How PlatedUp Cooks Are Selected

PlatedUp Cooks include both trained culinary professionals and talented independent home Cooks. A Cook doesn't need a formal culinary degree to join, but every Cook goes through PlatedUp's onboarding requirements before they can accept bookings.

Before a Cook can accept bookings

Identity, eligibility, food-safety documentation, platform approval, and background-check requirements are reviewed before a Cook's profile is activated on the marketplace.

Reliability continues after approval

Approval to join the marketplace isn't the end of PlatedUp's trust and reliability standards — PlatedUp continues to pay attention to how bookings actually go.

Accepting a booking is a commitment

Cooks choose which booking opportunities to accept. Declining a request before accepting it is a normal part of independent work, not a reliability problem — PlatedUp doesn't require Cooks to accept a minimum share of requests, work set hours, or stay available at particular times.

Once a Cook accepts a booking and it's confirmed, PlatedUp expects that Cook to honor it and to communicate promptly if a genuine problem comes up.

What PlatedUp reviews

PlatedUp may look at things like avoidable cancellations after acceptance, repeated significant lateness, no-shows, and serious or repeated verified service or safety concerns, along with relevant customer reports and booking records.

This is about whether an accepted commitment was honored — not about how many requests a Cook chooses to accept.

What happens when there's a concern?

PlatedUp reviews the available information and context. A report or a single low rating doesn't automatically decide the outcome — PlatedUp considers things like what happened, communication, history, and the circumstances involved.

Depending on the severity and pattern, PlatedUp may provide guidance, temporarily limit a Cook's access to new bookings, or, for serious or repeated verified issues, remove a Cook from the marketplace. Cooks get a meaningful opportunity to respond before a serious action, and can request review of a decision that affects them.

Health and safety come first

Cooks are not penalized for legitimate health- or safety-related cancellations when continuing the booking could make food preparation unsafe — see Safety During an In-Home Booking.

Reporting a concern

If you have a concern about a specific Cook, see Reporting a Cook. For a safety concern, see Reporting a Safety Concern. See Reviews and Reports for how reviews and reports work together.

Good to know

PlatedUp uses Checkr for background screening — see How Background Checks Work for more.

Once active, a Cook's profile shows their cuisines, availability, and dishes so you can decide if they're a good fit — see Choosing a Cook.