Private performance
- Hannah Tapping
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
Words by Hannah Tapping | Images by Faydit Photography
The art of bespoke dining brings a taste of the theatre to the table.
There is something quite unique about a private dining experience where the spectacle is derived not simply from the plate of food, but also in the very story that brings it to life. Think beautiful tablescapes, welcome drinks designed for the occasion, bespoke menus and courses that speak far more than sustenance. Founder of ChefCulture, a private dining and events company, James Thomas Jones has developed a relationship with food that not only honours the very best ingredients, but also brings a taste of theatre to the table.
Having spent his formative culinary years honing his craft in fine dining hotels across the South West, James’ journey has taken him from the white sand shores of Tresco on the Isles of Scilly with wild beach barbecues to private houses and pop-ups across the Cotswolds and out to the Devon coast. “I’ve always worked in food,” he tells me, “ever since I was a teenager. Initially in high-end hotel dining, then on Tresco on the Isles of Scilly. By the end of my time there I was managing all of the eateries on this incredible private island. My experience spans many levels; everything from Mediterranean seafood to more traditional gastropubs.” But it was on Scilly, amongst the barbecue coals on a private beach, that the seed of something more intimate was sown: “That’s when I first thought of creating a private dining and events company. Cooking barbecues on the sand, with mackerel just pulled from the sea, really taught me how important fresh, local, high-quality ingredients are.”
Today, ChefCulture, brings restaurant-quality cooking into people’s homes and holiday properties across the South West. Whether it’s a celebratory supper, a laid-back barbecue with friends or a full weekend of catering, the brief is always different. “We haven’t served the same menu twice,” James tells me. “And that’s something I’m very proud of. Every event is tailored. It might be someone’s 50th birthday celebration with dinners on Friday and Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. Or simply a couple who want to eat well in a beautiful place. Whatever the number, the process is always the same: we talk to our clients, understand their taste and then build completely bespoke menus, along with curated cocktails mixed and served by my colleague Kris.”
The food itself is elevated and immersive, made all the more remarkable by its delivery. “I only use top industry suppliers,” explains James. “Flying Fish, for example, is world-renowned and supplies many London restaurants. The ingredients I use are exactly the same as what you’d find in a top-tier restaurant kitchen. The only difference is that we’re preparing, cooking and serving it in our client’s homes.” However, don’t mistake this for anything less than exacting. “I bring everything,” says James, “from pots, pans and knives to tableware and glasses…even the bin bags, literally everything but the kitchen sink! I don’t rely on what’s in the kitchen as for me, it’s all about detail – the meal has to be flawless from start to finish, so everything is done with precision.”
A taste of theatre forms the foundation of James’ latest venture: TABU – a new direction that takes private dining into interactive, story-driven territory. “It’s still private dining, but much more theatrical, cheekier and definitely more immersive,” says James with a grin. With TABU, the show doesn’t stop with plating. Every experience includes a hidden course, a surprise element created especially for the guests: “It might be a nostalgic twist on a childhood favourite, or a playful moment in the meal. Like a custard cream reimagined as a dessert. Or perhaps a box of handmade chocolates on the table that contains a hidden game, or a paper under someone’s seat telling them they’re tonight’s carver! We love these little interactive moments. It gets people talking, laughing, connecting.”
The TABU concept has grown naturally from client feedback they’ve had over the years: “Some clients want the chef to stay in the background. Others want to know everything… where the meat has come from, if the herbs are grown in my garden. They’re hungry for the story.” And story is exactly what TABU serves. However, the ambition behind ChefCulture doesn’t end with its dishes, it’s also about the next generation, as James explains: “Eventually, I want to use ChefCulture as a platform for up-and-coming chefs,” he tells me. “There’s a huge gap in the industry. Training is patchy, the culture can be tough and staffing levels are low. My vision for ChefCulture’s future is to have a central unit with a demo kitchen, using it to help develop younger chefs, not just in cooking, but in storytelling as well as in the business side of things.”
What’s crucial, adds James is maintaining the ChefCulture standard. “I don’t want this to become a conveyor belt of private chefs. I want to be involved in the menus, the ingredients, the delivery. We can bring other chefs in, sure, but they have to reflect the same ethos. It’s not about being a control freak,” he laughs, “but I am obsessed with detail. That’s what makes us different.”
And different it is. In an age of impersonal online bookings and algorithm-recommended menus, ChefCulture offers something both rare and refreshingly real: connection. “I always speak to clients beforehand,” he explains. “I don’t just send a brochure. We have a phone call. Because they’re inviting someone into their home, it’s got to feel right.” That feeling is what’s fuelling the momentum behind his regular pop-ups, too. “We’re doing an event next week on the Glassboat in Bristol in collaboration with 6 O’Clock Gin, as well as hosting regular supper clubs at The Scrandit. They’re great for exposure. People can come, try our food, see how we work, and then are hopefully inspired to book us for a private event.”
The wider vision for ChefCulture is layered, much like the meals themselves. “We want people to come away from an event thinking: that was different, that was special. That wasn’t just dinner. That was an experience.”
