What to Expect When You Invite Us to Cook for Your Celebration

Let me quickly walk you through a simple dinner party with 3 courses and some canapés for 12 guests, so you know what to expect.

We typically arrive 90 minutes before your guests and introduce myself along with the two members of the service team. We'll ask you to show us around the kitchen and dining area, as well as where you'd like the canapés to be served.

Next, we unload all the food and equipment, place protective coverings on the counter surfaces we'll be using, and have an additional briefing with the service team.

Afterward, we divide tasks: I prepare the food and kitchen area for "service," while the service team polishes the cutlery, crockery, and glassware we have provided and sets the table. They fold our white linen napkins and place them at each setting along with your personalised menus. Meanwhile, the leader of the service team will take a few minutes to inquire about the drinks we will be serving during canapés and dinner.

Finally, at the agreed time we pop the cork on your champagne and pour into our glasses placed on sparkling silver trays and whisk them away to greet you and your guests. Trays of canapés come in waves with neatly folded cocktail napkins whilst glasses are kept topped up by the team.

After about 30 minutes, we welcome you to the dining area to be seated for dinner. The first wine is poured, accompanied by water and warm homemade sourdough, served with our homemade yuzu and herb butter, followed by your starters. During the canapé service, the team identifies any guests with pre-arranged dietary requirements and ensures they receive the adjusted dish, eliminating the need for guests to raise their hands or for the team to ask them to identify themselves at the table. We always confirm with the host while seating you for dinner whether you would like me to introduce the courses. If so, I will step into the dining room and do so for each course!

A few minutes after the starters are served, a member of the service team will return to top up wines and water and check in with you and your guests to ensure everything is satisfactory and that everyone is enjoying the food. This is very important to me and the team, as we are passionate about ensuring everyone has the best experience.

Once starters are finished the team will clear the plates and make any cutlery changes required ahead of serving the main course, pour your next wine, make sure water glasses are filled and offer more bread whilst clearing any glassware which is finished with.

Main courses are served and the same format followed with check backs and wine glasses being topped up, in the meantime, in the kitchen it's full steam ahead with plates being washed, dried, rewrapped and packed away along with equipment now finished with. Stoves cleaned to gleaming and desserts setup.

Once main course is finished all the plates are cleared, side plates, butter dishes and dessert cutlery laid. Wine glasses topped up then dessert served.

Behind the scenes all of the equipment is packed away, glassware which is finished with, cutlery counted, boxes packed and benches all cleaned down with any objects we have moved replaced.

Once finished the dessert plates are cleared, final washing and packing completed behind the scenes and the van reloaded. Rubbish bins emptied and loaded onto our van (we always take our rubbish away with us and dont leave your bins full!), floor swept and final checks carried out to make sure we leave everything gleaming.

Finally we pop back into the dining room to thank everyone and answer any questions about the menu or food you or your guests may have then bid you good night.

We aim to be driving away no longer than 30 minutes after clearing desserts; I really like to leave you to your privacy and not feel we are overlooking you and your guests once dinner service is over.

Usually from sitting you and your guests a 3 course dinner such as this will take around 90 minutes to desserts being served and 2 hours for us to be waving goodbye; so we will generally be in your home for 4-4.5 hours in total.

I look forward to hopefully cooking for you in person soon!