How To Book
Please note that these menus are designed for dinner parties at private homes and holiday lets, accommodating up to 24 guests. If you require catering for more than 24 guests, I can offer this service, but I will need additional information about the kitchen and dining facilities.
I have created a selection of seasonal menus, which are displayed on my home page. Each season offers three menu options at different price points: £60, £75, and £90 plus VAT per person. These prices are based on a minimum of ten guests for events on Fridays, Saturdays, and Bank Holidays, and a minimum of eight guests from Sunday to Thursday.
If your party is smaller than these minimum numbers, I can still cater for you; however, the minimum charge will apply. I can serve the extra food during the evening or package it for you to enjoy the next day.
If you would like to collaborate on an exclusive menu for your event, this can certainly be arranged, taking into account the kitchen and facility limitations at your venue.
Book a Private Chef for Planning Your Event
Do you want to book The Cumbrian Chef for your next event? We will do our best to make the day unforgettable!
Plan Your Dinner Party with the Best Chef
Thank you for your interest in our services.
To get started, we need some information about your event. You can send me a message via the contact form at the bottom of the home page.
How It Works
Once you've secured your booking with us, you can begin considering which menu you'd like for your event. Each season features three menus.
Here's how it works: you choose one of the menus we offer, and two weeks before your event, we will request your pre-order, including any combination of starters, main courses, and desserts for each of your guests.
If you've selected the Buttermere or Derwent menu, each guest will receive both canapés.
Freshly baked bread accompanies every starter across all our menus.
If you have a vegan guest or any other dietary requirements, we can accommodate these with appropriate adjustments to the menu.
Deposit to Reserve the Date
If you're unsure of the exact number of guests or menu choices but would like to secure The Cumbrian Chef for your date, you can do so with a simple £10 per person deposit.
Please note that your booking will not be considered confirmed until the deposit payment has been made. We are unable to hold the date until payment is received. Once the deposit is paid, we will confirm your booking and your date will be added to our calendar. You can then take your time deciding on the menu option you'd prefer.
If your event is less than two weeks away, we will require full payment and pre-orders with menu selections once we have confirmed the date is available.
What’s Next?
Approximately one month before your event, we will reach out to confirm which menu option you'd like to proceed with. At this time, we can discuss any allergen or dietary requirements your party may have.
We will then send you a balance invoice, which will be due two weeks before your event.
Final Steps
We will need your pre-order for all courses, except canapés, as each guest receives one of each. Mini soups are always vegetarian. Pre-dessert and cheese courses, if applicable to your chosen menu, should also be included.
Please provide your preferred start time for the meal, i.e., the time you'd like to sit down for starters. We will arrive approximately one hour before this time. If you've chosen a menu that includes canapés, they will be served within this hour before you sit down for starters.
Additionally, please provide the full postal address of the venue and the best contact number for the day. On the day of the event, we will send a text confirming my arrival time. If we haven't been to the venue before, we may ask you to share the location on the day.
On the day
We will arrive about an hour before your starters are served, bringing all the food and ingredients in my chilled food storage boxes.
If canapés have been ordered, they will be served within the hour of our arrival, before the starters.
Our chef will work in your kitchen using his own pots, pans, knives, and utensils. Most of the preparation is completed at his 5-star hygiene-rated production kitchen unit. So upon arrival, we will be finishing preparations, cooking, and serving your chosen dishes.
Our chef provides his own crockery and cutlery for the meals he presents.
Location
Living within the Lakes, the postcodes for many locations are often quite vague. I have been using the what3words app to find locations. If you can download the free app and send me your location on the day of the event, this would be helpful.
​
What about adding children’s meals to my event?
Hiring a private chef to cater for you can be a great idea for families who don’t want to pay for a babysitter or taxis to go out to a restaurant. Often, our clients arrange their eating time for after they have put their children to bed. However, many of our clients still want to include their children in their event—and why not?
Children often have different palates and appetites, so you do not have to pay full price for them if you want them to eat from the same menu. Children aged 10 or under can be added to your event at 50% of the per-head cost of the menu you have chosen. Children over 10 would be counted as an adult meal. But we understand that every child is different, as we don't have a children's menu.
So, if you would like something specific for the children in the group, let us know what sort of things they like, and we will price this accordingly. We only offer children's meals that are served at the same time as the rest of the party.
