Portrait of Kira Hancock, private chef and luxury event hospitality professional in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado
About

Hi, I'm Kira.

I'm a private chef and luxury event hospitality professional in the Roaring Fork Valley — the person hosts and planners trust to make a high-stakes evening feel completely at ease.

I believe the best service is invisible: guests should remember the warmth, the flow, and how cared-for they felt — never the logistics it took to get there.

My path to hospitality wasn't a straight line — and that's exactly what makes me good at it.

I studied environmental engineering at the University of Vermont, with a minor in mathematics. That training gave me something most service professionals don't have: a systems mind. I see an event the way an engineer sees a structure — the load points, the timing, the places where things break if no one's paying attention. On a busy floor, that translates into calm. I've already mapped what's coming next.

But the numbers were only ever half of me. I've always been drawn to the table — to the craft of feeding people well and making a room feel warm. Over the years I've built a career across both worlds: private chef dinners and intimate gatherings, upscale weddings and large catered events of 150-plus guests, fine-dining service, and operations leadership — directing a café and production team through high-volume seasons, and coordinating vendors and logistics behind the scenes.

"The mark of exceptional service is that it's never the story — only the ease your guests remember."

Why local matters

I live in Basalt, minutes from Aspen and the Valley's best venues. For the teams I work with, that's not a small thing: no flights, no lodging, no per-diem, and someone who already knows the rooms, the drive times, and how the season moves. I'm the low-risk hire — the one who shows up early, pressed and ready, and makes your event day calmer the moment I arrive.

What I bring to your event

An eye for design and craft, so service looks as composed as it feels. Discretion and poise around high-end guests and visiting talent. And the willingness to step up — to lead a station or captain a section, not just staff it. I'm fully certified, I bring my own kit, and I'll always try to make room for the events that matter, even on short notice.

If you're planning something that has to be flawless, I'd love to hear about it.

i.

Warm, not formal

Polished service that still feels human. Guests should feel hosted, not handled.

ii.

Calm under pressure

A systems mind from an engineering background — I anticipate the next move before it's needed.

iii.

Discreet & trusted

Poise and confidentiality around discerning guests, hosts, and talent — always.

Let's create something memorable

Tell me about your event and the dates you have in mind. I'll follow up with a short profile and references.