Celebrity chefs, the ones that you see all over TV, make preparing an elaborate dinner party look as easy as popping a frozen readymade dinner in the microwave. Those of us who are not TV chefs and who are blessed with only average cooking skills know that three-course dinners take at least 5 hours of sweaty preparation and even then we wait with nervous anticipation while guests take their first bite. But if you have the money to spare, you can hire the services of the UK’s top TV chefs and sit back and enjoy your next dinner party without going anywhere near your kitchen.
For around £2,000 you could have celebrity chefs James Martin, Lesley Waters, Tony Tobin or Jo Pratt cater your next big do, but at that kind of price you might want to save the indulgence for a really special occasion, like your engagement party or 60th wedding anniversary, rather than your monthly book club. If you’re lucky, and willing to fork out a little more cash, you might be able to persuade your boss to look into hiring a famous TV chef for your end of year function; nothing says ‘thank you for all your hard work’ quite like a delectable treat from Clodagh McKenna, James Martin or Aiden Byrne.
James Martin: King of Sweet
The celebrity chef you choose to hire will depend largely on your budget (fees differ depending on recent TV coverage, media publicity, diva-level and the size of the function) but also on your tastes. If you like comforting home-style food, James Martin will probably be a more appropriate choice than Gordon Ramsey, who is as well known for his haute cuisine presentation as he is for his temper. If you want fish, Rick Stein is your man while vegetarians ought to give Sophie Grigson a go and those who favour the flavour of India might want to try Manju Malhi.
To get one of these expert foodies in your kitchen you first have to go through their agent. Because celebrity chefs are in such great demand, and still have to balance running restaurants, writing cookery books and maintaining some semblance of a personal life with public appearances, they are represented by agents who manage their tight schedules and ensure that no one takes advantage of their high profile TV charges.
Two of the biggest agencies representing celebrity TV chefs are E3Group and Deborah McKenna Limited. If you want to hire a celebrity chef, your best bet is to contact their agents directly, but you’d better hurry, the end of the year is in sight and if you don’t act quickly you could lose out on a dinner cooked by your favourite TV foodie.
Related links:
Party Offers: Corporate events, children’s parties and caterers directory