Most of us can only imagine what it's like to summer in the Hamptons—unless you keep up with privatechef on TikTok. Meredith Hayden, aka @wishbonekitchen, helped lead the viral movement with her 'day in the life as a chef in the Hamptons' videos, featuring the extravagant meals she makes from scratch every day. But she recently announced she had to cut her season short—for an exciting reason. She's writing her very own cookbook.
This month, Hayden posted a video on social media explaining she’s temporarily leaving the private chef life to write and test recipes for her new book. She made a point to say in her post that she wants to personally test all of them out herself, estimating that she’ll need to perfect “over 100 recipes in the next four months.”
Followers already can't wait to order it, expressing their excitement in the comments: "you could publish a shopping list and I would buy it," one wrote. "Already 1 on my 2025 Christmas list," another said.
Hayden has already released two self-published cookbooks—Wishbone Vol. 1 and Wishbone Vol 2.—but her upcoming release is her first time working with a publishing company. She said she expects it to hit shelves in 2025.
After getting her start as a SoHo line cook, Hayden began her private catering business Wishbone Kitchen at 23 years old. She now shows off her work to her 2 million TikTok followers on a near-everyday basis.
Her candid, personal ‘day in the life’ content shows social media what it’s like to work as an upscale private chef—from gathering fresh produce in her massive vegetable garden to spending hours preparing mini lobster rolls for a crowd. She details each of her recipes in other videos and doesn’t hide the exhaustion that comes with the long hours she works.
Hayden runs a website too, where she posts her favorite recipes for appetizers, entrees, and even drinks. All her meals are colorful, modern, and offer inspiration on how to use homegrown herbs and locally-sourced ingredients. If her future cookbook resembles the style of her blog, you can expect a lot of fresh and seasonal recipes.
For now, Hayden plans to stay active on social media, continuing to share recipes for her followers to enjoy (just sans the massive Hampton garden harvests).