1. FBC#5 Community
Saturday July 6th July
How to launch a supper club
Dr Denise Baker-McClearn
Moel Faban Supper Club

2. About me
• Trained as a chef aged eighteen
• Went back to college, studied for a degree and subsequently
worked as a health & forensic psychologist for 16 years
• Made redundant May 2009
• Miserable, depressed and unable to find an inspiring job in research
• August 2009 read about supper clubs in London
• Decided I wanted to start one to cheer me up
• I did some research, spoke to a few people who were doing it
• I spent the last of my redundancy money and first lot of dole money
on plates, cutlery & glasses from the boot fair
• September 2009 started planning my first event
• October 2009 opened

3. What is a supper club?
• A supper club is usually run from a private home
• It by-passes legislation covering registered restaurants
• Overheads are lower so you can splash out on the best ingredients
• They are like paying dinner parties (but you just don’t happen to know
the host or who you will be dining with)
• Most supper clubs don’t make a huge profit, they do it for the love of
food and entertaining
• It’s an opportunity for the cook/chef to try out new dishes and
experiment
• Guests get to taste new foods and pay less than a conventional
restaurant
• Guests bring their own wine and alcohol as most supper clubs are not
licensed
• Its a great way to get experience in the food industry without a huge
financial outlay

4. Planning to start a supper club
• I had no idea what I was doing
• I’d never read let alone
written a food blog
• I’d never actually been to a
supper club
• I didn’t know if a supper club
would work in Wales because
no it had never been tried
• I didn’t know if people would
come
• I made it up as I went along
I
• Make a plan and do some
research
• Visit other supper clubs
• Speak to other people that
have run or are running
supper clubs
• Think about what you
like/dislike about other
supper clubs you have
visited?
• Do you already have a fan
base/potential list of
customers?

6. Why run a supper club?
• To experiment with new dishes and recipes
• Meet new people and entertain
• See what it would be like to run a restaurant
• Precursor to a job in the food industry
• Make some extra money
• For fun or as a hobby
• To be part of a community of supper club
hosts

7. My supper club
• My supper club is a family venture. We are all involved
in serving, waitressing and cleaning up
• Food is usually modern British and European because
that’s what our customers like
• Private dinners provide the opportunity to cook to a
theme or experiment more
• I use lots of Welsh locally grown and sourced produce
• I didn’t do any anything else to sell the idea...I was
unique in Wales!
• Since 2009 the supper club has changed and
evolved, but still stayed close to that format

8. Establishing your own niche
• What are you doing that is special or
different?
• Why will people want to come to you?
• Do you cook a particular cuisine?
• What is your selling point?
• Where are you sourcing your produce?

10. What else are you offering?
• Live music or entertainment
• Poetry, readings
• Quiet and intimate
• A catalyst for interesting conversation
• Art installations
• Theatre

11. Advertising
• I advertise via my blog, FB, Twitter and mailing list
• When I first started I ran up some flyers and
pinned them in prominent places -
cafes, community spaces
• For wider coverage you could approach the local
press to see if they would like to do an editorial
or an interview (this doesn’t cost anything)
• Register with and list dates on ms marmite lovers
Find a Supper Club website which is the foremost
‘go to’ site for supper club fans

12. How to set prices
Can depend on....
• How many you are cooking for? -Don’t try to ram them in...this is
supposed to be an enjoyable experience and don’t overstretch
yourself- only do what is comfortable and stress free
• What is your aim? – This isn’t really something to do if you want
to make money. Prices should perhaps just cover costs and maybe
time.
• Where you are based. I could never charge £40 a head...people
couldn’t afford it and wouldn’t come.
• Your budget? I was skint when I started....I ran it on a shoe-string.
Most people that run supper clubs have considerably more
disposable income than I did. I got creative...boot fairs/charity
shops supplied much of my crockery and cutlery.
• How much you have to invest? (plates, glasses, equipment)
• Whether suppliers will give you an account/wholesale prices?

13. Staffing
• From kitchen helpers to
waitresses...who will be
helping you?
• Are you planning to do it
on your own?
• Working out the logistics
is important. I usually
have a kitchen
helper/washer-upper and
a waitress. More than
that get in the way...less
means its a bit chaotic

14. Regulations regulations...
• Licensing
• Food hygiene
• Environmental health
• Insurance

15. So now you’ve planned and your ready
to open....
• Keep it simple to begin with....well cooked, tried
and tested food that you know works
• Hold a ‘soft’ opening with invited
guests, friends, family
• We did this and asked guests to provide feedback
on dishes, service and so on
• Don’t leave it too long before you hold an
‘official’ opening...ours was a fully booked
evening with twelve strangers. It all felt a little
surreal

16. Patience and time
• In some places it can take a
while to get going
• Word of mouth will build
reputation
• Don’t be afraid to change
and evolve
• Don’t worry if one month its
not full...or you can’t run it
• Stick with it (if you want to
that is!)

17. Why it worked for me
• Strong sense of community we have in Wales meant once
my reputation was established, my followers stayed loyal.
• We don’t have so many great places to eat out at a
reasonable price...so people come back to me again and
again.
• I cook good food with love and care, people see that and
respect it.
• I offer a good deal so people don’t feel ripped off or
cheated...hey leave well fed
• I listen to customer feedback, adapt, change, tweak
prices...I have to keep moving with the times and with
family demands
• I enjoy it too much to give it up

18. Up scaling

19. Food Olympics
By now the Red Arrows have soared overhead and the opening ceremony is about
to start. Denise Baker-McClearn's Welsh dessert of apple and cinnamon tart with
Bara brith ice cream and vanilla salted caramel is the perfect accompaniment to
Danny Boyle's idyll of sheep and green fields. There's even a glass of smooth and
slightly honeyed Penderyn whiskey, her local distillery, to wash it down. As the
spectacle rumbles on, we drink more champagne and reflect that we've had the
best of British on our plates, and now, on TV, the world is getting a glimpse of the
same thing. Rupert Parker; Huffington Post, 6/08/2012