Be a guest…

Enjoy hosting but tight on time? Not accustomed to cooking for a crowd? Hoping to keep your kitchen clean for company? Trying to keep the surprise party a surprise? No problem, send out the invites!

Whether it’s a special occasion or you’d just like to enjoy listening to your friends instead of listening for the kitchen timer, having me lovingly prepare food for your next gathering allows you to be a guest at your own party.

Enjoy a cocktail and a “taste test” treat before your guests arrive. Relish the freedom to greet your friends unharried. Savor the time for meaningful conversations. Relax at the end of the evening while we clean up, “as if it never happened.”

My specialty is…

Smaller, in-home events up to approximately 75 people, such as:

• Dinner parties
• House warming parties/open houses
• Cocktail parties and tea parties
• Bridal and baby showers, christening brunches
• Holiday gatherings and office parties
• Rehearsal dinners and day-after-wedding brunches
• Memorial Gatherings, Birthday, Anniversary and Retirement parties
• Family reunions and Graduation celebrations

The Big Four

The major areas to address in planning your gathering are food (always the priority!) beverages, service and rentals. Most clients prefer to handle flowers, other décor, music and any additional elements on their own but I can provide recommendations. For more elaborate gatherings, requiring full event-planning services, I can recommend experienced event planners who will make sure that all the extra details are handled with expert care!

Food

Because I specialize in cooking for small, intimate catered affairs, nothing about your food is left to chance. Designing menus is one of my favorite parts of the process, giving me the opportunity to create a vibrant balance of colors, tastes and textures, so one course leads perfectly to the next. I seek out only the freshest, high quality ingredients and I meticulously oversee every detail of the menu, food preparation and presentation. Through the bounty of local farmers in central Virginia, I can offer menus specifically featuring organic, sustainably raised food, as locally sourced and seasonally focused as possible, priced according to the market.

Please note: Food from local farms and small artisanal purveyors are subject to availability. We’ll discuss your food preferences so each menu can be customized, with special attention given to specific health or dietary needs. We’ll also review any budgetary parameters before I prepare a detailed proposal, presented for your approval prior to your event. Food is priced much like at higher end restaurants, per person, by the course. Menus range from $20 per person for a simple lunch to $40 per person for cocktail food to $75 or more for a five course meal, all depending on your selections.

Beverages

Clients provide their own alcohol; Chef Ellen can provide mixers and other nonalcoholic selections. Charlottesville area parties can have wine and beer delivered by Market Street Wine Shop. Chef Ellen can email them the menu and they can advise on a wine and beer selection to complement it, accommodating a variety of requested price ranges. For events in the Wintergreen area, it’s always special to include in your choices a selection of our local Nelson County beers, wines and ciders! Available from Ellen: Bar Set-ups: $5-$8 per person (mixers, sodas, bottled waters and bar fruit) depending on selection. Sodas and Bottled Waters only: $4 per person   Ice: $2 per person   Non-Alcoholic Punch, Iced Teas, Lemonade or Specialty Mixers for featured cocktails $3 per person per type Coffee plus Half & Half and Sugars $4 per person

Service On-Site

Catering to your needs- as much or as little help as you require, low-key to fully staffed. Food can simply be dropped off with detailed heating directions or staff can be arranged for to provide whatever level of service you would like.* In home catering requires a calm, trustworthy staff that are both child and pet friendly and respectful of your personal space and property. I expect the best from my staff and so can you!

Servers or Bartenders $50/hour each
Chefs: $60/hour each [$100.00 minimum per staff]

*When on-site service is requested, Chef Ellen reserves the right to determine the final number of staff based on style of service, menu, number of guests, logistics and other factors. Every attempt is made to have just the right amount such that each staff member stays busy and guests are taken care of to the level of service the host desires.

Once you have requested staff and they have confirmed their availability, I am unable to accept cancellations of their services. In order to reserve the date for your function, they will likely turn down other work since the most sought after servers are often reserved several weeks to months in advance.

Contracting for just a chef (and no server) includes staging food buffet style and some clean up (for an agreed upon # hours.)

Most often staff arrives one hour prior to the time you’d like appetizers ready, and can stay just until dinner is set out buffet style or until after dessert to do a more complete clean up, up to you!

Contracting with Chef Ellen guarantees she will prepare your food but another chef may deliver/stage food/clean up, depending on how many events are scheduled for the same day.

All food is prepped off site and brought chilled; all day/completely on site cooking is not practical as I may be prepping for a few events on any given day.

If you’d like drink service, table service, a higher level of service, add a server to your contract.

Extended travel time: For distances over 45 miles one way, there will be a surcharge to cover part of the staff’s travel time and expense. This is rare, will vary based on the distance involved and will be detailed in advance (generally around $25 per staff member.) Functions requiring Chef Ellen on-site will have delivery fees waived; functions not requiring Ellen will be charged a delivery fee of $50-$100 depending on quantity of food and location.

The final invoice amount is calculated at the conclusion of the staff’s time on site and presented to you for payment, unless prior arrangements are agreed upon in advance.

Gratuities are optional but always appreciated for outstanding service.

For events requiring more than the basic coordination of food & beverage needs and service staff, I can provide a level of event coordination for $75/hour or you may contract directly with a full service event coordinator.

Rentals

Most hosts prefer to provide a variety of their own serving pieces, dishware, etc. We can work out what you have available and would like to use, along with what may need to be rented.

Rental fees: 20% of rental charges added as a coordination fee. Partial coordination charged at $75 hour (Minimum of $25) 50 cup coffee makers are available from Ellen for $20.

Two of the most well stocked rental companies in the area are Festive Fare and MS Events.