Hire a Private Chef for Your Next Occasion.
Award-winning fine dining at home across Dorset & Hampshire.
Your Private Chef Experience
Hiring a private chef in Dorset means bespoke menus, locally sourced ingredients, and a restaurant-quality evening in the comfort of your own home.
Bespoke Menus
Every menu starts with a conversation. Tell us about your occasion, your guests, your favourite flavours — and we'll create something uniquely yours.
Locally Sourced
Day-boat fish from Parkstone Fisheries, Poole, organic vegetables from Four Acre Farm & Sopley Salads, next level meat from Fordingbridge, Salt from Chessel Beech, eggs from Stoney Farm Sherborne, flour from Shaftesbury. Dorset's finest, on your table.
Full Table Service
We arrive, we set up (luxury crockery, cutlery, napkins, napkin rings & personalised menus), we cook, we serve, we clean up. You don't lift a finger — just enjoy the evening with your guests and make memories.
Crafted with Care
365 Five-Star Reviews
★★★★★"Our whole group, all 13 of us, agreed that it was some of the best food we had ever had. All locally sourced and beautifully put together, we couldn't have asked for more."
★★★★★"From start to finish it felt truly special and completely effortless. The beef Wellington was absolutely outstanding, perfectly cooked and incredibly succulent."
★★★★★"Mark delivered a 4-course sit down dinner for 30 guests at our house. Service was impeccable, and while we finished celebrating the team did an excellent clean-up job. I cannot recommend Mark highly enough!"
Why Hire a Private Chef?
A private chef transforms any occasion into something unforgettable. Whether it's an intimate dinner party for two, a milestone birthday for twenty, or a wedding celebration in the Dorset countryside, you get restaurant-quality food in the comfort of your own home — with none of the stress.
At The Dorset Chef, we're not a catering company. We're a personal chef service, which means one chef — Mark Gainford — cooking a bespoke menu designed entirely around you. Every dish is prepared from scratch in your kitchen using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients from Dorset and Hampshire's finest producers.
Private dining starts from £75 per person and includes everything: menu planning, ingredient sourcing, cooking, full table service with luxury crockery, personalised printed menus, and complete kitchen clean-up. There are no hidden costs — no transport fees, no service charge, no minimum spend.
We cook across Bournemouth, Sandbanks, Christchurch, the New Forest, Dorchester, Winchester, and the wider Dorset and Hampshire region. Looking for a private chef near you? If you're in the south of England, we're likely closer than you think.
With a 5.0-star Google rating from 365+ reviews, a transparent pricing model, and 30 years of professional cooking experience, The Dorset Chef is the south coast's most trusted personal chef service. Get in touch to start planning your evening.
Private Chef Hire Across Dorset & Hampshire
Private Chef Hire — The Basics
What is a private chef?
A private chef is a professionally trained chef who comes to your home, holiday cottage, or venue and cooks a bespoke multi-course meal for you and your guests. They handle everything — menu planning, ingredient sourcing, cooking, full table service, and kitchen clean-up. The terms 'private chef' and 'personal chef' are used interchangeably and describe exactly the same service.
How much does it cost to hire a private chef?
Private chef hire with The Dorset Chef starts from £75 to £100 per person, all-inclusive. That covers menu planning, locally sourced ingredients, cooking, full table service with luxury crockery and personalised menus, and complete kitchen clean-up. There are no hidden charges for transport, staff, or service. Wedding catering starts from £85 per person.
What occasions suit a private chef?
Almost any occasion where you'd otherwise go to a restaurant — except this time the restaurant comes to you. Our most popular bookings are intimate dinner parties, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, boutique weddings, corporate entertaining, and holiday cottage dining across the New Forest and Dorset coast.
Where does The Dorset Chef cook?
We're based in Bournemouth and cook across Dorset and Hampshire — Poole and Sandbanks, Christchurch, Wimborne, the New Forest, Dorchester, Weymouth, Winchester, Salisbury, Ringwood, and the surrounding villages. No travel charges within our service area.
How far ahead should I book a private chef?
For dinner parties, 2–4 weeks ahead is ideal. For weddings and larger events, 3–6 months gives the best availability. Shorter notice is sometimes possible — it's always worth asking.
Ready to Create Something Memorable?
Tell us about your occasion and we'll start planning your menu.