Private dining
Two to thirty-two people, three, four or five courses, served to your table. It is the easiest way to eat my food, and the way I most like to cook it.
The evening
I arrive about two hours before you sit down, with everything already shopped and most of the prep done. I work quietly — you should be pouring wine, not hosting me.
Courses come out when the table is ready for them, plated in your kitchen and served by me or a server if we have one. Between courses I clear.
When the last plate goes down I wash, put your kitchen back exactly as I found it, and let myself out. Most people do not realise I have gone.
How it works
Two to thirty-two. Eight to twelve is the sweet spot — one table, one conversation, and every course lands hot.
Three, four or five fixed courses — we talk it through and pick the one that suits your evening. The same menu for the whole table apart from dietary changes, which is what lets me cook restaurant food in a home kitchen.
We talk for twenty minutes — what you like, what you never want to see again, who has restrictions. I write the menu around what is good that week and send it for approval.
Per guest, covering groceries, cooking, service and cleanup. A server is added for tables over twelve. No packages — you get a quote for your evening.
The practical part
Wine pairing dinners
Book a private wine dinner
Bring bottles you have been saving and I will write the courses around them, or tell me a region and a budget and I will handle the wine too.
Eight to twenty guests, at your house or a venue. Five or six courses, poured and served in sequence.
Wine dinners are the natural first step if you are considering me for something larger — most of my wedding clients started at one.
I am not licensed to sell alcohol — for private dinners the wine is yours, or bought by you on my recommendation. Dietary restrictions are handled within the main menu rather than as a separate plate.
★★★★★
The food was delicious, and we truly appreciated how you went above and beyond to accommodate our requests.
Before you ask
Anything not covered here, ask directly — I answer my own enquiries.
Send an enquiry →South Surrey, White Rock and across the Lower Mainland. I cook in your home kitchen or at your venue, and for larger events I have access to a commissary kitchen at the Elks Hall. Beyond the Lower Mainland, ask; travel is possible for the right event.
Pricing is per head and depends on the menu, the ingredients and how much service you want. Plated multi-course dinners cost more than family-style or drop-off. Every enquiry gets a written quote before anything is booked.
Less than people expect: an oven, a few burners, counter space and a sink. I shop, arrive with everything else, cook each course, serve it and leave the kitchen the way I found it.
No. Bring out the bottles you have been saving and I write the courses around them. If you would rather I chose, tell me roughly what you like and the budget.
Yes — the example menus are starting points, not a set list. Menus are written around what is in season, what you like and what your guests can eat. I write a draft after the consultation and adjust it until it is right.
I do not supply alcohol. You buy the wine, beer and spirits — which is almost always cheaper for you — and I will tell you what to buy and how much, and pour and serve it during the meal. For wine pairing dinners I write the courses around the bottles you already have.
Two to three weeks is enough for a private dinner. Weddings and larger events want two to three months, mostly so the menu and the rentals are settled well ahead of the date. I take a small number of events a year, so summer Saturdays go early.
I bring my own knives, pans and small equipment, cook, serve and leave the kitchen clean. Plates, glassware, linen and extra service staff are quoted separately if you need them rented — many clients use what they already own. Dietary restrictions and allergies are handled properly, not worked around.
A small number of events a year
Two to thirty-two people. Tell me the date and roughly what you like to eat.
Request a quote