Chef de la Maison

Chef de la Maison, office and event catering from Peterborough

Chef de la Maison is a Peterborough catering company founded by Nathan Higgins in 1998. Its activity splits into two main lines: next-day business lunches for offices and cooked-on-site catering for weddings, parties and corporate events. The kitchen is based on London Road, and the company describes its food as produce-led, handmade each morning and sourced from farms close to home.

The business reports 28 years established in Peterborough and more than 3,200 weddings catered. It also states that it has invested over £150,000 in grassroots football.

Next-day lunches for Peterborough offices

Platters arrive on compostable trays. Delivery is free in Peterborough, and the company indicates free next-day delivery on office orders over £40; delivery outside Peterborough is calculated at checkout. The minimum order is £40 and all prices exclude VAT.

The business lunch menu, as listed at the time of writing, includes:

• Supreme buffet at £14.00 per person: assorted sandwiches, one and a half rounds, with four savouries per person.
• Deluxe buffet at £17.50 per person: sandwiches and wraps, four savouries, fresh fruit and a cheese board.
• Business lunch bag at £9.50: sandwich, cake, fruit, crisps and a drink, boxed for one.
• Dietary buffet boxes at £11.50: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or halal, each made in its own box.
• Breakfast rolls and pastries from £4.00: bacon, sausage or egg rolls and luxury Danish pastries.
• Luxury afternoon tea at £24.50 per person: finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, cakes and treats.

Buffets start from £11.50 a head, and the menu lists every price along with allergen information.

Weddings, parties and food cooked at the venue

For events, the team cooks and serves at the client's venue. The offer covers weddings, parties and corporate hospitality, with the client providing the date, headcount and venue for a quote. Documented options include a smokehouse food truck at £29.50 per person, with sirloin burgers, bratwurst hot dogs, chicken thigh skewers and luxury coleslaw, served over three hours for 50 to 800 guests. Hog roasts, barbecues and luxury grazing tables start from £24.50 per person, the latter aimed at weddings, afternoon teas and dessert spreads. Canapés and hot food for parties and corporate events are also listed.

The company also runs its own venue, The Grange, in Peterborough, available for gatherings and celebrations with catering and a barista bar included; hire is quoted on request.

Christmas 2026

The Christmas menu advertised at the time of writing includes Christmas Day dinners with all the trimmings, delivered on 23 or 24 December, and party menus for the office from £15 a head. Bookings made before 1 November qualify for free local delivery.

Kitchen, coffee and training

Alongside the main kitchen, the company operates Go Barista, a mobile cafe and events coffee service launched in 2024 in partnership with SWAP. It also runs the Chef de la Maison Academy, which offers paid internships to 16 to 24 year olds with kitchen, barista and front-of-house experience, in partnership with the DWP and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. Two named participants are cited: Mohammed, who moved from referral to full-time line cook in eight weeks, and Alex, who progressed to a barista and supervisor role.

Growth from a single kitchen

The company traces its history to a first wedding catered in Eye in October 1998. It later opened a cafe and sandwich shop in Netherton (2001), a cafe, bakery and kitchen in Fenstanton (2005), its first contract canteen with MoveWithUs (2006), a third commercial kitchen in Cambridge (2007) and a pub and restaurant in Cambridge (2008). A banquet contract with The Cresset followed in 2012, the largest kitchen opened in Fengate in 2016, food trucks launched in 2017 and The Grange venue opened in Netherton in 2018. In September 2025 a cafe and kitchen opened at the Allia Future Business Centre.

The company also reports catering for 1,200 guests at a Bishop's installation. Its Trustpilot rating stood at 4.5 from 143 reviews according to the information available when this profile was written, with individual comments from an office customer and two wedding clients.