Private Chef Hire in Surrey

A.T. @ Home provides a fine dining company that offers bespoke catering services to suit all tastes and budgets. They offer services for events such as weddings and celebrations to private dinner parties (great during this difficult time) buffets, breakfast meetings, picnic/festival boxes and afternoon tea boxes. Read on for more and for tips on choosing a similar provider for your event.

What do you need to know from an organiser in order to provide a comprehensive quote?

For us to provide a comprehensive quote as a minimum, we would need an event date, a brief explanation of the event type they are hosting and the type of catering they require, the estimated number of guests, where the event will be held, Is it outdoors or indoors and is there a kitchen on site. From this, we can use our experience to put together a detailed quote and menu to suit the client's needs and expectations. It would also help if the client was realistic with their budget as it won't be considered if not. e.g. It is impossible to cater to a three-course meal with canapés and staff if the budget is only £20-30.

What advice would you give to a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?

Always ask what is included within the cost and what is an added extra, as some suppliers charge separately for everything, which can come as a nasty shock. Does the caterer offer a choice? some don't. Does the caterer have a website and reviews you can look at so that you can see the type of catering they provide and also how previous events have gone?
What experience do they have? The last thing you want is a provider who only started up yesterday and who only has previous experience working in a fast-food outlet! Finally, what costs you would need to pay upfront and what their cancellation policy is?

Please tell us a little bit about how and why you started the business.

A.T. @ Home was born out of our Head Chef's passion for cooking and vast experience in the catering industry. He has worked in a variety of places with catering ranging from big events such as weddings and conferences to private dining facilities in city institutions. He has always loved speaking to clients and helping them to achieve an unforgettable experience but was often frustrated with the constraints put on him by the contract catering companies he worked for. Starting A.T. @ Home provided him with the perfect opportunity to offer a full service that can suit the client perfectly whilst not compromising on taste or the quality of ingredients.

Please tell us about a booking you've had through Add to Event, how did it go? Would you recommend us to others?

We catered to a lovely 50th Birthday party for a family during lockdown as they were unable to celebrate elsewhere. They would normally never of thought of bringing a caterer into their home, as previously would have visited a restaurant, but enjoyed it so much that we have since had repeat bookings from them. Without Add to Event, we would never have been able to access that client and grow our business the way we have.