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Sam and Callum prepared an absolutely delightful Beef Wellington meal with Scottish tapas for our party of 10. Everyone in our group was totally impressed with Stanley Dining’s professionalism and culinary talents! Highly recommended!
"Sam catered for my husband’s 65th birthday recently. It was a 3 course fine dining menu including canapés and petit fours. There was a party of twelve and it was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed the food which was delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed every course. Sam’s partner served the meal and he was a fantastic front of house. I would definitely hire Sam again and would 100% recommend her for any dining event. "
"Sam and Calum catered for a family event (12 adults) recently at Colliston Castle. Fantastic evening - so glad we decided to go down the private chef route rather than go to a restaurant. Very relaxed, great food (beef cheeks fantastic) and no mess to tidy up afterwards. Would definitely use Sam again. "
"Sam and Calum catered for a family event (12 adults) recently at Colliston Castle. Fantastic evening - so glad we decided to go down the private chef route rather than go to a restaurant. Very relaxed, great food (beef cheeks fantastic) and no mess to tidy up afterwards. Would definitely use Sam again. "
"Master Chef Sam shoes up on the minute they were supposed to and created a tasting menu for 10 of us, visiting Scotland of local authentic Scottish traditional dishes. It was absolutely one of the best nights of our lives. We had people from all over the globe. None of us had any idea about the local cuisine and authentic Scottish dishes, so we reached out blindly to Chef Sam who went above and beyond creating a dream menu for us specifically. This was absolutely the highlight of our week. Her and Collum (our server) were a team the likes of which you cannot find anywhere. I say this as a fine dining restaurant owner in the USA. Also- we went to clean up after & the kitchen was SPOTLESS as if no one was ever there. Flawless from beginning to end. Thank you Chef Sam!! "
"Chef Sam cooked for us and it was delicious. Great food and professional but relaxed service. The whole experience was great fun and would highly recommend!"
"Thanks for an excellent evening. We all really enjoyed the food and presentation. We appreciated the fact that you could accommodate gluten free dishes. We would recommend Sam for anyone considering having a chef cook at home for them. "
"Visiting from USA & Chef Sam created the most amazing local cuisine tasting menu for 10 guests in a gorgeous venue. Most of the food was from their garden & locally sourced. One of the best meals of our lives & within moments of completing it - the kitchen was spotless as if no one ever even visited there! A spectacular night! "
"We had a fantastic evening hosted by Sam. The food was delicious, and all the guests raved about the whole experience. The pace of the courses was perfect, and at the end of the night the kitchen was so tidy you would have never have known a big meal had been cooked there. I selected the service to add a dishwasher/waiter and Callum was also amazing- he did a great job of keeping everyone's glasses topped up. "
"Hi Sam, thank you again for giving us such a great experience! Everything was absolutely perfect, but in case useful for future bookings I have some very minor feedback… it was my fault I missed your message about timings, but I personally like using WhatsApp, so could be worth asking future customers their communication preferences and if text/ WhatsApp can then just ping a quick note to say you’re on your way etc. Also, as we were renting the Airbnb our selection of utensils was limited (and not to my personal taste) but for future bookings it might be worth asking if there are particular serving implements that would be best to use as that can add to the aesthetic of the table scape. Other than that, everything was perfect and you definitely surpassed my expectations, so thank you very much! "
"Sam cooked us an incredible Scottish Tapas tasting menu. For a group of foodies, we were extremely impressed with the quality of the food and thoroughly enjoyed everything about the evening!"
"Could not fault Sam. This was an amazing experience. Sam was so pleasant to be around, was friendly and welcoming and the food was stunning. Everything we had was brilliant, we cannot stop raving about how delicious it was. Sam was very accommodating when we needed to pause between a course to put the baby to sleep. There was nothing I could fault. It made our night one to remember. "
"Sam was fantastic, the perfect level of relaxed and professional. They came into our rented house and made the place feel like a high quality dining venue very quickly. The food was brilliant, exactly what we were looking for!"
"We booked Sam as a surprise for my dad’s 60th birthday and couldn’t have been happier with the service and the food. Thank you so much! "
"Sam made us the most delicious meal I have had in a long time! This was honestly one of the best choices we made in planning a friend's hen party, it took all the stress off of us and we got to sit and enjoy a delicious home cooked meal that none of us would have been capable of without her! Sam was very friendly and joined in with some of the fun while also remaining professional and ensuring we didn't have a big wait between courses. I would definitely recommend Sam to anyone "
"Outstanding food , would highly recommend. Sam was wonderful."
"Lovely meal. Food was amazing! Sam cooked for our hen do and rook all the stress away from us. We qwre able to enjoy our entertainment while she cooked and served all dishes. We weren't rushed nor did we have ro wait. Absolutely perfect and would highly recommend Sam!!"
"Thanks so much for our delicious vegan meal that we had for my daughters hen party on Sat 8th October. We all loved it and think you’re both great. A thoroughly professional, friendly service from start to finish!"
"My husband received a gift voucher for Stanley Dining as a 60th birthday gift. We had never heard of them before but were so glad we got the chance to experience Sam’s cooking. The process from initial enquiry to the event itself were second to none. Sam always responded quickly to emails, helped come up with a beautiful menu and executed the meal perfectly. It was without doubt one of the best dining experiences we have had and we have eaten many a fine dining meal. We will definitely use Sam again and wish her great success in the future."
"Samantha cooked us a fantastic 3 course meal. The cheese souffle was so light. The lamb delicious and the black forest gateau decadent. Sam was friendly, lovely to meet and I'd highly recommend."
"We asked Sam to cook our New Years Day dinner, wow it was absolutely fantastic are were all the little extras that they laid on. Fantastic service from Callum too. Will definitely do this again and would highly recommend. Thank you both for a great meal xxx"
"10/10 service from start to finish. Beautifully prepared food and tasted absolutely amazing. Will definitely recommend to friends and family!! thank you so much again!!"
"We asked Sam to cook for us (eleven people!) during 4 days. She was absolutely incredible. It is impressive the variety of delicious dishes she could prepare, her creativity, the love she put in every preparation. She made our visit to Scotland! She cooked Japanese, Thai, traditional Scottish, delicious and amazing desserts (even a 50th anniversary impressive cake)… On top she is a wonderful person. Definitely one of a kind! Top!"
"Sam is an excellent chef - her food is outstanding, the presentation is beautiful, the preparation is quick and she is very professional. We truly enjoyed our dinner prepared from Sam and will recommend her to our friends."
"Thanks so much for our delicious vegan meal that we had for my daughters hen party on Sat 8th October. We all loved it and think you’re both great. A thoroughly professional, friendly service from start to finish!"
"If you haven’t booked Stanley Dining yet you don’t know what you’re missing ! THE most divine menu chosen, prepared and served for my husband’s 60th birthday lunch. Chef Sam put so much thought into the menu, which was deliciously delightful with favourite dishes given a Stanley Dining twist taking it to a whole other level . Professional, Perfectly served, Beautifully presented . All place settings provided and then cleared and taken away . Wonderful Experience , we will certainly be booking again ."
"Very pleased to have a full vegan menu. Food was delicious and the table was beautifully laid with some lovely touches. All the guests were very impressed."
"Sam catered for my French husband's 70th birthday, 8 adults and 2 small children when we had a lodge at Piperdam. All expectations were exceeded. Sam suggested a perfect menu and she produced high end restaurant food. It was wonderful. They brought everything to make the table look special (only 10 of everything in our self catering lodge), and Callum was on hand to make sure we enjoyed our evening - he took photos, poured drinks, nothing too much trouble. Producing such a wonderful meal in a very basic kitchen must have been a challenge. We also had canapes which were delicious and even our little 1 and 3 year old had their favourite. Sam did lovely kids meals for the little ones. I cannot recommend Sam highly enough. My husband, being French, has very high standards and we were all delighted with the birthday dinner. It really made our celebratory weekend away and added to our making our few days away with our family extra special. I have no hesitation in recommending Sam and hope to have occasion in the future to enjoy her marvellous cooking."
"Samantha made my husbands birthday super special by curating such a beautiful setup and meal for us! She is super cooperative and takes up the whole thing so well you don’t have to worry about a thing! Everything was amazingly organised and the food and cocktails were amazing! Loved everything and would definitely recommend her to anyone looking to organise a party/meal! Thanks Samantha!"
"What a wonderful Buffet to celebrate a joint 30th & 80th birthday x Sam consulted with us and provided delicious options for all ages, tastes and dietary requirements x The caramelised onion tartlets were a hit as was the chorizo potato salad and making sandwiches “zing” with a superbly light yet substantial bread choice x Cannot choose our fave dessert as they were al divine, from the strawberry tarts to the cheesecake bites to the blueberry eclairs(my personal fave) Using local produce and putting a different twist on savoury and sweet items alike, meant that there was much silence (unusual for us) during our eating …. Except for the “ oohs, aaahs and oh wow! taste this next! “ Can’t wait to book our next event x"
"Sam and Sarah were brilliant. Not only were they super friendly and well presented, but the food they provided for my Mum's 60th birthday celebration was fantastic. The slow-cooked beef daube left me dreaming about it that night! Each dish was highly praised by each of my family members and my Niece, who normally doesn't like chicken sauce, stated that this was the 'best chicken ever'. Both Sam and Sarah had a level of professionalism that anyone is lucky to experience. Thank you both again and we'll be in touch again!"
"Looking for something unique and also to your taste and dietary needs? This is the place! Highly recommend Sam, her years of experience as a chef really show as she creates a menu for you .
Food is delicious and attention to detail divine. Highly recommend and will be looking to host events simply so we can have this experience again"
"Hi Sam, Thank you so much for a wonderful meal at my parents' home in Gullane. We had a really special meal and they have all been talking about it since. It was super straightforward to arrange and book. Plus I'm amazed at the speed with which you produced the food and indeed tidied up. A delicious meal, no shopping or washing up... what more could you ask for? Thanks again, Fiona"
"You worked incredibly hard all week-end, and your food was AMAZING.
I don’t think I need to wish you well in this venture, as I am sure you will go from strength to strength.
Best wishes"
"Stanley Dining was recommended to us by a friend. We haven’t done anything like this before, it’s usually me with the stress of the preparation and clean up . Our family only manage to all get together once or twice a year, so we booked Sam and her team, Callum and Sarah. What a fabulous evening. I was able to spend the whole time with the family instead of dipping in and out and missing most of the conversation . Fantastic food and service. And so much better than any restaurant we have ever been to! From preparation, to flavours, to presentation; all so meticulously planned and executed. Thank you so, so much team Stanley Dining! We’ll definitely be seeing you all again soon as we’ve booked for our August family get together . We cannot recommend highly enough! If we could give 11/10, that’s where we’d be. Wishing you every success and thank you for leaving me with nothing to do afterwards!!! The kitchen was pristine (no waking up to filling the dishwasher and cleaning up). See you in August guys"
"Last night we celebrated Raymond's 60th birthday with a private dining experience from @chefsamstanley. Found her on hireachef.com and would definitely recommend if you wanna be a lil boujee and get catering in rather than going out"
"Thank you so much. We all thoroughly enjoyed your cooking and it made the weekend extra special."
"Gorgeous weekend away celebrating Dad's 60th in Castleview at Newton Steading. We organised a private dining experience with @chefsamstanley highly recommended if you want the fine dining experience without the travel."
"I just wanted to say a proper thank you for Saturday night - it was totally beyond what I expected and just the right amount of over the top to celebrate Jules dissertation"
"Our food was absolutely awesome for my birthday gathering. We had chicken satay on screws best I've ever had very moist and flavoursome, little tartlets with bacon, cheese and caramelised onion inside and cous cous feta salad with had amazing flavours in it. And the sweets mini éclairs a totally winner, mini raspberry pavlova gone down a treat first desert to be gone and malteser chocolate cheesecake which was totally delicious. Well definitely be getting food again, I right out 10 out 10 and told all my friends and family where I'd purchased it from. Thank you Sam fantastic! Xx"