spa during high school, she worked at fine dining restaurants throughout college in Phoenix.
Abandoning the heat of Arizona in favor of the lush beauty of the Pacific Northwest in 2005, Rachel spent the next fifteen years working at many of the top restaurants in Seattle under the tutelage of James Beard award winners and local favorites. Her eight years as General Manager of the restaurant group Serafina and Cicchetti included the management of a 70-person company; direction of numerous events, including international winemakers’ dinners; business development and strategy; and team building for and training of chefs, sommeliers and managers.
After the birth of her second child in 2019, Rachel returned to her roots as a cook and started Family Meal, a plant-based personal chef business targeted at discerning eaters in the Seattle area. The business affords her the opportunity to combine all of the skills she has collected from her 25-year career working with food, wine and people, as well as the flexibility to be very involved with her two young children.
The name ‘Family Meal’ refers to the humble ritual of coming together with loved ones at the table to share food and one another’s lives. It is also an homage to her years working in the restaurant industry, where ‘family meal’ refers to the meal prepared by the cooks for the entire staff.
Client Testimonial
"Rachel has been a total lifesaver for us over the past few years. With a crazy busy family life with two teens, we haven’t been able to cook for ourselves as often as we’d like. But who wants to eat takeout all the time? Rachel cooks beautiful, healthy meals exactly how our somewhat picky family likes them. She’s got a ton of restaurant experience, so everything comes out nicely prepared and delicious, cooked and seasoned correctly. We also ask her to prepare some healthy snacks each week, so our fridge is always stocked with seasonal treats like roasted beets, blanched asparagus, pan-seared tofu, etc. I can’t recommend her enough!"
- Michael, Client of Four Years
Client Testimonial
"I’d like to share a recommendation for Rachel Aiken, a personal chef we have worked with for over two years. My husband and I are both busy professionals, and with a rambunctious toddler at home we’ve found it difficult to cook recently. Rachel specializes in vegetarian and fish-based meals. We are traditionally meat eaters, but I must say that the shift to vegetarian meals has been a welcome change.
Rachel is able to accommodate various dietary needs (low-carb, allergies, no-dairy, etc.). Her dishes are creative and healthy. She will propose meals for you, but is always open to suggestions and alterations. The weekly meals she prepares for us have been for both the adults and our son, who enjoys Rachel’s cooking. Rachel is easy to work with and very reliable. Her prepared meals have saved us a ton of time and stress. We can’t say enough good things about Rachel."
-Elyse, Omnivorous Client of Two Years
