Supper Club Etiquette
Supper Clubs are peculiar things – a cross between a dinner party and a restaurant. You get the informality of a domestic setting but with the added benefit of a restaurant service – no cleaning, cooking, table-laying, serving or clearing up!
So, please treat the supper club as you would a friend’s dinner party and treat your hosts as you would want your guests to treat you in your own home.
Browse through my website to familiarise yourself with the sort of food I serve and to get an idea of what to expect. If you’re not planning a surprise for anyone, forward a link to my site to your friends too. You should find answers to most common questions here, but if you have any specific questions, please do drop me an email well in advance so that I can send you a considered reply.
Dietary requirements – let me know well in advance if you, or any of your party, have food allergies or specific dietary requirements so that I can prepare a suitable alternative for you. Due to the size of my kitchen, team and the style of my food, I cannot accommodate the following dietary restrictions; vegan, severe nut allergy and egg. Please don’t send me long lists of ingredients that you, or your guests ‘don’t like’ – a supper club is, after all, for adventurous foodies.
My balanced, seasonal and delicious menus are planned, and the ingredients are ordered (or plucked from the ground) well in advance and it’s not possible to rustle-up a vegetarian option at the last minute! Thanks to my sophisticated database (courtesy of my husband, Nick!), I do my best to make sure that you will never have the same meal twice – unless you request it, of course.
Dress – Wear whatever you’re comfortable in. Personally, I think a bit of sparkle never hurt anyone and some guests even like to make their private dinners a black tie event – it’s up to you.
Drinks – We’re not licensed and cannot sell alcohol by law. But you can, of course, bring your own! One of the benefits of a supper club over a restaurant is that you can bring much better quality wine than you would get in a restaurant and save a fortune at the same time. We provide chilled tap water but if you want any other soft drinks, again, bring your own. We’ll give you back any drinks that are left over at the end of the evening, so you can bring as much as you want. Our fridge isn’t huge, so please bring your drinks pre-chilled if possible. If you are a larger private party I am happy if you have your wine delivered direct to us. The table is laid with water, and wine glasses so if you are bringing fizz, pudding wine or port let me know in advance so you can have the correct glassware on the table
Turn up on time – Preparing a delicious meal in a domestic kitchen, without an army of staff, is a very tall order and your meal will have been planned to be served at a pretty exact time. There is only one service and no room for delay. There’ll be other guests waiting for their meal too and it isn’t fair to keep them waiting either. Conversely, please try not to arrive early! The final stages of preparation are usually very hectic and tempers may be a bit frazzled. However, we appreciate that where we live is quite remote and if you are visiting for the first time you may leave extra time for your journey. Don’t be afraid to knock on the door, but bear with me as I might not have waiting staff here to help welcome you but I can try whilst stirring a risotto.
Consider the other guests and respect my home – As you would in a restaurant, please keep the noise to a reasonable level and respect the other diners. It’s not a library, but it’s not a rugby changing room either! Remember that this is my home too and look after the place – unlike a restaurant, any breakages are likely to be prized personal possessions. We put little boxes of trivia questions on the tables and bells to ring for service. These are not to be removed by guests. (Yes, this has happened on more than one occasion!)
Service – I have a wonderful bunch of waiters, including Nick, my long-suffering husband, who work hard to serve and look after you. They all work tirelessly to make your evening a memorable one. I don’t add a service charge but leave that to your discretion – but bearing in mind that even the most appalling service in a restaurant will incur a 12% charge, I hope you won’t mind adding a ‘little something’ at the end of the evening – it really makes a huge difference and will be much appreciated.
Complaints – Please, please mention anything that you’re not happy about to me, Nick or anyone serving you. Anything can be quickly resolved there-and-then and we can make sure that your evening isn’t spoilt. I’d hate to think of anyone going home unhappy without having had the opportunity to resolve the matter at the time.
Cancellations – Unlike a commercial restaurant, I buy ingredients and prepare meals for the number of guests that have booked and I don’t have any margins to cover these costs if my guests don’t come. read my terms and conditions of booking if you have to cancel. You can always ask your friends to take your place and I will try to fill the table if at all possible. But, if there really is no alternative, I ask that the cost of the dinner is still paid.