Berkshire


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-lowdown">THE LOWDOWN</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1506" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/mylkd-mark-aspey-private-chef-5.jpg" alt="mylkd best private chefs near me mark aspey dinner party chef catering" class="wp-image-88960" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/mylkd-mark-aspey-private-chef-5.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/mylkd-mark-aspey-private-chef-5-797x800.jpg 797w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/mylkd-mark-aspey-private-chef-5-996x1000.jpg 996w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/mylkd-mark-aspey-private-chef-5-398x400.jpg 398w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/05/mylkd-mark-aspey-private-chef-5-768x771.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Ever dreamed of tucking into Michelin star-level nosh from your own dining table with all your mates in tow? Let me introduce you to Berkshire-based private chef collective <a href="https://mylkd.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">my’lkd</a>. And spoiler alert: it’s nowhere <em>near</em> as pricey as you might think. Founded by chef Mark Apsey, whose culinary pedigree includes working under Nathan Outlaw, John Campbell and Mark Jordan before heading up the kitchen at the acclaimed Michelin star L’Ortolan in Reading, my’lkd delivers beautifully bespoke dining experiences in the comfort of your home. </p>



<p>There&#8217;s no cookie-cutter set menus here. Whether it’s an elegant tasting menu for a birthday celebration, laid-back tapas-style feasting with friends or a show-stopping garden BBQ using sustainable coal and locally sourced produce, they can do it all, and every menu is completely tailored to you. Economically, it&#8217;s a no-brainer. Once you&#8217;ve factored in no taxis, no babysitters, no service charge and no restaurant wine mark-ups (time to finally crack open that vintage you&#8217;ve been saving), it suddenly feels ridiculously reasonable for the level of food and service on offer. Oh, and did I mention? ZERO washing up. Sold.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-experience">THE EXPERIENCE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2250" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO.jpg" alt="canapes in the garden private catering berkshire" class="wp-image-89227" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO-267x400.jpg 267w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04881_VSCO-1365x2048.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>The hottest May day on record was enough to test the mettle of any chef on the day of my dinner party. Me? In the kitchen? I would have been a liquified puddle on the floor before I so much as switched on the hob. But not Mark. Arriving on cue, Mark was cool as a cucumber from the outset, pulling up in his my&#8217;lkd van equipped with all the crockery, cutlery, glassware, equipment, and, ahem, importantly, the food needed to throw the mother of all dinner parties. Literally, apart from laying out a tablecloth, I didn&#8217;t lift a finger. The schtick here is that the vast majority of the hard graft and food prep is done in advance from their Reading-based kitchen, so mostly what&#8217;s left to do is heat up and construct some pretty plates of culinary art.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2250" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO.jpg" alt="mylkd private chef mark aspey dinner party chef catering" class="wp-image-89235" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO-267x400.jpg 267w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04901_VSCO-1365x2048.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>On the menu for today, me and Mark agreed ahead of time to keep things a surprise. It&#8217;s something he offers all guests should they fancy a blind tasting menu, so for all seven courses, I didn&#8217;t have a scooby what he had in store, except that they&#8217;d be a greatest hits lineup of some of his best dishes. He does, though, bring with him a fancy little printed out menu for each guest, so should you want a spoiler (one person at the table did), you can have a nosey. Another big plus is that Mark can also suggest wine pairings before the day.</p>



<p>We kicked things off with some canapés in the garden. Naturally, I made myself an elderflower gin cocktail to wash it all down nicely (the beauty of dining at home &#8211; the world is your alcoholic oyster). There were some lovely olives and nuts to munch on before Mark brought out three bite size plates including mushroom brioche with puffed potatoes and onions, crispy salt and vinegar mussels with parsley gel, and falafel with butter bean hummus and carrot charcuterie. All were divine. We did have a slightly more apprehensive diner at the table who ordinarily wouldn&#8217;t have gone near a mussel. She loved it. It literally tasted like the seaside. What a brilliant start.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04893_VSCO.jpg" alt="private chef near windsor" class="wp-image-89231" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04893_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04893_VSCO-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04893_VSCO-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04893_VSCO-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04893_VSCO-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Then, it was time to head to the table which Mark had set out beautifully while we nattered outside. Some delicious homemade bread &#8211; a mini loaf each comprised of two different bread types &#8211; arrived first accompanied by some coconut butter. It&#8217;s worth mentioning that Mark uses no milk products in any of his cooking (a big reason him being lactose-intolerant himself which makes taste testing a tad difficult). Throughout the meal, you definitely didn&#8217;t miss its presence though. </p>



<p>Because of the unseasonably hot weather, a few last-minute changes were made to the menu, aka, no hot soup, which instead was changed for a chilled cucumber and mint soup. I&#8217;m not the greatest lover of cucumber, but it was very refreshing. I love that there&#8217;s a particular emphasis on quality seasonal ingredients from local butchers and greengrocers on Mark&#8217;s menus, highlighting the sustainability ethos of my&#8217;lkd. A big tick in my book. The peas, asparagus, and broad beans with tomato essence and green chilli my&#8217;lk was a stunning veggie dish with a decent kick. </p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2250" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO.jpg" alt="private chef near reading" class="wp-image-89244" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO-267x400.jpg 267w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04922_VSCO-1365x2048.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>After that, it just kept coming. Mark is all-too happy to go at the pace of the table, so if you&#8217;re a slow eater (puts hand up), it&#8217;s not a problem. Just let Mark know to hold back on the next course to give yourself a breather. One of my absolute favourite dishes has to be the drunken scallop ceviche served with ito togarashi and pisco. It literally melted in your mouth, was texturally interesting, and had a beautifully balanced tang. The presentation (across the board, in fact) was also impeccable. Simple but well-executed.</p>



<p>The harissa monkfish was another close contender for my favourite dish. The fish itself is sourced from Brixham fish market, and the fish bones were used to make the sauce. It had a lovely little kick, sweetened off by the preserved apricot. The final main dish &#8211; the barbequed beef with sweet potato, cavolo nero, and peppercorn jus was smokin&#8217; hot. Literally. I loved the smoky flavour which Mark cooked in front of us in the garden (he brings his own barbeque FYI). As he cooks, he&#8217;s more than happy for an audience, and you also get the unique experience of getting to ask the chef any questions you like.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-IMG_6857_VSCO.jpg" alt="private chef near windsor" class="wp-image-89251" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-IMG_6857_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-IMG_6857_VSCO-600x800.jpg 600w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-IMG_6857_VSCO-750x1000.jpg 750w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-IMG_6857_VSCO-300x400.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-IMG_6857_VSCO-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-IMG_6857_VSCO-1152x1536.jpg 1152w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Not one, but TWO puddings were next. Yippee! We finished up with a yoghurt panna cotta with raspberry granita and a white chocolate crémeux with passionfruit and cardamom. Both were so delicious, finishing the meal on a gorgeous note. There was something wonderfully unfussy about the whole experience. Mark is unflappable, friendly, and very easy to chat to, and most importantly, the food is seriously impressive. Watching him work, it&#8217;s evident how much care and attention goes into each plate, and the flavours are exceptional. </p>



<p>And with the last course served, Mark quietly packed up (taking all the washing up with him) and left a spotless kitchen in his wake, leaving us to polish off the rest of our bottle of red. It felt like a fever dream. There wasn&#8217;t a crumb in sight.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-verdict">THE VERDICT</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="2250" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO.jpg" alt="private chef for dinner party near me mylkd reading" class="wp-image-89248" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO-533x800.jpg 533w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO-667x1000.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO-267x400.jpg 267w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2026/06/mylkd-private-chef-DSC04934_VSCO-1365x2048.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>Getting Mark in to take the reins on my dinner party felt proper grown-up, sophisticated, and like a truly special experience. The real win is you don&#8217;t have to spend the entire day slogging away in the kitchen before your guests arrive. Let&#8217;s be honest, you often find yourself ready to collapse before the party has even started. But a private chef like Mark does all the heavy lifting for you. Not going to lie, there is something initially strange about having a random person cooking in your kitchen. It comes with that slight fear of the unknown and I can fully understand why it might send some people into a fluster. But very quickly, Mark puts you at ease and is very easy to chat to. It felt very natural.</p>



<p>As far as those special celebrations go then, I&#8217;m a full private chef dinner party convert. I honestly think it makes for a more memorable occasion than eating out, cause realistically, how often do you have a Michelin-trained chef serving you up food in your own home? It was incredibly unique. And if you&#8217;re anything like me, you might think hiring a private chef would cost an arm and a leg, especially someone with a CV like Mark&#8217;s. But considering the quality bar, you&#8217;re not having to fork out (excuse the pun) for any of the extras that often come with heading out to a tasting menu at an up-market restaurant.</p>



<p>Ultimately, dining with my&#8217;lkd is incredibly relaxed, zero-fuss, and the food is insanely good. Eating unreal nosh, getting merry, and literally crawling into bed knowing you don&#8217;t have a mountain of dishes to contend with in the morning? You&#8217;re on to a winner.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-damage">THE DAMAGE</h2>



<p>For the seven-course tasting menu we had for four guests, it would cost £540, working out as £135 each. If an extra two people attend, the price goes up by £80, making it approx £103 each, which is incredible value. The USP is that it&#8217;s accessible, Michelin-level fine dining, and just to hammer it home, there&#8217;s no marked-up beverages, service fees, or taxi/babysitter fares to contend with. </p>



<p><strong><em>Visit <a href="https://mylkd.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">my&#8217;lkd</a> to find out more about booking Mark and his team of chefs for your next big dinner party.</em></strong></p>



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<p><em>Words by Ellie Ball</em></p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE?</h2>



<ul>
<li><a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/pubs-inns/berkshire-pubs-with-a-view/">6 Berkshire pubs with a gorgeous view</a></li>



<li><a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/best-healthy-spots-cafes-restaurants-berkshire/">10 brilliant healthy food spots in Berkshire</a></li>



<li><a href="https://berkshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/best-cafes-for-breakfast-brunch-in-berkshire/">Sunny side up! Trendiest brunch spots in Berkshire</a></li>
</ul>


This local private chef cooked up a next-level dinner party at our home

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