Private Chef · At Your Home · London
Dinner parties, at home
A seasonal menu, cooked in your kitchen and served at your table.
Menus from £70 per person
Meet your chef MelissaShe cooks · You host
Food is about the places we come from, the people we meet and the flavours we bring home with us.
Melissa is a London-based private chef with a cooking style shaped by the cultures, cuisines and places that have influenced her. With Sri Lankan roots, a love of British cooking and regular trips to Italy and Portugal with her Italian-Portuguese husband, her food takes inspiration from everywhere — always with her own little Melissa twist.
There aren't many limits to where your menu can go. Italian, British, Sri Lankan, Portuguese or something completely different, every menu is created around the people, the occasion and what you actually want to eat.
Every booking starts with a conversation. From relaxed date nights to big celebrations, Melissa creates a bespoke menu around your tastes, requirements and budget, using quality ingredients sourced from food markets, specialist suppliers, trusted butchers and fishmongers.
You bring the people, the occasion and the kitchen.
Melissa brings everything else.
Dinner parties, at yours
Whether it's an intimate dinner for two or a table full of friends, Melissa brings everything needed to make your evening feel a little more special. She'll cook in your kitchen, serve up the food and leave you to enjoy the evening with your guests — no restaurant booking, no rushing around, just great food, good company and your night, your way.
Priced per person and agreed with your menu.
Date night for two through to a full table of ten (whatever your dining room holds).
Quality ingredients, carefully selected from trusted local suppliers and independent butchers and fishmongers.
Birthdays, date nights, long lunches, anniversaries. Whatever the occasion, the offer is the same:
and Melissa takes it from there.
How it worksFour steps · Zero washing-up
Enquire
Tap Enquire — date, guests, occasion, and an intro call booked in. Melissa replies personally to every enquiry, usually within 48 hours.
Your menu
Written for your occasion — dietaries folded in, favourites requested, built from scratch.
She cooks
Your bespoke menu comes to life — prepared by Melissa, finished in your kitchen and served at your table.
Spotless
Dishes done, surfaces gleaming. The only evidence: labelled leftovers in the fridge.
Around your tableShot at homes · Never at a pass
Six plates from Melissa's own menus, photographed the evening they were served.
One honest priceAgreed before anything is locked in
from £70 per personNo packages, no tiers, no service-charge surprises. One number, shaped by your menu and your table — always agreed in writing before the evening is booked. Included, always:
Nothing is paid through this site — your enquiry simply starts a conversation with Melissa. She'll personally discuss your menu, occasion and requirements with you, and everything is agreed directly with her. No payments are taken here, ever.
Asked & answeredStraight answers · No small print
How far does Melissa travel?+
Anywhere in London and just beyond — roughly inside the M25. A little further out is sometimes possible for the right evening; ask, and she'll be honest about it.
Can she cook around dietaries and allergies?+
Always — tell her everything up front (the enquiry card asks). Because every menu is written from scratch, nothing gets 'removed' — the menu is designed around you from the first line.
What does she need from my kitchen?+
A working oven, a hob and a stretch of clear counter. Everything else — pans, knives, the spice tins — arrives with Melissa. And yes, it all leaves spotless. On the intro call she'll also run through what your kitchen already has — roasting tins, big pans, trays — so she knows exactly what to bring and what she can leave at home.
How far ahead should I book?+
Two weeks at the very latest — menus are written and shopped for, so she needs a head start. Fridays to Sundays are her busiest days, so enquire three to four weeks in advance to avoid disappointment.
What does it cost?+
From £70 per person, agreed alongside your menu — you'll always know the exact figure before anything is locked in. Nothing is ever paid through this site.
Can she do more than ten?+
Ten is where a dinner party still feels like one — everyone around the same table. Bigger plans? Enquire anyway: she'll talk it through on the intro call (the extended one, probably).