Find a Supper Club

Find out where and when is your local underground restaurant/pop up/supper club

Dear fellow supper clubbers,

I am in the process of organising my first supper club at honeypot house and would like some advice please.  My first question is how did your friends feel when you aproached them with the idea of paying to come to your house for dinner? I ran the idea past a few friends and this is how they responded.  "I couldn't ask people to pay if I invited them over for dinner", "I couldn't have strangers in my home like that", Well, we do live in Suffolk, which is a lovely place, but not quite as forward thinking as London yet (give us another ten years). 

I have only tested the water with a few friends, so will ask the rest but I needed a few pointers on wording invites, do they pay before or after the meal.  One friend who thought it was a great idea, suggested instead of asking for an amount (£25.00 per head for, welcome bubbly, 3 courses with coffee BYO) I should suggest guests made an anonymous donation towards the meal in an envelope as he feels this allows people to pay more (around £40 each he thinks). He has been to a fundraising indian evening at my house and said he had a great time but I charged £15 per person.  By the time I took out all the food costs, cava, and paid a youngster to help, there was not a lot left, so I through in another £50 to bump it up.  any thoughts would be appreciated.  Kelly x

Views: 313

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Hi Kelly

My experience with friends was different. I sent them a proper menu and invitation, with an indication of what I was expecting them to pay and a general idea of what, in my case, an underground tea room was.  Many responded positively and came and paid but others didn't even rsvp. Personally I listen to only positives. Friends and family can be a help and a hinderence in our way of thinking.

Have your friends ever been to a supperclub.

If you haven't already done so, do visit one and you will see for yourself how much of a difference the experience is from going to a high street restaurant.

People who go to supperclubs know exactly what they are getting and why they are going. Some people don't like or understand the concept, which I feel they are missing out on.

Don't undercharge for a meal you will not do yourself any justice and it will be very hard to start charging more. If you look at what all the other supperclubs are charging, regardless of it being in London, they will be charging a fare price for a quality product and service.

Have you bought Kerstins Book, 'Supper Club' if not I suggest you buy it. It has lots of useful information.

You can also  register with Wegotickets see the above tab 'Direct booking link'. that way people will pay up front.

If you love meeting and chatting to people, then having strangers in your home won't be a problem, in fact it can be very exciting as you get to meet some fabulous people who over time will become friends and return time after time.

 

Good Luck and as Kerstin once said to me 'Just do it'

 

Lynn (Admin)

Hi Lynn,

Thank you for your speedy reply.  I have Kerstin's wonderful supper club book, and it has open my eyes and whet my appetite to open up my own home to host supper clubs once a month.  None of my friends have heard of or been to a supper club; one asked if it involved swapping partners (I didn't fancy hers much!).  I think in a way, I will feel more comfortable charging people I don't know, as I feel strangers are only friends you haven't met yet.  We have had many dinner parties, for between 6 and 20 people, and sometimes get invited back (after about two years) as a lot of my friends feel cooking dinner for a crowd is too overwhelming to take on.  I love it, and feel the butterflies before they arrive add to the theatre of entertaining.  Lighting candles and having drinks at the ready after that final flurry of  panic all add to the occasion don't they. As having people over was costing us a fortune, I thought a monthly supper club where guests contribute would be a great way to assuage my need to feed and entertain.  I will 'just go for it'. 

Do you give guests a choice of two starters, mains and puddings? or just stick to the one?  When it comes to pay time do you leave out a box or do you have to ask? I'm also looking at offering a lunch (2 course with a drink) to ladies network groups so I hope that will go well as I can hold it at home when the children are at school.  I was thinking of doing the first supper club with profits going to charity, but although I'd love to help a good cause, feel this would encourage people who only attended to support the charity and not the supper club as a concept.  what do you think?

Many thanks,

 

Kelly

I don't give a choice. Choices also lead to food waste and make it hard to keep your costs predictable and manageable. There is also an authorial feel to just saying 'this is what you get, what I've decided you will eat'.
Plus there is nothing wrong with wanting to make a living!

 

Hi Kelly

Jules of The Secret Supper Society see her link below is one successful supperclub that I know of, that does lunches for groups, why not contact her for a bit of information on how she runs her lunch time events.

http://supperclubfangroup.ning.com/profile/TheSecretSupperSociety?x...

 

For me and my Afternoon Teas, I put a pretty carry bag on the table with a notice saying what I expect people to pay, other supperclubs put an envelope in front on each guest, again with a written reminder of how much they are expected to pay. Or better still for some people, register with wegottickets and you will be paid up front and if people don't turn up, which often they don't, you haven't lost out money wise.

 

And remember, if you don't have an alcohol licence you cannot serve alcohol with your meal even if it's free. Kerstin will have mentioned this in her book.

 

If you take a look at some of what the other event menus are like on this site, it will give you an idea of what people serve, my afternoon teas are a set menu. I've never done an evening supperclub as I'm more of a baker than a chef. My suggestion to you and your first event is to keep it simple. Don't over complicate things, and perhaps have a small number of people, strangers. It may seem daunting at first, but believe me once you get your first one over with you will be hooked and will start planning the next one.

I suggest you also set up some sort of networking on either Twitter or Facebook as this helps promote your event.

One word of warning, it is exhausting work, you will be very tired at the end of the event after weeks of planning and cooking, but it's not the same tiredness you get at the end of a boring working day at the office. It's something quite different as I'm sure you will find out.

 

Lynn

I make my friends pay. You are a small business, you don't have the places to offer free. Same with press. I make them pay.

Sign up with wegottickets.com that makes it clear that this is professional. This way you don't end up out of pocket and people are more likely to show up. 

The donation thing is ok but personally I find that a bit nerve wracking as this is my job. 

It's not easy to make money from this so you have to set firm ground rules straitaway. This is fun, but this is a business I'm starting and yes if you want to come you have to pay.

Thank you ladies for your time and helpful tips. 

I will just go for it and stop being so apologetic when it comes to food, money and friends.  People can smell hesitation a mile off can't they. 

Should I not say on the invite about the welcome drink. I don't want to get into trouble but I do like to have a drink thrust in my own hand within minutes of a hello at a dinner party and it helps guests warm up and mingle.  Do you supply a wine cooler/bucket/ice and bottle opener for them by the drinks so they can decant their own booze when they arrive or just play it by ear. I struggle with people who are soooo polite they have to be spoonfed and don't use instinct to guide them when they can see your busy in the kitchen.

I must say Kerstin your book is stunning and a very entertaining read that I devoured in one sitting.  What a colourful life you have led so far, with more adventures yet to come no doubt.  'Second helpings' encore the supper club maybe.

It has taken pride of place on my coffee table.  I'm not a vegetarian but have friends that are will love the recipies from your book along with myself.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Kind regards,

Kelly x 

RSS

© 2024   Created by msmarmitelover.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service