Supper clubs & pop-ups

Dinner at Mine

Over the years I’ve been cooking for people, many have asked me if I’d ever thought about running a restaurant. That would be a huge time and money commitment, and I think I’m about 30 years too old to start one now! 

Instead I started experimenting with organizing a supper club at my place. And it’s been rather successful! I first came across the idea in a Jamie Oliver television programme a few years ago. He visited someone’s New York apartment that was being run as a restaurant once a week. Guests could book, for one or more people, and they would sit at a single large table, just like at a dinner party. The concept has really caught on in Britain. There is now a company called WeFiFo that was set up to run the operational side of supper clubs: promoting them, and taking bookings. I have used them for some of my most recent events. And I recently took part in an ‘on-air’ supper club they organised with BBC Surrey.

I don’t hold a supper club on a regular basis: I’m often booked up with catering jobs. But when I do I try and get a minimum of 12 people, up to a maximum of 16. I announce the event here on my website, and on Instagram. And if you are on my mailing list you will of course get to hear about it by email—a good reason for signing up!

Your own private dinner party to order

On the other hand, if you want to arrange 12 friends and let me know, I’ll put on a dinner party just for you. You get the place to yourself and you all sit together round my big dining table. If you prefer, it could be lunch instead of dinner—entirely up to you. And if you’d like to book for fewer, I will use my best endeavours to fill another table or two to make the total number up to 12.

Once we’ve agreed a date—or even before—I’d be very happy to discuss menu options, based on your preference for Asian or Mediterranean food—or a mixture. I would then send you a menu a week or so before the event, just in case there was something on it to which one of your party had a serious aversion!

If you fancy the idea of going out to dinner with a group of friends for a delicious meal which is, I guarantee, a little bit different from the usual restaurant fare, at a very reasonable price, then why not give it a try? The normal ‘cost contribution’ (it’s a club, not a restaurant) is just £38 a head, for at least three courses—or the equivalent if the menu isn’t course-orientated. Payment when you book. Obviously I have no alcohol licence, so it’s bring your own bottle/s – and equally obviously there is no corkage fee.

Call or email me, or send a note via the contact form.  Anvil Cottage is open for business!

Pop-up Restaurants

I don’t only turn my own home into a restaurant! From time to time I pop up at other venues. I’ve done one at a lovely place called Sparks Yard in Arundel, usually only open for lunch; and another at the atmospheric Applegarth Farm restaurant in Grayshott. Both these events were fully subscribed.

More events are planned in the near future. Watch this space.

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Supper club & pop-up reports

Another month, another WeFiFo event

Another month, another WeFiFo event

On 19 September I’m going to be cooking at another WeFiFo event, this time in the lovely converted barn at their headquarters near Horsham.

This will be the latest in a series of their monthly “Culture Clubs”, where they invite an author to come along for an evening to discuss one of their books with a bunch of guests—while they all enjoy a some tasty food. To reflect the setting of the novel, ‘Meet Me on the Riviera’, I’m going to be cooking a French-inspired meal for the evening—just for a change! I couldn’t avoid giving an Asian twist to some of the dishes though.

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Supper club — on the radio!

Supper club — on the radio!

As part of their drive to advertise the idea of supper clubs WeFiFo’s Seni Glaister arranged a studio discussion with BBC Surrey and Sussex—over lunch prepared by three cooks who have held WeFiFo events. The radio presenter was Joe Talbot, who fronts weekly afternoon show Feelgood Friday from their Guildford studios. [more…]

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Another successful supper club at Anvil Cottage

Another successful supper club at Anvil Cottage

A huge thank-you to everyone who came to my supper club on 2 March.

We had a brilliant bunch of guests, who were a pleasure to serve. And I think they liked what we gave them! We had two groups of four on one table, and three couples on another: 14 in all. One of the couples came all the way from Swindon, and another from Kent. Impressive effort. Only two people had been to us before. It was great to meet and feed so many new people.

Here’s what they some of them had to say on the WeFiFo website:…

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Pop-up postponed

Pop-up postponed

I'm so, so sorry to everyone that has expressed an interest in coming to the planned event on 28 May. Unfortunately for personal reasons I have to postpone the event to a later date. I do hope to be able to offer another date soon. I'll post an announcement here as...

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May pop-up?

May pop-up?

Beautiful sunshine has been flooding into our dining room for the last couple of weeks. The central heating has been turned off. The garden is bursting into flower. I feel it's a good time to hold another pop-up restaurant event at my house! The last one I did, at...

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Asian food evening, 6 July

I'm delighted to report that my planned Tuscan evening is happening next Saturday, the 8th of June.  Thanks to those of you who have booked: I'm really looking forward to cooking for you. While discussing the event, a number of you told me that you'd also like to come...

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Dinner 8 June or 6 July?

I guess it's not surprising that I'm asked for Asian food for most of my jobs. But, if you know my cooking background, you'll understand that I miss traditional Italian home cooking.  Cucina casalinga, as it is known, is the essence of Italian cuisine, and even in...

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