slow cooking // the best social supper clubs
The concept of slow cooking has spawned a new and innovative way of enjoying cuisine: supper clubs. Read on to discover a selection of the best supper clubs on our radar.
Hosted in cities all across the world, lifestyle magazine Kinfolk aims to bring together groups of individuals to enjoy each other’s company amongst fine food.
From sitting on cushions in an abandoned warehouse to outdoor dining amongst allotments, the focus is as firmly on the environment as it is on the food itself. Guests are encouraged to live in the moment and enjoy conversation as they indulge in lavish menus.
Based in Williamsburg, New York, Sunday Suppers has its roots in traditional dinner parties, with a group of friends gathering together in founder Karen Mordechai’s house to cook communally. Now based within a minimalist industrial space dedicated to cooking and serving food, they work with local artisans to produce market fresh meals with inspiring seasonal ingredients.
The focus remains on slow cooking and simple living, and the concept of enjoying meals with larger groups of likeminded individuals.
Based in the small Manchester suburb of Levenshulme, Trove Bakery is famed locally for its artisan bread and delicious breakfasts. Trove’s supper clubs are still relatively low key, which is one of the reasons why you should experience them now, before the crowds arrive.
Dining communally on one large wooden table, a series of hosts, including Season’s Eatings put together subtly themed menus for a small group of diners. Keep your eye on their Twitter feed to discover when the next event will be.
‘Unforgettable Edible Adventures’ is the incredibly appropriate slogan of Scotland-based supper club, Jelly & Gin. Event Director, Aoife and Creative Director, Carol work together to create unpredictable creative food and event concepts that you will never forget.
Previous events have included a multi-sensory whiskey tasting adventure in an old milk factory, and film screenings where the audience eat and drink along with the characters on screen.
photo: jelly & gin
Basement Gallery Underground Dining
Housed within a decommissioned 1967 Victoria Line underground carriage, Basement Gallery host a popular London-based supper club in a truly unique setting. Using lesser known seasonal ingredients to create a unique and memorable menu, the events sell out months in advance, so be quick to get hold of tickets!
Unlike the usual mutually understood silence between passengers of the London underground, Hosts Alex Cooper and Tom Fothergill like to get strangers talking to each other, so come prepared to make new friends and break the ice.
The grandfather of modern supper clubs, Jim Haynes has been hosting Sunday salons in his Parisian apartment for the past 30 years. Every week, a different friend of Jim’s will prepare a unique dinner for up to 50 guests seated indoors, or up to twice that number when the sun shines and guests spill out onto the terrace.
To reserve a space for this memorable experience, simply call or email Jim directly. The extremely sociable host makes a point of memorising the names of all of his guests, where they are from and what they do before they arrive, so that he can introduce them to each other and create a friendly and relaxed environment.
photo: jim haynes
Looking for a supper club to join? Check out this useful website to help you find the best local supper clubs in your area.
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