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Have filled the in grid but have had to stare a long time at the puzzle to a) find where to put the shape, and b) how to fill in the six empty cells. Most baffling !!! Will anyone be kind enough to post a hint as to how to go from here ? That title is also intriguing ....

I don't know, I'm afraid, but will chuck a couple of vague ideas down here. BRB gives a def. of chef as a reliquary in the shape of a head. Could relate to the item mentioned at the end of the quotation, perhaps?
A chef is a head cook. Do we do anything with that?
I don't know, just ideas.

I think the preamb le is a bit misleading in that it would lead you to believe that you first need to find the shape and then find the family members as a next step. If anything, it's the other way around. What worked for me was to eventually (after a LOT of staring) spot one of the family members and then I noticed a second member and then a third of that family. I knew then I was on the right track. Only then did I realize what the shape would be.

It's very tough, I think, but very satisfying in the end.

Great to read your (what I hope will be) very helpful hints!
Will now start my next staring session with a little more confidence ! Afore I go ....are all the family members different shapes ? I imagine that they are. Thanks again buzzb !

Struggling too. I assume the six empty squares - one of which can only bee one letter - are in the names?

Each family member gets one of the blanks. However it is incorrect that there is a blank with only one choice. There are at least 2 choices for each of the 6 blanks.

Thanks. Will look again

Thanks. Will look again

Phew, finally got there.
I think there can only be one possible shape to draw, if it is wholly symmetrical within the grid and includes each blank space.
I still don't understand how the shape is appropriate, nor do I quite get the title relevance.

I am being slow. I have noticed a lovely name top leftish belonging to a literary family as well as a footy one but I may be on the wrong track