A private chef dinner is a full day of work, not the three hours your guests see. I am Giuseppe Manzoli, an Italian private chef in Scotland. On Saturday 19 September 2026 I had two 60th birthday dinners on the same evening: Margaret’s, for 12, in a private house near Forfar in Angus, and Liz’s, at Carsaig, a lodge on Loch Venachar in the Trossachs. I photographed the day. The first picture, focaccia out of the oven, was taken at 8.43 in the morning. The last, dessert on the plate, at 7.50 in the evening.
At a Glance
- What guests see: about three hours — canapés, dinner, dessert.
- What it takes: on this Saturday, 11+ hours from the first loaf to the last dessert, plus menu planning and shopping in the days before.
- Two tables, one kitchen: I prepared both dinners myself that morning. My team served Margaret’s in Angus from my written brief; I cooked and served Liz’s on Loch Venachar.
- Made by hand that day: focaccia, linguine, gnocchi, arancini, crème brûlée, ice cream — and a whole salmon on the charcoal grill.
- Included: menu planning, shopping, all cooking, service, and the kitchen cleaned before we leave.
- Price: menus from £75 per person, VAT and travel included.
- Chef: Giuseppe Manzoli — 35+ years cooking professionally, trained in Italy, 220+ five-star Google reviews.
8.43am — the focaccia, for both tables
The focaccia is the first thing out of the oven, because the oven is needed for everything else afterwards. These loaves went to both houses.
8.55am — potatoes, one slice at a time
A tray of potatoes sliced thin on the mandoline. Nobody at the table will think about how they were cut. That is the point.
10.46am — Margaret’s salmon goes on the charcoal
A whole salmon, rosemary and lime inside and out, straight onto the charcoal grill. It was the centrepiece of Margaret’s dinner, to be carried to the table whole and portioned in front of her guests.
By 12.50pm — linguine, gnocchi, dessert bases
By lunchtime the linguine for Liz’s dinner are cut by hand, the gnocchi are rolled and blanched, the crème brûlées are baked in their moulds and the chicken is braised. Nothing here comes out of a packet.
Afternoon — the food leaves in two directions
Margaret’s dinner goes to Angus with my team and a written brief covering every course, every timing and how her kitchen is to be left. I load the rest — food, pans, boards, my prep table, my ice-cream machine — and drive to Loch Venachar. At the house I set up a second kitchen inside theirs and churn the ice cream there, so it is hours old, not days.
5.19pm — canapés
From here it is the part guests see. Prawns off the grill, arancini out of the fryer, Parmesan grated over the board as it leaves the kitchen.
6.02pm to 6.41pm — gnocchi and linguine, then the main
The gnocchi go into their sauce at 6.02, the mushroom linguine at 6.22, the chicken stroganoff into the bowls at 6.41. Morning work, finished in minutes.
7.50pm — dessert
Crème brûlée, a shard of meringue, and the vanilla ice cream churned that afternoon. Then the kitchen is cleaned, the van is packed, and I drive home.
In short: a private chef dinner looks like three hours and takes a full day. On Saturday 19 September 2026 I prepared two 60th birthday dinners: focaccia baked at 8.43am, a whole salmon on the charcoal at 10.46am, linguine and gnocchi made by hand before 1pm, canapés out at 5.19pm and dessert at 7.50pm. My team served one in Angus; I cooked and served the other on Loch Venachar.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a private chef work for one dinner?
A full day. On the Saturday photographed here the work ran from 8.43am to after 7.50pm — more than eleven hours — plus the menu planning and shopping in the days before.
Can you cater two events on the same day?
Yes, when the menus allow it. I prepare both myself, and a team I have briefed in writing serves one while I cook and serve the other. On 19 September 2026 that meant a dinner for 12 near Forfar and a family dinner on Loch Venachar on the same evening.
What does a private chef make from scratch?
On this day: the focaccia, the linguine, the gnocchi, the arancini, the crème brûlée and the ice cream, plus a whole salmon cooked over charcoal.
What is included in the price of a private chef?
Menu planning, shopping, all the cooking, service at your table and cleaning the kitchen afterwards. Menus start from £75 per person, VAT and travel included.
I’ve been cooking professionally for 35+ years, with 220+ five-star Google reviews from clients across Scotland. If you’d like a day like this spent on your dinner, get in touch and check a date. New to this? Start with how to book a private chef in Scotland.