Private chef in Marlow | our home dining experience with Pinar’s Culinary Studio

We kicked off the new year with the perfect antidote to a quiet, grey January, a relaxed and very special home dining experience. If you’re looking for a Private Chef in Marlow experience that feels personal and indulgent, Pinar’s Culinary Studio offers exactly that, bringing restaurant-quality dining (and cookery lessons) into your own kitchen.
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After a busy few weeks and returning from our family ski trip, it was such a treat to slow life down and enjoy time together at home. With no cooking, no washing up and no rushing out to a restaurant, we were able to relax properly.  We chatted about our New Year in the Alps and we started making plans for the year ahead. With my 60th birthday in December, I’m very much in planning mode, a private chef experience felt like the perfect way to start the year.  And how lucky am I to be able to share it with my husband, our children and their partners.

One of the things I loved most about this experience was how easy it felt from start to finish. From planning the menu to the final course being served, Pinar and her very able assistant Can took care of every detail, allowing us to enjoy the evening exactly as we wanted to - it was relaxed, unrushed and focused on good food and great conversation as well as lots of laughter.  And the best bit, I didn't have to keep leaving the table to look after everyone, Pinar was quietly in the background looking after me too.

​Here are a few more details about our evening, and why I’d wholeheartedly recommend a private chef experience at home especially if you have a special occasion coming up.

This is a gifted collaboration.

The most delicious and beautifully presented menu from Pinar's Culinary Studio, a private chef in Marlow - this is the red kidney bean salad, colourful, fresh and well balanced.

Planning our private chef experience

I've always loved the idea of a private chef coming to my home (or holiday Airbnb accommodation), I enjoy good food but don't love cooking!  It is a common experience in ski chalets - so why not here?

The days of at home dinner parties have mostly disappeared, not sure why!  Was it something we did more of when the children were younger and babysitting was complicated, or was it that dining out options were too expensive (or our budget much smaller)?  I do remember 30 odd years ago when I first met my husband, hosting more dinner parties, maybe it was the novelty of a new home together.  When we got married (just us, our son, two friends and their daughter) we had afternoon tea at the Compleat Angler in Marlow then a dinner party in the evening when the children had gone to bed.

​Pinar got in touch with me to ask if I'd like to experience a private chef evening at home, no pressure and no expectations, but if we loved it - would I share a review?  I was delighted to accept and we set about planning the evening.  I asked if she'd mind preparing a meal for 6 of us so that I could invite my children and partners and get some help with filming!  

Because this was a gifted experience, I wanted Pinar to have complete free range and mostly choose the menu for us - but I did let her know about a few dietary requirements and likes and dislikes.  No dairy and no nuts (for my son) and meat rather than fish or seafood.

Pinar said she would plan a Turkish inspired meze of dishes for us to enjoy.

We agreed an arrival time, Pinar and her assistant Can arrived at 5 pm with dinner to be served at 7 pm.  Pinar prepares many of the dishes in her home kitchen (and she has an L2 Food Hygiene Certificate) and then cooks the fresh dishes in your kitchen but brings most of her own equipment.

All I had to do was invite my guests, set the table, tidy the house and chill the wine!

I love making my table look pretty and having my family with me.

Our at home dining experience

Pinar arrived promptly at 5 pm, changed into indoor shoes, both her and her assistant Can  were friendly and smart and a joy to welcome into our home.  They were polite and discrete and nothing was too much trouble.  We left them to it and made ourselves comfortable in the lounge, chatting to our guests, while Pinar organised the food and kitchen.

When it was time to serve, Pinar invited us all to sit down, and she explained each dish to us and clarified which was dairy free (she did not use any nuts).  

While we enjoying the delicious menu, Pinar and Can, kept a discrete distance and were quietly keeping everything clean and tidy and preparing the next course.  It really was just like a restaurant with waiting staff looking after you but with the extra comfort of enjoying our own home.

After dessert was served, Pinar and Can cleared everything away, washed up, putting some items in the dishwasher and packed away the equipment.  At no point were we disturbed or felt their presence was intrusive.  They left after we'd eaten without fuss or fanfare, but we were so incredibly grateful at how well they had looked after us.

Our private dining menu

• Classic bruschetta, served as a light and fresh opening.
• Stuffed onion, filled with minced beef, rice and a blend of herbs and spices, prepared using a traditional technique, one of my signature dishes.
• Roasted carrot and garlic yoghurt meze, smooth, lightly spiced and full of flavour.
• Orange-infused celeriac in olive oil, a traditional Mediterranean-style meze.
• Red kidney bean salad, colourful, fresh and well balanced.
• Potato salad, gently seasoned with onion and Turkish spices.
• Red cabbage pickle with a mustard mayonnaise dressing.
• Fried aubergine rolls, thinly sliced aubergine wrapped around feta cheese.
• Overnight-marinated chicken thigh fillet, served as the main course.
• Classic tiramisu to finish.

​It is impossible to single out one dish from the menu that Pinar planned for us, it was all so tasty and impressive.  Pinar served her signature dish (stuffed onions) which was a favourite for all of us, it was incredible and her skill at creating this dish impressed us too!  But there was also  'aubergine with feta' and I loved the 'roasted carrot and yoghurt meze' and the 'potato salad' .... then we had overnight-marinated chicken which was cooked to perfection.  The celeriac was delicious too - see impossible to choose between them!

Pinar's Culinary Studio - how it all began

Pınar’s love of food and hospitality began in her childhood in Antalya, Turkey, where she grew up helping in her family’s restaurant. Food, generosity and sharing a table were part of everyday life, something that is very familiar to us as a family, having spent many holidays in Turkey and enjoying the incredible food and warm hospitality in Kalkan and nearby Kaş. 
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Now based in Marlow, Pınar is a highly regarded private chef serving Marlow and the surrounding areas through Pinar’s Culinary Studio, her approach to Mediterranean cooking is refined but relaxed. And with over 15 years of experience beginning in a professional kitchen environment, her food has strong Turkish foundations alongside Italian, Greek and French influences.

Pınar studied statistics and developed a particular interest in sensory analysis, understanding flavour, texture and balance. Her analytical mindset plays an important role in her cooking, as she listens carefully to guest feedback and uses it to refine her dishes.

After moving to Marlow seven years ago, Pınar began cooking for friends, families and small gatherings, building her business naturally through word of mouth. Today, she offers beautifully prepared, homemade food with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients, sharing-style dining and elegant presentation.

And we experienced and loved every moment of her relaxed approach, with such a special family evening.

Supporting small, local businesses

I have always loved supporting and championing small, local businesses on my blog, especially female founded, I am in awe of their talent, hard work and the generosity and kindness they show to me.  And I love to give a positive shoutout!  And Pinar deserves every success.  If you are looking for a private chef in Marlow or surrounding areas, then please do get in touch with her - details below.

​Pınar offers a range of bespoke services, all delivered in clients’ homes or chosen venues, including:

• Private chef experiences and fine dining for intimate dinners, celebrations, birthdays and anniversaries.
• Interactive cooking classes, hosted in your own home, for your or a group of friends.
• Small weddings and intimate events, with thoughtfully curated party-style food.
• Seasonal catering, including Regatta events in and around Marlow and Ascot racing season, with premium picnic-style menus.
• Premium meal preparation, typically covering one or two days, for clients looking for high-quality homemade food with a refined touch.

All food is prepared by Pınar herself. Depending on the size and nature of the event, she attends alone or with her assistant. She is fully food hygiene certified and works to high professional and safety standards.

Please do get in touch with Pinar via Instagram or Facebook and she is also happy to be contacted via WhatsApp.  And don't forget to mention Fifty & Fab if you do decide to book your own experience with Pinar.

If you'd like to see our evening in more detail, you can watch me Reel on Instagram, very kindly filmed and edited by my son, Alex Green AV, Alex is also a wedding videographer and photographer at Alex Green Weddings.

The perfect evening, an at home private chef experience near Marlow.

What a really special evening and a big thank you to Pinar and Can for looking after us all so well.  

I'd love to know if you have ever tried a private chef at home and if you loved the experience!?  Or indeed a cookery class, I would certainly benefit for some more lessons!

Love from
Michelle xx


Disclaimer: this was a gifted experience, all views and opinions are entirely my own and I was under no obligation to write this post.

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