Private chef dinners and weekly meal prep, cooked in your kitchen.

At Thyme to Dine, weekly dinner planning runs $260–$350 per week, a private in-home dinner runs $300–$400 for up to four guests plus $55 for each guest after that, and a week of prepped lunches runs $200–$300. Groceries are billed separately at cost. Final pricing depends on household size and how involved the menu is — you get a firm number before anything is booked.

Not per plate. A private in-home dinner is one flat price for the evening — $300–$400 — and that covers up to four guests. Bigger tables add $55 a guest, because a larger group genuinely means more shopping, more prep, and more courses going out at once.

So a party of six is about $510, ten is about $730, and twenty is about $1,280. Notice what happens per head: $85 each at six, $73 at ten, $64 at twenty. The base spreads out, so the more people you seat, the less each one costs. Groceries are billed separately at cost with receipts and no markup.

You get one firm number in writing before anything is booked. No per-head service charge on top, no gratuity expected, no surprises on the night.

Yes — 20 guests is comfortably within what I run in a home kitchen, and it's a good chunk of what I do for vacation rentals and corporate stays.

Up to 12 guests I plate every dish individually. From 13 to 20 I serve family style on platters, and that's a deliberate choice rather than a compromise: with one chef and a home stove, platters mean every course reaches the table hot and everyone eats together instead of watching the first four plates go cold. If you'd rather have individually plated courses at that size, I bring a second pair of hands for $250.

Pricing works the same at every size — $300–$400 for up to four guests, then $55 a guest — so a party of 18 comes to roughly $1,170 before groceries. Above 20, call me and we'll talk it through properly.

Yes, and it's one of the things I do most. I'm based in Blaine, which puts me minutes from the Birch Bay and Semiahmoo rental areas. I cook arrival dinners, stock breakfasts, and handle multi-day meals for vacation rental guests, property managers, and corporate stays. If you manage properties and want something to offer guests on arrival, call me and we'll set up a standing arrangement.

No — and that's deliberate. Service pricing covers planning, shopping, cooking, and cleanup. Groceries are billed separately at cost with receipts, so you're never paying a markup on a pound of chicken. If you'd rather order the groceries yourself, I'll pick them up or work from what you have.

Yes. Everything is made fresh on site. I arrive with the groceries, cook in your kitchen, plate or portion the food, and clean up before I leave. Nothing shows up pre-cooked in a cooler.

Yes, and it's a real part of what I do rather than an afterthought. I build menus around allergies, intolerances, and specific diets including anti-inflammatory eating, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-sodium, and elimination diets. Dietary needs are collected during the consultation, before the menu gets written.

A private dinner is typically three to four hours including prep, service, and cleanup. A meal prep session usually runs two to four hours depending on how many meals we're making. You don't need to be home for meal prep — many clients aren't.

Regularly. Arrival dinners for guests, stocked breakfasts, multi-day stays, and team dinners. If you manage properties in Whatcom County and want something to offer guests that isn't a list of restaurants, get in touch — I work with property managers on repeat arrangements.

Blaine, Ferndale, Bellingham, and Lynden, plus the surrounding Whatcom County area. Somewhere farther out? Ask — locations outside the usual radius are quoted with a travel fee up front, never added afterward.

Send the form below or call 626-890-8412. The first step is always a free consultation — no deposit, no commitment — and you'll have a proposed menu and a firm quote before you decide anything.