If you’ve been diving into Grow A Garden, you know that the Gorilla Chef is one of the most unique companions you can unlock. Unlike standard pets that simply boost passive stats, the Gorilla Chef actively contributes to your garden’s progress with cooking bonuses and resource efficiency. However, getting the most out of this powerful character takes some planning. After experimenting with different setups, I’ve put together a few tried-and-true strategies to help you level up your Gorilla Chef faster and maximize its potential.

Focus on Early Food Gathering

The Gorilla Chef thrives when supplied with a steady stream of ingredients. Early on, prioritize planting crops that grow quickly and yield frequently. Carrots and tomatoes are great starter options. Not only do they provide a base for the Gorilla Chef’s cooking skills, but they also feed into recipes that boost your overall garden growth.

If you’re wondering how to accelerate this stage, one trick is to diversify your setup with multiple small plots rather than investing everything into a single high-yield plant. This way, your Gorilla Chef has more ingredients to work with regularly, which means more chances to gain experience.

Experiment With Recipes

Leveling up isn’t just about farming; it’s about what you do with your harvest. The Gorilla Chef’s unique ability is tied to cooking, and different recipes grant different progression boosts. Early on, focus on simple meals that are quick to produce, then move to advanced dishes once you’ve unlocked rarer crops.

Pay attention to which meals grant resource multipliers or shorten growth times. These are especially useful when you’re grinding for higher levels. It may seem repetitive at first, but recipe mastery plays a huge role in how quickly your Gorilla Chef develops.

Use Pets and Items Wisely

It’s tempting to buy grow a garden pets just for collection purposes, but the right companion choices can actually support your Gorilla Chef directly. Pets that increase crop yields or shorten growth cycles feed into the Chef’s workflow, providing more ingredients for cooking. Pairing the Gorilla Chef with a growth-focused pet can dramatically speed up leveling progress.

Similarly, when you buy grow a garden things like fertilizer or rare seeds, consider how they fit into your cooking plan. The Gorilla Chef benefits most from items that generate consistent harvests, so investing in these early pays off later.

Balance Grinding and Progression

One of the biggest mistakes new players make is rushing to craft advanced meals before their Gorilla Chef is ready. While it’s exciting to unlock complex recipes, skipping over basic meals can slow your progression. Make sure to balance grinding lower-level dishes with gradually moving up the recipe ladder.

Think of it as training: each stage builds a foundation for the next. If you focus too much on rare ingredients too early, you’ll find yourself bottlenecked without enough resources to sustain steady growth.

Long-Term Growth Strategy

Once your Gorilla Chef hits higher levels, its cooking bonuses can transform how your garden operates. By this stage, start experimenting with full production cycles where every crop, pet, and item choice revolves around supporting the Chef’s recipes. This synergy doesn’t just help with leveling; it also gives you a major advantage when aiming for top-tier achievements in Grow A Garden.

The Gorilla Chef isn’t just another companion; it’s a game-changer once you know how to maximize it. With the right strategy, you’ll not only level it up faster but also unlock powerful synergies that make your entire garden thrive.