Hugh Hefner’s former chef has revealed what it was like working for the infamous Playboy creator.

JJ Reinhart labored for Hefner for the very best a part of a decade, however he knew individuals weren’t coming to the Playboy Mansion for the buffet unfold.

His eight years there nonetheless allowed him an opportunity to achieve a uncommon perception to the internal workings of Playboy and its founder, nevertheless.

Having began out in 2002 as an intern in his early 20s – as a result of ‘who would not wish to come to work on the Playboy Mansion?’ – Reinhart rose by way of the ranks to turn into Chef de Delicacies on the dwelling run by Hefner.

He was one in all 9 cooks who labored full time on the mansion, the place the kitchen was open 24 hours a day, seven days per week.

The cooks created Hefner’s each meal and cooked up something company wished, in addition to catering extravagant events.

All through his time on the mansion, Reinhart grew to become very acquainted with Hef’s consuming habits and his favourite foods.

Regardless of having hundreds of thousands of dollars underneath his belt, the writer preferred issues easy and would usually select his dishes from a ‘commonplace menu’ of simply 26 gadgets.

The late Hugh Hefner pictured in 2014. (Charley Gallay/Getty Photos for Playboy)

He had the identical meal for breakfast on daily basis for at the very least 4 years – a ‘very, quite simple English muffin’ – till he threw the cooks a curveball someday and requested scrambled eggs.

“I am like, OK, you’ve got been consuming the identical factor for the 4 years that I have been right here and now you need these, okay, that is superb,” Reinhart mentioned. “So we make some scrambled eggs.”

A sudden change was an unusual prevalence within the Playboy kitchen, as a result of whereas the gadgets on Hef’s menu weren’t ‘very extravagant’, Reinhart admitted Hef was ‘very particular on how he preferred issues ready’.

He recalled one event when Hefner referred to as right down to the kitchen a couple of sandwich Reinhart had made him, telling him he’d minimize it the ‘improper means’ and he wanted to ‘be sure that it is carried out proper’.

JJ Reinhart labored for eight years on the Playboy Mansion. (Equipped)

Not eager to upset his boss, Reinhart strived to make sure Hef’s meals was at all times excellent – a lot in order that he would cook dinner two dozen turkeys the day earlier than Thanksgiving, satisfied at the very least one in all them should be proper.

“He would at all times eat the turkey leg,” Reinhart mentioned. “I might cook dinner 24 turkeys, simply to be sure that I had an ideal one.”

Thanksgiving was the one meal Hef ate round others within the mansion, in keeping with the chef. Other than that, he was a ‘personal eater’ who took all of his meals in his bed room, with the meals delivered by butlers like Bryant Horowitz, who had the privilege of seeing what went on ‘behind the scenes’.

Simply because hardly anybody was round to see the meals doesn’t suggest the cooks may very well be any much less exact for Hef, although.

The workers would select ‘the entire excellent potato chips’ for his or her boss, in addition to the 2 centre items of bread in a loaf, as a result of these had been ‘the softest items’. The remainder went to feeding different individuals, fortunately – not within the bin.

Even when he went out, Hef ate a home-cooked meal.

Hefner lived within the mansion from 1971 till his dying in 2017. (Paul Harris / Contributor/Getty)

“If he was going out to eat, we ready his meals for him and despatched it together with him,” Reinhart mentioned. “After which as he confirmed up at a restaurant, a giant paper bag went proper into the kitchen with particular directions on tips on how to put together his meal, tips on how to plate his meal.”

It feels like loads of effort, however Reinhart says he did not thoughts.

“He was such an amazing boss that we did issues like this, as a result of we knew it was his expectation, however it was by no means a problem for us to do that for him,” he informed UNILAD.

Reinhart’s view of Hef is available in distinction to a few of the allegations made against the publisher within the years following his dying in 2017.

In 2022, the docuseries Secrets and techniques of Playboy accused Hefner of getting ‘destroyed loads of lives’, with fashions and former Playmates claiming Hefner had drugged and raped them.

Throughout his time within the mansion, Reinhart claimed he ‘by no means noticed [Hefner] grope any ladies’ and described him as an alternative because the ‘excellent gentleman’.

“All of my buddies which can be Playmates… all of them communicate very, very extremely [of Hefner]. I feel it’s extremely disappointing that every one of this has come out and since he is handed away, he cannot defend himself,” Reinhart mentioned.

The chef credited Hefner with making a ‘massive household’ among the many workers on the mansion, which included housekeepers, upkeep workers and even animal keepers working at a zoo on property.

The writer had seven girlfriends whereas Reinhart was working there, and on weekends he invited his buddies over to observe a film – ‘basic’ motion pictures on Fridays and Saturdays, and present motion pictures on Sundays.

“So Sunday nights, there was often a reasonably large crowd,” Reinhart mentioned. “On high of that, , all people is aware of concerning the events that he threw, most likely six or seven events a yr, whether or not it was completely different holidays, completely different occasions.”

Reinhart mentioned Hef was a ‘excellent gentleman’ with ladies. (Equipped)

As an worker, Reinhart wasn’t allowed to hitch the events Hef threw on the mansion, however company he had invited had ‘free run’ as he welcomed them inside.

Hefner evidently sought to impress when he introduced individuals into his dwelling – particularly those he invited to stay there.

Reinhart alleged Hefner’s girlfriends ‘by no means had jobs’ as a result of the writer ‘took care’ of them, and the very first thing they did after they moved in was ‘exit and select a brand new automotive’.

Whereas the chance to get a flowery new journey may need been true at one level, one in all Hef’s former girlfriends, Melissa Howe, mentioned that wasn’t the case when she entered the mansion.

Melissa additionally disputed Reinhart’s declare that the girlfriends had been ‘free to order meals at any time when they wished to’ within the mansion, as she described being instructed on what occasions they may eat dinner, in addition to the place and when to put themselves concerning the mansion at hours of the day.

The cooks crossed paths with Playmates coming in to Hef’s dwelling from a few of the different mansions he owned after they had been scheduled for photoshoots.

“Lots of occasions they’d keep down the road, however they had been at all times allowed to come back into the mansion, particularly to get meals,” Reinhart mentioned.

Reinhart left the mansion to increase his profession. (Equipped)

“It was form of humorous as a result of we’d see these ladies are available in earlier than the photoshoot [and] they’re consuming very, very wholesome, a number of salads, grilled hen.

“Then you definitely knew when the photoshoot was completed when rapidly, [the models were like] ‘give me a hamburger, give me French fries’,” he claimed.

Although the Playboy Mansion gave Reinhart ‘a chance to develop’ as a chef, he ultimately got here to understand that meals was not essentially what individuals remembered from their visits to the property.

“Any individual off the road could not say, ‘hey, I wish to go to Playboy Mansion as a result of I hear Chef JJ’s making an amazing lamb chop, or an amazing steak. I knew for my profession, I needed to transfer on.”

It was a ‘powerful resolution’ after years on the job, however Reinhart ultimately left when given the chance to maneuver to Hawaii for a brand new position.

Now, he works as govt banquet chef on the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, the place he is capable of cater for 1000’s extra individuals than he ever was at Playboy.

His profession has come on in leaps and bounds, however he’ll at all times be pleased about his time on the mansion.

“The cooks are a few of my greatest buddies,” he mentioned. “And all of us credit score Mr. Hefner for bringing us all collectively.”

UNILAD’s Stripped Again collection was first launched in Might 2023 and featured interviews with quite a lot of individuals who frolicked working and residing within the Playboy Mansion with Hugh Hefner.