Hen parties · Essex
A private chef for your hen party in Essex
The trouble with hen weekends is that food either becomes somebody’s job or becomes a restaurant booking that splits the group across a long table. Cooking in the house solves both.
How it works
A hen do where nobody has to cook, book, or clean
Tell me the date, the headcount and where you are staying. If it is a rental, send a photo of the kitchen.
I write the menu around the group and every dietary in it — a BBQ, a sharing feast or a sit-down dinner — and we refine it together.
On the night I arrive early, cook, serve and clean down. Everyone stays in one room, nobody is on washing-up, and the timings bend around whatever else the day involves.
The practical bits
From £75 per head, £449 minimum spend
Ingredients, the menu, the chef on the night, equipment and a full clean-down included
Travel is quoted with the menu, based on the distance from Rayleigh.
Every dietary in the group catered — nobody gets a visibly different plate
From recent tables
In their words
Three hen parties, as they wrote it
“Mike cooked for 19 of us on a hen do & we absolutely loved it. We had a BBQ and the food was incredible. He was friendly, chatty and very professional. Huge portions too!! Thank you Mike”
“We hired Chef Mike for a hen do and he was amazing! The four-course meal was delicious, beautifully presented, and a real 11/10. He stayed professional and even handled a last-minute issue seamlessly.”
“Chef Mike was perfect for our hen do this weekend where he catered for 17 of us! The food was delicious. I would definitely recommend.”
Questions
Before you book the hen do
How much does a private chef for a hen party cost?
From £75 per head with a £449 minimum spend — for 12 of you that is £900. Ingredients, the menu, me on the night cooking and serving, the equipment I bring and a full clean-down are all in the figure. Travel is quoted with the menu, based on the distance from Rayleigh, and shown as one line on your quote before you commit — nothing is added later.
Can you work in a holiday rental kitchen?
Yes. Most hen do bookings are in rentals. Send a photo of the kitchen when you enquire and I will build the menu around what is actually there — I bring whatever is missing.
Can you cater for different dietary requirements in one group?
Yes, and with a group this size it is expected. Every menu is built to handle vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free within the same courses, so nobody gets a visibly different plate.
How far in advance should we book?
Six to eight weeks for a Saturday in summer. Shorter notice is sometimes possible — worth asking, because cancellations happen.
How big a group can you cook for?
From an intimate dinner for two to a garden party of thirty. Tell me the headcount with the date and I will tell you what the evening needs.
Do you travel to where we are staying?
Yes — across Essex, London, the South East and East Anglia, from a kitchen in Rayleigh. Travel is quoted with the menu, based on the distance from Rayleigh, and shown as one line on your quote before you commit — nothing is added later.