Hiring a personal chef is an increasingly popular way of putting on a fabulous spread for family and friends.

Breaking bread with family or friends is an age-old ritual that is simplistic in concept yet fundamental to our well-being. It’s a chance for families to discuss their news, for friends to catch up, for groups to celebrate an occasion and for new acquaintances to get to know one another.

More and more, however, the idea of constructing a meal for a group is not one many people meet with relish. Yet it is still possible to pull of a dinner party without first signing up for a culinary course, or hiring your own fulltime domestic staff to do the job for you.

What if you could employ the services of a couple of chefs who would come to your house, bring the components of the meal and whip up the culinary feast?

And what if the chefs conducting the symphony of food happened to be Darina Al len’s grandson and nephew, both of whom share the Ballymaloe owner’s passion for food? And what if those chefs also happened to run their own food business, one being Cully, the other being Sully, of the Cully & Sully soups and ready meals ensemble?

While not a new concept, the idea of employing a personal chef to cook for a party at your home is gaining in popularity, as people realise it has many advantages over cooking themselves,or arranging a night out in a restaurant.

‘‘People like to know what’s going on in the kitchen, who’s handling their food, how it’s cooked and to pick up a few tips along the way,” says Cully. ‘‘We buy the ingredients for the courses we’ll cook on the night, and choose the accompanying wine for each dish.”

Employing a personal chef for the night also provides a talking point for the evening - with some guests even venturing into the kitchen to watch the chefs in action. Cully and Sully welcome the intrusion, battering, basting, chopping and sautéing as they answer questions about the procedure.

‘‘Our dinners are fantastic fun, and we usually end up joining in on the craic towards the end. People love to pick our brains,” says Cully.

‘‘The home catering side to our business is on a lesser scale to our core business of pre-prepared meals, but we think it’s important to educate people about cooking and good food. Sometimes people need the convenience of a good pre-prepared meal, and other times they should make time to have a dinner cooked from scratch.”

Dublin foodie company Butler’s Pantry has similarly been providing ‘Dream Dinner’ home dining for more than two years. According to executive chef Niall Hill, the company’s dining experience is also a popular gift.

‘‘Dream Dinner is when a Butler’s Pantry chef comes to your home and prepares dinner for you and your friends,” says Hill. ‘‘The chef will meet with the host/hostess in their own home in advance, discuss the event and plan the menu, wines, table settings, flowers - whatever the host requests.

‘‘Then, the chefs and their team will arrive on the day and begin dinner preparations before the guests arrive. It is up to the host/ hostess to decide how hands-on they would like to be,” says Hill.

‘‘The service team present the food and wine for all courses. This can be as formal or informal as required. Some of the most successful occasions have been entertaining in view of the chef preparing and cooking. People are fascinated when it comes to cooking and learning - especially the men.”
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Both Cully and Sully and the Butler’s Pantry chefs prepare meals to meet the hosts requirements, using all fresh ingredients in their dishes. There is also an emphasis on healthy eating.

‘‘Normally, when we do dinner parties we cater for between eight to 15 people and so we’d always have a good chat first with the host, just to make sure there aren’t any major ‘trouble-makers’, the likes with allergies, gluten intolerances, and so forth,” Cully says.

‘‘What’s important to us is that whatever we cook will be enjoyed by everyone at the table.”

Cully & Sully’s homemade meals first appeared on supermarket shelves in 2004. From a background at Ballymaloe House, Cully grew up in an environment of good food and healthy eating. He is also not afraid to push the boundaries and experiment with his own cooking - however good or bad the result.

‘‘When we started our business our aim was, and still is, all about making tasty, traditionally cooked, prepared meals that could be available in local supermarkets. Last year, we added the soups, which have been an enormous success. The catering for at-home dinner parties is the newest branch of our business,” says Cully.

Their efforts so far have been well-received by food critics, including the Bridge Guide, Meteor Food Awards, and Great Taste Awards, which cover Ireland and Britain. They will also attend the finals of the Cial D’or international awards, which will be held in Paris in October.

The Butler’s Pantry also believes in healthy cooking, through its emphasis on freshly-prepared meals, desserts and breads. The company has been providing home-cooked meals for its fresh-food shops, and private and corporate catering for 21 years.

Founder Eileen Bergin pioneered the market in take-home, fresh, chilled, wholesome food when she opened the first tiny store in 1987 on Mount Merrion Avenue, Blackrock, Co Dublin.

Back then she prepared 50 meals every day; today about 2,500 fresh products leave their kitchens in Bray, Co Wicklow, each day.

‘‘We have, more or less, always provided a full home entertaining service. After 21 years in business, we have catered for 23,054 dinner parties, 1,633 Communion and Confirmation parties, and 120 weddings,” says Hill.

‘‘Customers vary quite a lot, but they are generally people who like entertaining at home, where they have the opportunity to put their mark on the occasion and translate their wishes into a top-class event. They are often discerning foodies who know their food and their wines and want to try something new. The most popular events tend to be dinner parties, drinks parties and family occasions,” says Hill.

So how much does a personal chef cost?

‘‘The price is determined by the selection of food and if wine is included or not,” says Hill. ‘‘Dream Dinners cost from €1,500 for a party of eight people, including food and wine. The budget is normally determined by the client.”