Supper club pops up in Stafford street

It has been described as Come Dine With Me meets Through The Keyhole meets Masterchef and it is a phenomenon in the metropolitan suburbs of London and New York.

Now the latest food craze – the pop-up restaurant – has arrived in Staffordshire.

Foodie couple Richard and Karen Kemp will open the doors of their end-of-terrace Victorian home in Stafford to complete strangers on Saturday with a slap-up menu for a £40-a-head donation.

Diners will eat together at one big table in the Kemps' large dining room in Wolverhampton Road, with Karen in the kitchen preparing the food and Richard on front-of-house duties.

The one-off events, traditionally propelled by social media, are big in America and have gained popularity in London. A special website, called The Supper Club Fan Club, has been launched giving details about where the next culinary at-home is taking place.

The Kemps, self-confessed foodies who run a wedding catering business, decided to start a pop-up to keep themselves busy during the winter months. They will be catering for 15 on Saturday and still have spaces.

Richard, 55, said: "Karen just loves feeding people. We're up to our eyes in weddings between April and September so, while it's quiet, we thought this would be be a good way to keep our hands in and amuse ourselves at the same time.

"We cooked for 19 family and friends around this table last Easter so it can be done."

Saturday's menu includes local venison terrine, chicken breasts with wild mushroom and pancetta stuffing, sticky gingerbread pudding and local cheeses, finished off with coffee and mints.

Karen, 53, makes everything from scratch, including her own sauces, mayonnaise and custard.