Supper Clubs Are The Hottest Dinner Tickets In Town
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3 months ago
And apparently they're the 'new' dating apps
What do household names Thomasina Miers, Jamie Oliver, Asma Khan and a fresh crop of chefs like Andy Beynon (BEHIND), Masaki Sugisaki (Dinings SW3), and Abby Lee (Mambow) all have in common? They are all supper club hosts.
If you’ve never tried a supper club, you might have stodgy preconceptions: Taggy’s jellied catering in Rivals, tupperware parties from the 80s… But that’s yesteryear’s supper club.
Today’s version comes in many forms: in East London, these are hot ticket events where lithe models serve you exotic dishes; in the countryside, you’re more likely to don the wellies and enjoy wild field-to-fork dinners by a bonfire. In either case, the order of the day is Instagram-friendly tablescaping, riproaring entertainment, and chefs who’ve manned Michelin-starred kitchens handing you the plate.
Yes, they have their downsides: dietaries are harder to cater for, you have less choice in what you’re eating, and it’s typically not a private affair. But those are small sacrifices, when supper clubs end up honing in on everything that’s right about the hospitality industry… Stories, culture and community, bringing people together over a shared plate or two. For chefs, they’re an opportunity to experiment and meet their patrons directly.
Asma Khan, the chef-owner of Darjeeling Express (of Chef’s Table fame), credits supper clubs with launching her career; when she first started cooking for paying guests in her home in 2012, she was entering an industry dominated by men. ‘I loved feeding people, but more than that, I loved the connection it created,’ she says. ‘My supper clubs have resulted in marriages!’ (On that note: you’ll find a fair number of articles claiming supper clubs are the new dating apps – perhaps they’re right). Her earliest clubs were for charity, raising money for hunger relief organisations: ‘I thought at least if they hated it, they’d know it was for a good cause.’
Khan’s supper clubs proved so popular she built a devoted following. Indeed, this is true for many other supper clubs: they’re a cult affair. Take Dinner For 100 – a pizza night that sells out in seconds and seats exactly one hundred guests. They’re filling a gap for curious diners who want a more sociable way to eat out, and at better prices. (Chefs have less overheads – ‘you’re not renting out a place,’ says Khan, ‘or hiring full-time staff’ – so diners can expect to pay closer to ingredient-cost price.)
To boot, they’re an opportunity to broaden your taste horizons. ‘I recently went to a supper club serving Somalian food,’ says Khan, ‘I had no idea that the food of Mogadishu was so layered and flavoursome.’ Or to encounter a more experimental side of chefs you already love. ‘I can be a little more creative, deviate from restaurant dishes and test new ideas,’ says Chef Masaki Sugisaki of Dinings SW3. He regularly cooks for supper clubs and says it’s ‘more like a dinner party’.
So, if you aren’t already convinced to book a supper club this summer, we’ll leave the last words to Khan, who says those who typically come are ‘adventurous, probably well-travelled, read up on history, love art and music,’ and, crucially, ‘have dreams’. Better get booking.
The Best Supper Clubs In (Or Around) London
Wild Feasts at Oxmoor Farm
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Set among the rolling Chiltern Hills, Oxmoor’s Wild Feasts series sets up sixty guests, an open firepit and four-courses from the best head chefs in the UK. This year Apricity head chef Eve Seeman and Mambow’s Abby Lee have been among the Michelin-starred talent cooking up a storm (if the weather doesn’t hold, expect to cosy inside by a woodburner).
Address: Oxmoor Farm, Great Hampden, Great Missenden HP16 9RD
Asma Khan’s Biryani Club, London
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Asma Khan’s supper clubs are the OG thing and her biryani club in particular is not to be missed. Khan’s biryani recipe is the product of generations of taste-testing and you can expect to be brought into the fold with a beloved and fragrant dish that forms the centrepiece of many Indian celebratory gatherings.
Address: Darjeeling Express, Top Floor, Kingly Court, Kingly St, London W1B 5PW
Jack Stein’s Seafood Odyssey, London
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Jack Stein, of that dynastic food family, has taken on a series of collaborative dinners with the best cheffing talent in tribute to his father’s 1999 TV series, Seafood Odyssey. The last of the year takes place on Thursday 18 September with Cornish Stein and Irish chef Anna Haugh which brings together two different strands of Celtic flavour. The night plans to draw on folklore for inspiration, with the star dish being a wild salmon main inspired by the legend of ‘the salmon of knowledge’. Will you be granted infinite wisdom? To be seen, but it would certainly be wise to book ahead.
Address: Rick Stein Barnes, Tideway Yard, 125 Mortlake High St, London SW14 8SW
Rebellious Wine Club, London
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Okay, technically this centres a drink but the Rebellious Wine Club pairs its drinks flight with delicious snacks to ensure you’ve a well-lined stomach. In Clerkenwell’s Bourne and Hollingsworth, a pretty botanically-inspired restaurant, bar and clubhouse, this event is frequently hosted by exciting female talent working in the wine industry. Expect common wine myths to be challenged and to learn how to taste wine without all the silly swilling.
Address: 42 Northampton Rd, London EC1R 0HU
