Planning your event
If you would like to enquire about my services firstly, we need to find out a little information about your event. You can send me a message from my contact page at the bottom of the home page.
In your message could you provide me with the date you would like to hold your event, the location (including the Post Code) and the approximate number of guests in attendance.
I will endeavour to reply to your enquiry within 24 hours to confirm the date is available or offer an alternative if already booked.
I have created a selection of seasonal menus shown on my home page. Within each of the seasons, there are three menu options with different budgets priced at £55, £70 and £85 per person, based on a minimum of eight guests on a Friday, Saturday and Bank Holidays.
With a minimum of six guests between Sunday to Thursday.
Once you have chosen your menu you can order from that menu like you would a restaurant we would just require your pre order two weeks before your event.
Vegan guests or any other special dietary meals can be catered for with the relevant adjustments that can be made to the menu.
Deposit to reserve the date?
If you are unsure of numbers or menu choices but would like to secure the Cumbrian Chef for your date then you can do so with a simple £10 per person deposit.
The enquiry booking will not be considered confirmed until a deposit payment has been made and subsequently, I am not able to hold the date until the payment is made. Once paid I will confirm your booking.
This date will then be in my calendar after which you can leisurely decide on which menu option you would like.
If the event is less than two weeks away I would require full payment and pre-orders with menu options once I have confirmed the date is available.
What next?
I will get back in touch with you around a month before your event to confirm the menu option you would like to choose and at this point, we can discuss any allergen or dietary requirements your party may have.
I will then send you a balance invoice which will be dated to be paid two weeks ahead of your event.
All that is left for you to do
I will need your pre-order for all the courses except canapes as each guest gets one of each, granita, pre-dessert and the cheese courses if applicable to the menu you have chosen.
I would also need your start time for your meal e.g. what time you would like to sit down for starters. The canapes will be served before you sit down for starters
Provide us with the full postal address and the best contact number that I would be able to call you on the day.
On the day
I will arrive around an hour before your starters are served with all the food and ingredients in my chilled food storage boxes. Canapes if ordered are served prior to starters and we can discuss the timings of these on the day. I will work in your kitchen using the pot and pans available in your kitchen.
Most of the preparation is prepared at my unit so on my arrival I will just be finishing the preparing, cooking and serving your chosen dishes ready to serve your meal.
I bring all napkins and crockery required to serve the meals.
FAQ's
How much does this service cost?
My prices for a private chef experience are between £50 to £80 per person and include all the ingredients’ costs and service. Please contact us to discuss bespoke events.
What is the minimum number of
guests you cater for?
My prices are for a minimum of 8 guests on Fridays, Saturdays and Bank holidays with a minimum of 6 guests for all other days.
If you are unsure of numbers or menu choices but would like to secure the Cumbrian Chef for your date then you can do so with a simple £10 per person deposit. You’ve then got until 21 days prior to the event to confirm your booking details so that we can raise an invoice for the balance of the booking amount.
How do I make a Payment?
I will send you a deposit invoice with my bank details to secure the date. Until the deposit payment is made, the enquiry booking will not be considered confirmed. I will confirm your booking once I have received the payment.
The balance will need to be paid two weeks before the event, if payment is not received on the required date then the date will be released to a waiting list and the deposit will be non-refundable.
Cancellation of booking?
All deposits are non-refundable, however if you wish to move the date we will do our best to accommodate any new dates if free and suitable to both parties. The deposit will then be transferred to the new date.
For cancellations less than 14 days before your event but more than 72
hours prior to the chef’s arrival time then you may still move your event to a different date and/or location and incur no additional penalty or charges with the exception of any extra travel time. If we are unable to accommodate this new date and it needs to be cancelled, then we will still honour the full value of anything paid to The Cumbrian Chef against a future event as a credit.
Bookings cancelled less than 72
hours prior to arrival time shall result in the loss of any and all payment excepted by the Cumbrian Chef and no refund or credit options will be available.
Wine and Spirits
I understand that wine selection plays a huge part in the
experience of your event.
The alcoholic side of the event is catered for by yourselves which allows me to focus on providing an exceptional food tasting experience.
Prices are subject to change
As I am a private chef my two largest costs are food and fuel, at the moment we are in a very volatile time and so both of these are subject to change. I have provisionally planned my menus for you the guests until the end of November 2023.
I will be reviewing the increases in my supplies throughout the year.
My prices could be subject to change if these costs continue to increase to my business.
Once a booking is made and confirmed your quoted price will not change.
Could there be any changes to the menu?
Sometimes we could have problems with supply issues. If there would be any changes required to my menu then I would inform you of the changes ahead of the event.
Do you have Public Liability Insurance?
Yes, I am insured with Giles insurance company for
Public Liability and Employment.
What about an allergen, dietary requirements?
Please make sure you provide during booking all known dietary and allergen information of your guests.
Julian and his team have vast experience with allergens and dietary requirements. We can cater to all different dietary requirements such as vegan and gluten-free and have a professional understanding of all allergens. Julian holds food level 3 in food safety, allergen awareness and has City and Guilds Covid awareness training.
What area do you cover?
I am based in the lakes just outside Kendal in the village of Leven’s. Most events are within an hour of travel time, but I am happy to travel throughout the North West.
If the travelling time is over an hour I would charge an extra charge based on the extra distance travelled.
Location
Living within the lakes, the postcodes for many of the 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.
https://what3words.com/products/what3words-app
What about pots and pans?
Julian and his team will have a small collection of equipment, such as knives/whisks, etc., but they will rely upon the equipment on site.
All my menus are designed to be able to be reproduced using basic kitchen equipment so the chefs will pre-prepare anything complex off-site.
Do we use our crockery and cutlery?
I supply my own crockery for the meals that I present but we do use the cutlery on site if applicable.
What about adding children’s meals to my event?
Hiring a Private Chef to come and 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 eat 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 12 or under) can be added to your event at 50% of the per head cost of the menu you have chosen, and Julian to make smaller, sometimes simplified, portions for the children. Every child is different, so if you think they would like the food as described on the menu, we will leave it and simply present a smaller serving. If you think they would prefer something simpler we can easily make small adjustments so that the menu suits them whilst still basing their meal on the original dish
Who cleans up?
Before we leave the venue Julian, and his team will do a full clean down of the kitchen and any equipment they have used. This will include stacking the dishwasher and washing up any dirty cutlery or extra crockery we may have used once you have finished with it. Please note, we politely ask that you empty the dishwasher and leave the kitchen in a clean state for the team’s arrival.
What supplies do you use?
All our ingredients are of the highest quality and locally sourced supporting wonderful suppliers such as Cartmel Game, Hayton’s butcher in Staveley, Hargan’s fruit and vegetables Flookburgh, Winter Tarn dairy and Stonehouse Smokery Carlisle to name a few with more coming on board each month. Check out my social media where I often showcase our amazing suppliers.