Private Dining
Introducing high-quality dining, service and drinks, in the comfort of your own home. A collaboration by Aimee Turford (sommelier & former co-owner of The Moorcock Inn, Norland) and Tom McManus (former sous-chef of The Moorcock).
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How does it all work?
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There are similarities with visiting a restaurant, but offering a more unique, intimate dining experience with your chosen guests.
A lovely, cosy atmosphere, with excellent food, drinks & service, but with no need to consider other diners, or encounter music you don't like, or too much noise, or the luck-of-the-draw with the quality of your assigned table. And, no taxis, childcare, or worrying about the dog. And, as Aimee & Tom are there to serve you and you alone, as opposed to a varying number of guests bringing a myriad of unknowns, you can be sure of impeccable execution at every step.
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All that is required is use of kitchen surfaces, the sink, an oven and hob and a small amount of fridge space. Pots, pans, trays, other kitchen equipment and cleaning materials/ towels are provided. This is in addition to plates/ crockery, cutlery, napkins, menus, glassware & water jugs, and anything else that may be required.
Aimee provides service and drinks service & drinks introductions, generally ensuring you want for nothing over the course of the evening, while Tom cooks and introduces dishes at your table. Working professionally and tidily means they also depart promptly at the end of service, leaving you to enjoy the later hours of your evening. They ensure all information required is gathered beforehand, so you aren't asked any questions, and instead you simply become guests in your own home. There is absolutely nothing for you to do afterwards, with areas used left perfectly clean and as they were found.
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While the concept of private dining grew in popularity from 2020 for the obvious reasons, we suspect that there are still many keen diners, for whom this concept feels a little alien. But, please be assured, you do not need to have a fancy house, huge kitchen, or any niche equipment: Just a very run-of-the-mill kitchen, and a table to dine at!
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If you have a special occasion coming up, or just have a small group of like-minded friends who are up for trying something different for your next foodie meet-up, we encourage you to get in touch and we will happily provide a quote with absolutely no obligation.
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Formats Offered
Our most popular format is service of a 5-course set menu, carefully designed by Tom to use the best produce at any given time. You can choose to be presented with menus on arrival, or 'served blind' and we will instead provide menus as a memento after your meal. We do cater for dietary requirements and are happy to avoid any strong dislikes within the menus designed for your event. Most frequently we serve accompanying wines- a selection perfectly paired with each course. It is also possible to work with Aimee before the event to choose a selection of your favourite bottles to serve over the course of the evening. We are, of course, open to variations on this and bespoke formats, do just drop us an email and we can discuss. Generally we ask for a minimum of 6 guests, but see more about this in the FAQs below. We travel free within a 30 mile radius of Haworth, West Yorkshire, but will happily travel further if applicable costs are covered.
We have also recently introduced our new way of dining at home: Death Row Dinners! More Below...
NEW:
Death Row Dinners
Many of us have thought about what our final meal would consist of. But, have you ever considered bringing it to life?
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Whether the idea conjures an iconic film scene; the death row meal delivered with solemnity to the cell; or perhaps the infamous, biblical Last Supper. Final feasts were also a feature of Ancient Greece and later, Rome, before prisoners undertook their final grim arena battles.
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Now, such are our modern ways, that we have separated out the terrible crimes, the ultimate betrayals and the knowledge of impending doom. Leaving the focus purely on... If I was to only eat one more meal in this world, what would it be?
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Generally, we offer a four-course dinner prepared by the ultra-talented chef that is, Tom McManus. His breadth of knowledge and talent ensures that whatever the request, it can be provided to an exceptional standard.
With the key elements of your menu determined, what about the rest? What are your final drinks to accompany? Will there be a bottle of Champagne? Or would you like an expert sommelier to pair wines with each course of you? Is there a particular favourite beer or cocktail that you would like to end the evening with?
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This idea originated from a specific request from a former guest of ours (Thank you, Bjorn!), which we have since decided to make more readily available. Do get in touch using the form below if you would like to bring your last meal to life!
FAQs