How Much Does It Cost To Hire Andrew Zimmern

Sometimes you're having a dinner party and you want it to be a bit more exciting — maybe gross out your guests, or even make it life-threatening for a bit of entertainment. If so, then you need to hire chef Andrew Zimmern.

Zimmern is known for eating weird and dangerous food. His first show, Bizarre Foods, found Zimmern tasting cuisines from different regions of the world that are perceived as bizarre or disgusting. It began with a sample pilot episode that was filmed at an elk farm and featured Zimmern eating elk testicles (via MinnPost). 

"I've actually started to develop a taste for stink-heads, which are predominantly eaten by First Peoples in the Pacific Northwest and the Arctic Circle," Zimmern said (via Saturday Evening Post). "They bury fish heads in the winter and actually let them rot... If you let them decompose a little, the bad bacteria is killed by the good bacteria and they become edible." 

Another show Zimmern did was Dining With Death, which, in addition to having a dramatic title, showcased Zimmern eating foods (I'm not sure most would call them that!) that are considered deadly, such as venomous snakes and poisonous amphibians. 

In addition to his work on television, Zimmern has written best-selling books and introduced a line of spices. He also makes regular appearances on cable news, such as Money and Health on CNN. Zimmern has also worked as a lecturer on restaurant management and design at The New School for Social Research (via Celebrity Talent International).

These accomplishments all factor into the cost of hiring Zimmern. Outside of cooking, Zimmern also does speaking appearances where he talks about his struggle with alcoholism, as well as his work with Services for the Underserved, a nonprofit group that helps underserved populations, where he helps those facing obstacles in finding employment after recovering from addiction (via Services for the Underserved).

According to Celebrity Talent International, the fee to hire Zimmern starts at $40,000. The logistics will affect the fee, such as the location of the event, where Zimmern has to travel from, the time commitment required, and if he is doing a book signing as opposed to an appearance or speaking. Expect to cover the travel costs for Zimmern, which will increase the total fee (via Speaker Booking Agency).