How to Set Up Your Tip a Chef Profile in Under 5 Minutes

Go to tipachef.com and click 'Create Your Chef Profile'. Sign up with your email or continue with Google. You will be taken straight into the onboarding flow — no lengthy form, no waiting for approval.

Use your real name — the name your regulars know you by. Your profile URL will be tipachef.com/yourname, so shorter is better. 'Marco' or 'ChefMarco' works well. Full names are fine too.

Add your current restaurant, your role (Head Chef, Sous Chef, Pastry Chef, Line Cook — all valid), and your cuisine type. This information helps diners find you by searching for your restaurant name or cuisine, even if they cannot remember your full name.

If you work at multiple venues, add your primary one. You can update this later. If you are a private chef or pop-up cook, describe your context — 'Private Chef, London' or 'Pop-up Kitchen, Manchester' works perfectly.

Your hook is one sentence that tells diners what to expect from your cooking. It appears below your name on your profile and is the first thing a visitor reads. Examples that work well: 'I make the pasta by hand, every night, without a machine.' / 'Fifteen years cooking Japanese-Brazilian fusion in London.' / 'I believe a perfect sauce takes all day. Mine does.' Keep it specific. Specific is memorable.

Avoid generic phrases like 'passionate about food' or 'dedicated chef'. Every chef is passionate. Say something true and specific about how you cook or what you believe about food.

A profile photo makes your profile 3x more likely to receive a tip than one without. Use a clear photo of your face — either in your chef whites in the kitchen or a clean portrait. Kitchen action shots work well if the lighting is decent.

A funding goal is optional but recommended. It gives diners a concrete reason to tip now rather than 'maybe later'. Examples: 'I'm saving for my first stage in Japan — £2,000 to go' or 'Funding my pop-up kitchen launch: £500 raised, £1,500 to go'. A visible progress bar converts browsers into supporters.

Once your profile is live, download your QR code from the dashboard and print it on a small card for the restaurant pass, your section of the kitchen, or ask management to include it on the menu. Share your tipachef.com/yourname link in your Instagram bio and once on your TikTok or social story. That is all the setup you need.

You do not need to actively market your profile. The QR code does the work during service. Diners who want to thank you scan it at the table. Diners who remember a past meal find you through search. The profile works passively once it is live.