'>The Service
What is Dineindulge?
Dineindulge is a private chef experience which includes your own private chef who will freshly prepare, cook and serve your chosen set menu by taking over your kitchen and equipment in the home. The service is designed to be relaxed and personable with your chef introducing each dish to the table, as well as clearing and cleaning down the kitchen.
The aim of our service is to make the booking process from choosing a menu to the arrival of your private chef (at the place & time you want them) as quick & easy as possible for you. So whether you’re looking for a private chef in London or private dining experience in Provence, we have you covered.
Get started by browsing our delicious selection of menus here…
Who are your chefs?
We have strict and deep selection process for all our chefs and recruit from every corner of the UK. We demand the highest of standards from them and as a result we only work with chefs who take a real pride in what they do allowing us to guarantee the same level of service for every client.
You’ll also be kindly asked to judge your chef in 4 categories after your event in a quick 30 second survey. This allows us to monitor and measure their performance every time they work for us.
Can I choose my chef ?
When we receive a booking our staffing team designate one of our private chefs to your event based on the menu type, number of heads and location of the event.
With our service our clients trust in us to provide them with the best chef to produce their chosen menu to the highest standard whatever country the event may be in.
That means you can focus on the menu and experience you want and we’ll handle the rest.
Our dedicated client team will manage every aspect of your booking including any personal requirements you may have.
Does the chef come to us?
Yes! Our professional chefs will come to your location and cook you up a delicious meal whilst you sit back and relax with your friends. That can be your home, rented accommodation or any private venue.
Does the chef wait on us?
Yes, the chef/s will serve each course to you at the table explaining what each dish is as they go.
Do we supply the plates and cutlery?
Yes, the chef will use your plates and cutlery so please make sure there are sufficient plates and cutlery for all your guests.
What about pots and pans?
Our chefs do have small pieces of their own equipment such as knives/whisks etc but they will rely upon the equipment on site.
However all our menus are designed to be able to be reproduced using basic kitchen equipment so the chefs will pre-prepare anything tricky offsite.
If there is a lack of basic equipment then please contact your event manager at the earliest convenience and we can ask the chef to bring missing equipment with him or do extra preparation off site.
My kitchen is small, can I still book?
Our chefs will need a sufficiently equipped kitchen large enough to cater for the number of guests in your party.
However the chef can, to a degree, adjust to the kitchen space they have to work with. If you do have a concern then let us know and the chef can do extra prep offsite to ensure things run smoothly (if you need some guidance on this please contact your event manager – 0330 111 03 61).
I have an aga, is this an issue?
If your property has an aga, without an additional electric or gas oven, this is fine but could you please inform our events team so we can make sure your chef is prepared. On the day of the event, we ask that you ensure the aga is at full temperature for the chef’s arrival and nothing has been cooked in it for the last 2 hours.
When will the chef arrive?
As your chef is preparing and cooking the majority of your menu fresh on location, they may need access to the premises up to 4 hours before your eat time.
However, each menu will differ in preparation time depending on its complexity and the number of guests eating. Therefore, your chef arrival time may vary between 1 and 2 hours prior to the eat time you have requested.
We’ll notify you via email of your chef’s arrival time at 4pm, the day before your event. If you do have any access or time restrictions, please let your event manager know before this point.
Who cleans up?
Before the end of the service your chef will do a full clean down of the kitchen and any equipment he/she has used. This will include stacking the dishwasher and washing up any dirty plates you have finished with. Please note, we politely ask that you empty the dishwasher and leave the kitchen in a clean state for the chefs arrival as well as providing washing up liquid and tea towels.
Are there reduced rates for children?
Children (under 12s) can be added to any menu for 50% of the per head menu price, for a half size portion which can be simplified if required. For this option, you would process a quote as normal for just the adults and then post booking you can add on a child through your event dashboard.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to provide your own food for the children this is absolutely fine and obviously there is no charge for this. Just make sure it is oven based and the chef can put this in for you if you want it served at the same time as the rest of the party.
For more information on this click here…
What is the ‘Minimum Spend Charge’?
Each of our menus has a ‘Minimum Spend‘ that must be met for us to be able to provide you with our service. As we only work with executive level chefs there is a minimum cost to be able to book in a chef of this standard to plan and shop for your event and then travel to you and deliver the Dineindulge experience. On top of this we also have basic administration costs that apply regardless of the number of guests who are eating.
For an average menu the minimum spend is approximately equal to the cost of 7 heads and is calculated automatically as part of your quote. If your party is less than 7 guests then for some menus, like our express range, a minimum charge will be applied to your quote in order to bring it up to the required value. If your quote is above the minimum spend then you’ll see the minimum spend charge as £0.00 in your quote.
Alternatively, for our Deluxe range the minimum spend is equal to 4 or 5 heads so if you are a smaller group, then we’d recommend considering this option as it will be better value for you.
An additional Minimum Spend Charge may also be applied for special dates in the year such as New Year’s Eve. See Premium Dates below under ‘How to Book’ for further explanation on this.
Pet Awareness
On the day of your event we politely request that you keep the kitchen, and any areas the chef is working, pet free. This is for 3 key reasons:
- Hygiene – pets can jump up on work surfaces if they sense something tasty is in the making and even help themselves to a share of the dinner.
- Service Hazard – pets can sometimes get overly excited during service as our chefs are carrying out plates of delicious food and they therefore become an extreme trip hazard.
- Chef’s Safety – Unfortunately, it isn’t an uncommon occurrence for our chefs to get nipped or even bitten and so as a company we must do everything we can to avoid this.
Whilst we are a big lover of animals here at Dineindulge and we understand they are often a big part of any family, even the most lovable pet can be a danger to strangers entering the home. Dogs especially are territorial by nature and if they feel they need to protect their family, they can become unpredictable.
Please help us to deliver your event in safe environment by keeping your pet secure when our chef arrives. Also, we ask that they are kept clear of the kitchen whilst the chef is preparing your menu, this will ensure there are no occasions where our chefs will be left alone with your pet and also reduces a potential trip hazard whilst our chefs are cooking and serving dishes to yourself and your guests.
The Menus
Picking a menu
We have 4 categories of menus:
Express – Perfect for those looking for a simple yet delicious dining experience at an affordable price
Indulge – Our Indulge Menus are a delicious & indulgent offering for those looking to treat themselves
Deluxe – The Deluxe Menus are the Crème de la crème of our menu offerings designed for those looking for something a little extra special from their dining experience
Platter – The Platter Menu is our buffet offering designed for those looking to graze and who don’t have the time or space for a sit down meal
You can browse all our menus here…
Menu Choices
Once you have booked your Dineindulge experience you’ll be sent a full booking summary which includes online access to your event through our event portal. This is where you can confirm your menu choices and dietary requirements for your event.
To begin, click ‘Your Menu‘ in the event portal and an invite pop up will show automatically. You can then send the menu choice selection tool to your friends by either email, text, WhatsApp or by just copying the link if you prefer.
To select your own individual menu choices press the ’Your Choices‘ button. If you’re selecting for a couple of people, such as a partner or your children, then you’ll be able to submit more than one set of choices through this method. You can then review who has completed their menu choices at any time by pressing the red clipboard button.
If you already have everyone’s choices and you’d like to submit all of these yourself then click the ‘Select for Your Guests‘ button and manually enter the choices for everyone. Please Note. if you have booked one of our Platter menu options then this will be the only option available to you.
Can everyone have something different?
As a group you need to choose the same menu but within the menu everyone can choose different options. So for example if the menu has 2 different main course options then individually your party can choose whichever option they prefer.
Can my group have a selection of more than one dish per course?
All menus will offer a vegetarian counterpart dish where meat or fish is offered, so there will aways be a choice for your guests in addition to a meat / fish dish. Several menus across the Indulge and Deluxe range offer a choice of mains and desserts. On any course where you see more than one option, your guests can choose individually as to the dishes they would like. Post booking you’ll be able to invite your guests to give their menu choices through our system and they’ll get to choose which dish they would like from each course.
Please note, if you are mixing and matching dishes between menus then we have set a guidelines which you can view here to ensure that the chef can concentrate on producing the highest quality of cuisine and experience expected.
If you find that you have requirements from your group that don’t fit specifically within the menu chosen, your events manager will be able to offer alternatives and tailor the menu to your needs. To cater for all, without taking the chefs attention from producing fine dining experience, this may at times mean that instead of creating a separate dish, the meal will be made accordingly to the requirement for all who choose it. For example: Vegan Pea Fritters, or Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Our chefs are very talented and will make sure that dietary requirements have little to no impact on the quality or taste of the dish.
Can we mix menus?
We want you to be able to choose the perfect menu for your event and so we introduced the option to Mix & Match dishes between any of our menus. However, we don’t always recommend this as the dishes making up each menu have been specifically designed and chosen to complement one another. However, it is your event and ultimately your choice so if you would like to Mix & Match a menu then please read more about how this works here…
What about special dietary requirements?
We cater for almost all dietary requirements and we check what dietary requirements your party has prior to your event allowing your chef to accommodate these.
When choosing a menu, start by selecting one that fits your budget and that has courses best suited to most of your group. At this stage you don’t need worry too much about individual dietary requirements. Post booking, the catering team will then contact you about your menu choices and dietary needs and where required make adjustments to dishes to suit or offer alternative dishes to mix and match your perfect meal.
If you have special dietary requirements please speak to our events management team before your guests select their chosen dishes.
Will my chosen menu vary based on the country my event is in?
Our menus are designed with an international feel and so broadly speaking they will work in any of the countries we offer our private chef service. However, ingredients can vary from country to country and so sometimes we need to make small changes to items on your menu to accommodate these differences. If this is the case, then we’ll always inform you of what these changes will be to check you are satisfied with them.
Wines
If your event is more than 7 days away then post booking you’ll be given access to our wine pairing service. Find our more here…
How to Book
How do I get a quote and book?
You can get a quote and place your booking using our simple Quick Quote Tool.
Just enter your postcode (or the town or city where you want the service), the date of your event and finally the number of guests and press ‘See Menus‘ to begin your quote.
From this point it’s just 3 simple steps to get your quote and book. We will require your email address in step 2 so that we can send you a copy of your quote and your booking receipt.
Availability
We will always endeavour to provide our service to all enquiries made but please be aware that availability is never guaranteed. However, we have over a 99% delivery rate on bookings made more than 14 days prior to the event.
If you make a new booking request for an event that is less than 14 days away then, before we process your payment, we will always reconfirm availability with our staffing team before then allocating a chef to your event. Only after a chef is officially confirmed on your event will your card be charged and we’ll notify you as soon as this happens.
Premium Date Charges
What is a ‘Premium Date’ & what is the charge?
We have 3 standard premium dates in our calendar – Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve (note. we’re closed on Christmas Day). On these dates the customer demand for our service is at its highest but our chef’s availability is at its lowest, often due to family commitments.
In order to secure our chef’s availability for these dates we charge a premium rate of up to 50% on top of the per head menu price and this is then passed on to the chefs. This premium charge will show on your quote in the ‘Minimum Spend Charge’ row.
There may also be a premium charge for Limited Availability Dates which occur when our private chef availability in a certain location on a particular date drops below a minimum level. Please read more about these dates below.
Limited Availability Dates
What is a ‘Limited Availability Date’?
When availability for a date in our calendar is very low an additional charge is applied to help us to secure extra chef support. This charge will be shown in your quote breakdown under the ‘Minimum Spend Charge’.
How can I avoid this charge?
This charge can almost always be avoided by considering any other day that week. For example, if you process a quote for a Saturday and see a limited availability date charge, try processing a new quote for the Friday or Sunday instead.
When do we pay?
To book we just require a £60 deposit regardless of the size of your booking and this secures our availability for that date. The remaining balance is then not due until 14 days prior to the event.
If you process a booking request for an event that is less than 14 days away then you will be required to pay in full to secure the booking. However, no money will leave your account until the chef allocation process is complete and a chef is confirmed on to your event. As such you’ll never be charged anything if we don’t have availability in your area for your selected date.
I’m unsure of numbers OR menu choice
If you’re unsure of numbers or menu choice but would like to secure a private chef for your date then you can do so by booking any quote with just a £60 deposit. You’ve then got until 14 days before the event to adjust your details and we’ll just recalculate your balance for you.
Gift Vouchers
If you’re looking for something a little extra special as a present for a loved one or as a wedding gift for friends then Dineindulge has you covered. With our Gift Voucher tool you can simply enter the amount you’d like to offer towards a Dineindulge experience as a gift then pay for it online and we’ll email you the gift voucher within seconds credited with the amount you paid.
Find out more here…