DESTINATION DELICIOUS
  • Home
  • LUXURY TRAVEL
  • TRAVEL FEATURES
  • DESTINATIONS
  • WHAT TO PACK
  • FOOD & DRINK
  • LIFESTYLE
  • ABOUT / WORK WITH US
  • MEET THE TEAM
  • FOLLOW
  • Home
  • LUXURY TRAVEL
  • TRAVEL FEATURES
  • DESTINATIONS
  • WHAT TO PACK
  • FOOD & DRINK
  • LIFESTYLE
  • ABOUT / WORK WITH US
  • MEET THE TEAM
  • FOLLOW

Introducing chef-for-hire service La Belle Assiette

30/11/2019

0 Comments

 
London chef hire - La Belle Assiette
Image courtesy of Sarka Kotzinova
I love hosting dinner parties as much as the next person, but  with two boys under two, the idea of cooking an elaborate meal for my husband – let alone five dinner guests -  seems a bit overwhelming.  So, when the lovely team from chef-for-hire service La Belle Assiette got in touch to see if I’d like to host a dinner party for six at my home, I couldn’t wait to review their offering.
London dinner party host La Belle Assiette
Image courtesy of Ashley Miln
The concept
La Belle Assiette was founded in Paris in 2012 by friends Stephen and Giorgio. The concept, which consists of hiring a chef to host a dinner party in your home (including sourcing all of the ingredients, preparing the meal and doing the washing up afterwards) was a resounding success and they are now Europe’s leading chef service with more than 800 chefs on their books.
 
As a child, I always had lofty aspirations that one day I’d be in the financial position to have my own private chef (a girl can dream, right?!), however, as an adult, I realise that it’s just not feasible unless I win the lottery, so to be able to get a taste of the life of the rich and famous – even if it’s just for an evening – is a winner in my book. Plus, it provided a great opportunity for me and my friends to get glammed up for once, which is always fun!
Ashley Miln and Rosanna Head, Destination Delicious
Laurel Waldron and Ashley Miln, Destination Delicious
Laurel Waldron, Destination Delicious
Elinor Seath, Laurel Waldron and Rosanna Head, Destination Delicious
Elinor Seath, Laurel Waldron and Ashley Miln, Destination Delicious
Some of the Destination Delicious team members embracing dinner party posing, all the way...
Picture
Getting the table ready for some delicious cuisine...
Picture
Images courtesy of Ashley Miln
How it works
You start by visiting the La Belle Assiette website, where you can read about the available chefs and their speciality dishes.  After you select your chef and the date / time for your dinner party, the La Belle Assiette team gets in touch to confirm the details and to arrange a chat with your selected chef who can discuss any special requirements you might have.
Chef Fabrizio Ricotta, La Belle Assiette
food by Chef Fabrizio Ricotta, La Belle Assiette
Chef images courtesy of Image courtesy of Sarka Kotzinova
The chef – Fabrizio Ricotta
 
We selected chef Fabrizio Ricotta who specialises in my favourite cuisine - traditional Italian. Coincidentally, he also has a pretty fabulous surname for a chef! Fabrizio has always had a passion for food since a very young age; one of his fondest memories is spending afternoons podding peas with his grandmother.  Fabrizio has more than 10 years of experience in hospitality working for renowned restaurants such as Novikov, The Darwin Brasserie and Texture, currently holding 1 Michelin star.

As our dinner party was scheduled for 7:30pm, Fabrizio arrived at 6:15pm to begin set up. He came armed with a portable cooler (which held all of his ingredients), his own knife set and of course, chef whites, to ensure he looked the part! We provided use of our kitchen including all of the pots, pans and dishes he needed to prepare and serve the food.
 
After Fabrizio laid out his ingredients, he talked us through the courses he’d be preparing later on, all of which sounded superb. It was nice to be involved in the process at every step of the way and to learn about each of the dishes he was preparing and the provenance of the ingredients.
London chef hire La Belle Assiette
As it isn’t every day that I have a chef hosting a dinner party in my home (or any day for that matter), I took special care decorating the table in an effort to create a bit of wow factor that would create a beautiful backdrop for Fabrizio’s gorgeous food. A bit of faux greenery, some fresh flowers, crisp linen napkins and a few candles artistically scattered across the table and the scene was set!
Dinner party table setting La Belle Assiette
Dinner party table setting La Belle Assiette
Dinner party table setting La Belle Assiette
Dinner party table setting La Belle Assiette
Dinner party table setting La Belle Assiette
Images courtesy of Ashley Miln
The food
 
When my guests arrived, we enjoyed a glass of champagne and a cheese board, while Fabrizio busied himself preparing the starter - fresh bruschetta made with bulls heart tomatoes. Although it’s a simple dish, the tomatoes were gorgeous and the grilled sourdough was a nice touch.
 
Starter: Handmade tortellini filled with spinach and ricotta, served with sun-dried tomato pesto
We loved this dish, which was perfectly cooked al dente and you can never go wrong with tomato pesto, in my opinion. 

Mains: Roast loin of pork with a red wine jus served with roasted tenderstem broccoli and mashed potatoes
Pure comfort food at its finest -  this was a hit with all of the guests and it was lovely paired with a medium bodied red wine.

Dessert: Cannolo with ricotta cheese, chocolate and pistachio
I love desserts, however, I found this one a bit heavy going, but the few small bites I had were lush.
bruschetta La Belle Assiette
Tortellini by La Belle Assiette
pork loin by La Belle Assiette
Cannolli by La Belle Assiette
Food images courtesy of Ashley Miln
All of the courses were lip-smackingly delicious and it was nice being able to spend time actually enjoying the meal and conversation with my friends, rather than spending half of the evening in the kitchen preparing the food and tidying up between courses.   You don’t realise the sheer amount of time you actually spend away from your guests when you host, until you get the opportunity to be looked after all evening!
Dinner by La Belle Assiette
Image courtesy of Sarka Kotzinova
The verdict
 
Having a chef prepare a meal in our home felt like the ultimate extravagance but it was also very convenient as it meant we didn’t have to leave our home to enjoy a restaurant quality meal, or source a babysitter for our children (although they did crash our dinner party a couple of times throughout the evening)! Good thing they're cute!
Laurel Waldron and Ayden Miln
Image courtesy of Ashley Miln
Bradley Miln and Ayden Miln
Image courtesy of Image courtesy of Sarka Kotzinova
Picture
While the service isn’t cheap (starting from £45 a head), it is a lovely option for a special occasion when you really want to treat yourself and would prefer to stay in rather than hit the town.
 
We’d definitely recommend La Belle Assiette for anyone looking for a wow-factor foodie experience that’s certain to impress your guests.
 
The details
To book your dinner party, visit www.labelleassiette.co.uk. For more information on chef Fabrizio Ricotta, view his profile: 
https://labelleassiette.co.uk/fabrizio-ricotta

Ashley Miln
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Food and Drink products and features


    Here you'll find our favourite tasty finds from around the word.

    Archives

    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    November 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    April 2017
    August 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All
    Abel & Cole
    Abel & Cole Super Salad Box
    Anti-ageing
    Anti-ageing Drinks
    Arch London
    Asian Cooking Ingredients
    Beautyandgo.co.uk
    Beauty Drinks
    Beauty & Go
    Beer
    Beer Gifts
    Beetroot
    BLOOM Gin
    Blueberry Brothers
    Blueberry Pancakes Recipe
    Blue Dragon
    Blue Dragon Oriental Ingredients
    Breakfast
    Breakfast Recipes
    Breweries
    Brunch
    Brunch Delivery
    Buckwheat Flour
    Burns Night
    Butler's Grove
    Cava
    Cheese
    Cheese Gifts
    Chilli Pork Fried Rice
    Chinese Cooking Ingredients
    Chinese Cooking Sauces
    Chinese Recipes
    Chinese Seasoning
    Chocolate
    Chocolate Gifts
    Christmas Gift Guide
    Christmas Gift Ideas
    Christmas Hampers
    Chutneys
    City Kitchen
    Clearspring
    Clearspring Gluten Free Range
    Clearspring Organic Products
    Cobnuts
    Cocktails
    Cola
    Cold-pressed Smoothies
    Condiments
    Cookery Courses
    Cookery Courses In England
    Cooking Sauces
    Crisps
    Cupcakes
    Dairy Free Products
    Dairy Free Recipes
    Desserts
    Detox
    Dipping Sauces
    DRINKmaple
    Drinks
    Drinks Christmas Gifts
    Drinks Features
    Drinks Gifts
    Drinks Mixers
    EatFirst
    Ethical Drinks Brands
    Flora
    Flora Food Swaps
    Flora Freedom
    Food Christmas Gifts
    Food Delivery
    Food Features
    Food Hampers
    Foodie Father's Day Gift Guide
    Foodie Gifts
    Foodie Holidays
    Food Pairings
    Food Products
    Food Reviews
    Frozen Yoghurt
    Gift Hampers
    Gin
    Gingerella Gingerale
    Gluten Free
    Gluten Free Biscuits
    Gluten Free Cheese
    Gluten Free Chocolate
    Gluten Free Crackers
    Goat's Cheese
    Gourmet Food Delivery
    Gourmet Olive Oil
    Gourmet Popcorn
    Gourmet Snacks
    Greenall's
    Green's
    Grocery Delivery Service
    Guernsey Milk Products
    Health Drinks
    Healthy Eating
    Healthy Food
    Healthy Food Delivery
    Healthy Food To Go
    Healthy Snacks
    Heinz
    Heinz Tomato Ketchup
    Heinz Yellow Mustard
    Honey
    Honey With Cobnuts
    Ice Cream
    I Heart Cava
    I Heart Wines
    Immunity Boosters
    Indonesian Food
    Italian Food
    Jams
    Joe & Seph's
    Karma Cola
    Kent
    Kentish Cobnuts
    Kentish Honey
    Kid's Cakes
    Korean Sauces
    Lemony Lemonade
    Lentil Salad
    London Picnics
    London Pubs
    London Restaurants
    London Tours
    Luxury Chocolate
    Malaysian Chicken Curry
    Malaysian Food
    Maple Water
    Marks & Spencer
    Marshmallow Cake Kit
    Matcha
    Mexican Food
    Mexican Food Shops In London
    Milkshakes
    Mocktail Recipes
    Mocktails
    Nairn's
    Nairn's Gluten Free Range
    Nairn's On The Go Fruit And Seed Oatcakes
    Nell's Dairy
    Non Alcoholic Drinks
    Non-alcoholic Drinks
    Noodles
    Nutrition
    Oatcakes
    Olive Oil
    Organic Chocolate
    Organic Cola
    Organic Food Delivery
    Organic Milk
    Pain Quotidien
    Pale Ales
    Pancake Recipes
    PAUL's Christmas Hamper
    PAUL's Panier De Noel
    Picnic
    Picnic Cookbook
    Popcorn
    Porridge
    Potato Chips
    Pulled Pork
    Quinoa
    Recipe Delivery
    Recipes
    Reduced Sugar Products
    RSPCA Assured Cheese
    Sake
    Salad
    Salad Boxes
    Salad Recipes
    Salmon Eggs Benedict
    Savse
    Savse Smoothies
    Savse Super Blue
    Savse Super Green
    Savse Super Orange
    Savse Super Purple
    Savse Super Red
    Shaken Udder
    Shaun The Sheep
    Skincare
    Smoothies
    Sourdough Bread
    Spreads
    Steamed Buns
    Tea
    Thai Chicken Fried Rice
    Thai Cooking Sauces
    Thai Food
    Thai Recipes
    Thai Seasoning
    The Bay Tree
    The Black Farmer Cheese
    Trill Farm
    Uig Lodge Scottish Salmon
    Uig Scottish Salmon
    UK Breweries
    Vegan
    Vegan Chocolate
    Vietnamese Food
    ViveBio
    Waffles
    Water
    Yogiyo Sauces

    RSS Feed

DestinationDelicious.com - Live deliciously
©2014-2021 Destination Delicious