About Us

In 2006 we heard about a new concept. A place where you ordered meals on-line, where the food was then bought and prepared for you, and all you had to do was go in-store and make it, and then take it home to cook it (a little strange, yet somehow intriguing).

At the time we were juggling being working parents and finding ways and time to give our families and friends the meals we loved.

We decided it was time to combine the years of running Michelin Star kitchens with our passion for everyday quality meals and create our very own version of what we'd heard about - Hundreds of coffees later, here we are, The Kitchen - Parsons Green.

We'd like you to share in our passion for food, and our belief that food should be fun. Whether it's creating meals, cooking lessons, food appreciation courses, wine tasting, or you simply want to spoil yourself with a private chef, come and join us for a session at The Kitchen.

We've personally hand picked all our suppliers, and most are small independents, who've been chosen due to both the quality of ingredients and their ethics. Food provenance and traceability are key.

Natalie & Thierry

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Thierry

I come from a working-class family in South-West France where money was tight but good food plentiful, I've grown up always feeling passionate that eating well doesn't have to be dictated by how much time, money or know-how you have.

Being married with a young son has made me feel even more passionately about family cooking,

Recently I was consultant head chef at The Wallace Collection and I have over 20 years experience in London and European kitchens including L'Oranger, Le Gavroche The Sanderson, Zuma and Louis XV Monte Carlo, and have worked in over 10 Michelin Star restaurants. I was awarded my own Michelin Star at L'Oranger

Natalie

I come from a large family in Yorkshire, where family life revolved around meal times, and my happiest occasions are when the family all get back together.

As a single parent of a beautiful young daughter, I appreciate the pressures of trying to provide quality meals with little or no time, yet it's one of the most important times of our day.

I've never been too sure what to call myself, but I get called a "business entrepreneur". I set up Juiceworks, one of the first companies to supply the London catering and restaurant trade with premium, fresh juice, packed and delivered within two hours of squeezing, nearly 10 years ago, and more recently I worked as a manufacturing and production fashion consultant.

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Friends of The Kitchen

We wouldn't have been able to do this without the support of so many friends, family and suppliers. And we don't have the space to talk about them all. But THANK YOU.

Design Friendship - An inspiring agency that designed and art directed our brand identity and all our creative, thinking about everything from, the store look and feel, to our beautiful packaging. Chris and Nat, without your patience, vision, and dedication it just wouldn't have happened.

Intelligent Profile - We clicked with them straight away probably due to a combination of seniority, creativity and knowledge and as our media communications experts they've been invaluable.

Simon Kidd- A true craftsmen, anyone that can take 150 year old floorboards and turn them into a beautiful table, and create bespoke granite work-stations rocks in our books.

Philippe Messy - A wine marvel, he's helped us choose the most amazing wine selection. If there's anyone who knows more about wine, then we'd be surprised.

Kris Kirkham - One of the best food photographers we've ever worked with. The pictures on this site, speak for themselves.

Gerbs & Nick - Two friends who wired us for sound and created our little garden.  

Seven Seeded - We've known Aleem for years, and he's an exceptionally talented young baker, who's making some of the finest organic breads and pastries in the UK.

 

How it Works

1. Register on-line or call us to schedule the session where you'll create your meals OR book a time to pick up your meals that we assemble for you
   
   
2. Choose your meals from our delicious seasonal monthly menus featuring 8-12 tempting dishes created with only the freshest ingredients from the best suppliers
   
   
3. Ideally bring two large reusable shopping bags with you to take away your meals
   
   
4. Prepare your chosen meals in our kitchen with step-by-step instructions at each station. Our chefs are on hand to help and to give tips
   
   
5. Customise each meal to your family's taste by adding or subtracting any of our freshly prepared ingredients
   
   
6. Your meals are prepared, sealed and labeled, you're ready to go from our kitchen to yours

FAQ'S

How does it work?
You simply go on-line, book a session, order the meals you want, then come instore to make the meals with our chefs on hand to help.

What should I bring with me?
You don't need to bring anything apart from proof of ID and to have thought about how you're going to get your food home (ideally it needs to be refrigerated within 2 hours).

What is a make your own kitchen?
A place where you come and create meals, and then take them home to be cooked and eaten.

What should I wear?
Whatever you wear to cook at home!!! We'll give you an apron and gloves to wear.

How much does it cost?
It depends on what you're cooking, but dishes start from around £5. We've tried to create something that you'll use on a weekly basis, rather than just for special occasions.

Is it healthy?
All our dishes are made with the best ingredients, and with health in mind. Because you make the meals, you have the choice to not put in certain ingredients if you're on a certain diet.

How do I know what's in the food
We provide details of what's in each dish on the packaging, and in-store we have a full list of ingredients.

Do I have to follow the recipes exactly
No you can create the dish how ever you like.

Can I bring someone to help with the session
Due to the layout of the store we only really have space for one person per station, but if the sessions aren't full we may have room, so give us a call to check.

Can I bring children with me
You're more than welcome to bring your children with you.  Check if we have space available for two people at a station.  We also run various sessions especially for children. 

Is there a membership fee
No, you simply register and pay for the meals you create.

How do I pay
Check-out online, we will tell you what methods are available. But generally you will need to pay with a major credit card, prior to coming in-store, or pay by cash at the Store.

What happens if I cancel a session? What is your refund policy?
If you cancel your session less than 24 hours in advance you will not receive a refund, but we can convert your meals into a "pick-up" order if you would prefer, however there will be an additional sum to pay, as the prices are different.

Do your prices change?
All products offered by us are subject to occasional change in price. This is particularly likely with seasonal changes in supply levels and supply prices. We will endeavour to warn you of any changes to the price or availability of items in our range. However, we reserve the right to change our prices and products without notice to reflect such changes. Current prices will always be shown on our website and can be obtained by telephoning. We will charge you that price which will be inclusive of any applicable VAT.

If I order do I need to pay?
Ordering a product from us carries with it the obligation to pay for it unless we receive from you a cancellation of or change to your orders before the deadlines published on the website. We are also happy to inform you of these deadlines by telephone if you wish to call us. You remain responsible for ensuring that any such change or cancellation is not only transmitted by you, but received by us, in time for the deadline. We reserve the right to deliver and charge in full for any order unless we have received notice of cancellation before the published deadline. This deadline is important as we make up each order for you on the day and obtain some of the products especially to fulfil your order and may not be able to sell the products elsewhere. Any payments you have made for orders which have been properly cancelled will be recredited to you.

Do I have to pay for fraudulent orders? 
You are entitled to cancel a payment for products where fraudulent use has been made of your payment card by a person not acting, or to be treated as acting, as your agent. If you have already made a payment where your payment card has been so fraudulently used, then you should approach your card issuer for recredit to your card.

How will I remember what I've ordered
You will be sent a confirmation email once you've booked, and when you arrive at the store we will give you a copy of your order to ensure we have all the ingredients at your station.

How long will the food last
Generally if the food is refrigerated within 2 hours of leaving the store. It can be refrigerated for 4 days from the date it was made, or frozen for up to 3 months. Each dish will have a "made on date".

How many meals can I make in a session
It's up to you, we can cater to any requirement, whether that's 8 meals, and 30 servings of each.

Should I freeze my meals when I get them home
We believe fresh is best, but if you freeze them within two hours, eat them within 3 months, and ensure they are fully defrosted prior to cooking, the dishes should still have all the original flavours and nutrients.

What's the difference in the different sessions

There are 4 types of session you can book;

• Public - An open session for up to 8 people that lasts approx. 90 minutes
• Private - A private session where you can hire all the work stations. Simply call us to find out more or to book
• Special - An open session, that will have a specific theme (eg) Wine matching, Kids Club, BBQ etc.
  
• Pick-up - You order the meals as usual and we'll prepare them for you in-store, all you need to do is come in during the session times and collect your orders
  

Are all your meats Organic
Not necessarily, but all our meat is from ethical farmers, and all our chicken is free range.

Is your fish from sustainable stock
We use sustainable stock fish, for any fish in danger, and we carefully choose all our suppliers to ensure that they have ethical businesses that think about the environment.

What payments types do you accept
Cash and major cards in-store, major cards on-line

Where can I park
All resident bay areas surrounding the Store have 8 hour pay and display (Mon - Saturday)

Do you do private 1:1 sessions
We've set the business up to be totally flexible to our customers needs so please phone us if you'd like private sessions

Can I book out the whole session
"Private Sessions" are when you book the whole session for you and your friends. If you'd like to do something a bit more special. Pop in or give us a call to find out more.

What's the difference between a meal and a dish
Nothing really, apart from at different types it's more appropriate to refer to them as meals or dishes for ease of explanation

Does it save time
Yes, in just over an hour you can make a weeks worth of meals, as we do all the shopping, chopping and preparation for you. You simply come into the store and in a concentrated time frame prepare all the meals, which we believe would usually take you at least 8 hours to do.

Does it save money
We believe it works out about the same price, if not a little bit cheaper to come to The Kitchen, and with us there is no wastage.

Will you remind me of the session
You will be sent an email when you've booked a session, and 24 hours in advance

Will you help me during the session
Yes, our fully trained chefs are always on hand during a session to help

Where do I find the cooking instructions
The cooking instructions are available on the menu section of the website, in-store and on the packaging of each dish

Is it hygienic with so many people touching food
Each person is required to wash their hands before the start of each session, and are given gloves to wear. Plus each station is thoroughly cleaned between sessions.

Who are your suppliers
All our major suppliers are hand picked and visited. Many of whom we have worked with for years at the various Michelin Star restaurant's we've been part of.

What are your opening times
They do vary due to the different types of sessions we're running and the day of the week but generally the first session starts at 9.30am the last at 7.00pm, but we are open for coffees and pastries as follows:
Mon - Sat - 8.30am - 8pm
Sun - 9.00am - 5pm

What are your company registration details?
The Kitchen Table Ltd
42 Sydenham Road, London SE26 5QF
Registered in UK
Company registration #: 6353134

How do I contact you?
Call us at 0207 736 8067
Or email at hello@visitthekitchen.com