Intimate dinners for two to six
An anniversary, a proposal, a quiet celebration. A close-quarters tasting menu where every course is an event and the chef works to your pace.
Dinner Party Chef
Dinner Party Chef in Dorset & Hampshire
A bespoke multi-course dinner cooked fresh in your own kitchen — full table service, no clean-up, from £75pp.
380 five-star Google reviews
Voted "The Best Private Chef Service in the South 2025" Privilege Awards
5 Food Hygiene Rating
A Restaurant Evening at Your Table
Hire a Chef for Your Dinner Party
A dinner party chef costs £75 to £100 per person, all-inclusive. One evening at home turns into a full restaurant experience — a bespoke multi-course menu, every course cooked fresh in your kitchen, served at the table, with the kitchen left spotless. No hidden charges, no transport surcharge within 90 minutes of Bournemouth.
A dinner party is the most popular booking we take. Couples marking an anniversary, friends who would rather host than go out, a milestone birthday that a restaurant table doesn't quite suit — the appeal is the same: the people you care about, around your own table, eating something extraordinary, with none of the work.
We are not a catering company. One chef — Mark Gainford — designs your menu, sources every ingredient from Dorset and Hampshire's best producers, cooks every course from scratch, and clears up afterwards. You pour the wine and enjoy your guests.
Based in Bournemouth, we cook dinner parties across the south coast — from Sandbanks and Christchurch to the New Forest and beyond. Planning something? Tell us about the evening.
Everything Included
What a Dinner Party with a Private Chef Includes
Bespoke menu planning
A menu designed around your guests — favourite flavours, dietary requirements, the produce that's best on the day. The sample menus on this site are starting points; your final menu is uniquely yours.
Day-of ingredient sourcing
Day-boat fish from Parkstone Fisheries, organic vegetables from Four Acre Farm and Sopley Salads, fully traceable meat from a local butcher. The supply chain is named — and short.
Cooked fresh in your kitchen
Every course made from scratch on the night — no reheating, no plate-up of pre-cooked food. We bring knives, pans, plating tools, and portable induction if your kitchen needs a hand.
Full table service
Every course served at the table at the right moment, paced to your evening — no rushing, no gaps. Canapés and a welcome as your guests arrive.
The table dressed
Luxury crockery, cutlery, napkins and personalised printed menus. The table set as you'd find it in a fine-dining restaurant.
Spotless kitchen
Surfaces wiped, washing-up done, hob and oven clean, bins managed. You wake up to a kitchen better than you found it.
Every Kind of Evening
Dinner Parties We Cook
The classic dinner party (6–14)
The booking we take most often. Canapés and a welcome drink, three or four courses at the table, and a host who never leaves the room. Private dining at home at its best.
Milestone birthdays & celebrations
A significant birthday, a retirement, a graduation. Add a canapé reception and a dessert station, and a dinner party becomes a proper occasion — see private chef birthday parties.
Supper clubs & group bookings
Friends who club together for a regular dinner, or a one-off gathering with a theme. We build a menu around the group and the season, and we scale to around 30 guests comfortably.
What Dinner Party Hosts Say
Reviews from Recent Dinner Parties
5 out of 5 stars"From start to finish it felt truly special and completely effortless. The beef Wellington was absolutely outstanding, perfectly cooked and incredibly succulent."
— Jen Troman
5 out of 5 stars"Mark was absolutely amazing — very accommodating to dietary requirements, good communication and the most delicious dinner. He also recommended so many lovely things to do in the local area. Highly recommend!"
— Amelia Bell, Dorset
5 out of 5 stars"We had a spectacular evening with chef Mark. He was very communicative and helped us plan a lovely and memorable dinner for a large family gathering. I definitely recommend chef Mark!"
— Kristi Lush
Common Dinner Party Questions
Dinner Party Chef FAQ
How much does it cost to hire a chef for a dinner party?
Hiring a chef for a dinner party with The Dorset Chef costs £75 to £100 per person, all-inclusive. That covers menu planning, locally sourced ingredients, cooking every course fresh in your kitchen, full table service with luxury crockery and personalised printed menus, and a spotless kitchen at the end of the night. There are no hidden charges — no transport surcharge within roughly 90 minutes of Bournemouth, no service charge, no booking fee.
What does a dinner party chef actually do?
A dinner party chef plans a bespoke menu around your guests, sources the ingredients, arrives a few hours before service, cooks every course fresh in your own kitchen, serves each course at the table, and leaves the kitchen cleaner than they found it. You host; we handle the food from menu planning to the final wiped surface. The terms 'dinner party chef', 'private chef' and 'personal chef' all describe the same service.
How many guests do you cook for at a dinner party?
Most dinner parties we cook are for 6 to 14 guests, though we cater intimate dinners for 2 and larger celebrations up to around 30. The per-person rate falls as numbers rise — a 4-guest dinner sits near £100pp, a 14-guest dinner closer to £80pp — because the fixed prep and travel are shared across more covers.
Do you cook the dinner party in my own kitchen?
Yes — we cook every course fresh in your home kitchen on the night. We bring our own knives, plating equipment, crockery, cutlery and linen, and only need a hob, an oven and some prep space. For kitchens that are short on equipment we bring portable induction and a hot-hold cabinet. You and your guests stay in the dining room; we stay out of the way until each course is served.
How far ahead should I book a dinner party chef?
For a dinner party in Dorset or Hampshire, 2 to 4 weeks ahead is ideal — especially for weekend dates and the summer months. Shorter notice is often possible when the diary allows, so it is always worth asking. A £100 deposit secures your date and comes off the final balance.
Which areas do you cover for dinner parties?
We are based in Bournemouth and cook dinner parties across Dorset and Hampshire — Poole and Sandbanks, Christchurch, Wimborne, the New Forest, Dorchester, Weymouth, Winchester, Salisbury, Ringwood and the surrounding villages. There is no transport charge within roughly 90 minutes of Bournemouth.
Planning a Dinner Party in Dorset?
Dinner party chef hire from £75pp all-inclusive. Tell us the date, rough guest count and the feel of the evening — we'll come back within 24 hours with a menu suggestion and a clear quote.