Hold on… does this mean I can now hire Gordon Ramsay to cook at my wedding?
Not exactly. Feast It is an event catering agency that up until now has worked with street food and catering companies to provide food for big corporate events and private functions. But now it’s started to partner with a number of restaurants, private chefs and supper clubs in London to launch an exclusive, high-end event catering service.
How does it work?
Feast It connects restaurants with event organisers - it makes its money out of commissions – but doesn’t get involved in the nitty of gritty of catering the event. The restaurants and brands currently on its books include Nobu and Pied à Terre. It’s not just top-end places, though, with the Feast It site also listing Bao, Oldroyd, Berber & Q, and supper clubs such as Dinner Ladies and Italian Supper Club. The ‘unique’ concept means customers are able to book formal, sit-down catering and canapés for any corporate event, wedding or party, and create bespoke menus from their chosen restaurants’ most celebrated dishes.
Is this really unique?
Feast It says it offers an Airbnb style centralised booking hub that offers a new stream of business for chefs and restaurants. But while it does have a USP of bringing chefs to the table who haven’t previously been available to cater private functions, high profile chefs and restaurants branching out into outside catering is nothing new. Indeed, a number have set up events catering companies of their own.
Like who?
Tom Kerridge for one, who launched Lush Hospitality last year in partnership with exhibition and event organisers Brand Events. Run by members of his Hand & Flowers team, Lush has catered everything from dinner parties to street food festivals with dishes created by Kerridge and his executive chef Kieran Reilly.
Anyone else?
Sure. There’s Portland Events, run by restaurateurs Will Lander and Dan Morgenthau. And don’t forget Casa Moro, which is owned by Sam and Sam Clark of Moro and Morito fame and offers Spanish, Middle Eastern and Cretan flavours as well as a for-hire private dining space.
No chance of Gordon adding such a string to his bow?
Never say never. You can hire a venue for your proposed nuptials through Ramsay’s website. But one suspects that Hell’s Kitchen would need to freeze over before he’d consider actually coming to cook on your big day.