WeFiFo and an Italian supperclub

Over the past few years, supperclubs have become the new chic, and they range from vegan feasts to ex-Masterchef cooks to open-air barbecues. It can often be difficult to decide which one to go for, and that’s why sites such as Grub Club or WeFiFo can be really helpful to sort through the vast array of experiences.

I’ve visited a couple of supperclubs over the last few years (my favourite was definitely Nomadic Chefs with Daniel Salvador catering), and so when I was invited by WeFiFo (We Find Food) to try one of their many offerings, my ears and tastebuds perked up. Their site is a platform for any sort of host, from home cooks to pop-up restaurants, and it’s a useful aggregator for events in and around London. The idea is to provide social eating and opportunities for hosts to cook for guests, make some extra money, and potentially find new friends.

The site is very easy to navigate, and every event lists its menu for the night, often with a range of choices. Before booking, you can set up a profile and then reserve a place, listing your preferred choices before checkout. It was a little inconvenient to have to type out our choices rather than having a drop-down menu, but I made the booking without any further hassle for La Dolce Vita hosted by Good Thymes, aka Sharon.

Most of the events are based outside of London, including this one, so I grabbed my friend Rachel (a previous contributor to The Swindian) and we headed south of the river, with empty bellies and curious minds.

The atmosphere at Sharon’s supperclub was nothing short of welcoming, with incredibly friendly smiles and a gorgeously prepared table. It was a sunny day, and we loved taking a turn about the beautiful garden and having fresh air waft in as we ate (living in Camden, this simply doesn’t happen). There were around 8 people there that evening, and although a couple arrived quite late due to transport issues, Sharon was unfazed and served up all the courses at the right time, even for the latecomers.

The menu was all Italian, and I was surprised to hear that Sharon mixes up the theme for this supperclub every month. From Korean to Spanish, she’s attempted every cuisine under the sun, and loves to experiment. I felt this didn’t necessarily work in her favour (jack of all trades, master of none), partly because I have had some incredible experiences with Italian food (particularly after visiting Rome and Florence), and so my standards are extremely high when it comes to this Mediterranean cuisine. To begin with, the starter of home-made pasta was nicely cooked and I enjoyed the crab and ricotta filling, but it just didn’t quite measure up.

I also felt let down afterwards, as the main course of beef stew was a little uninspiring and lacked flavour. The sides of starchy polenta and a dab of balsamic didn’t do much to help, but I did love the toasted garlic bread. I paid for my indulgence the next day however, as my entire flat seemingly reeked of garlic!

The dessert was made with love, but sadly didn’t quite hit the spot. Pine nuts, which are a great ingredient to use, were sprinkled too liberally and hadn’t been toasted enough, and the sweet custard, again, was just a bit uninspired.

With these sorts of events, it’s not just about the food though, as the company and atmosphere counts for just as much. And this definitely wasn’t lacking at Sharon’s, with all the guests laughing and talking together like old friends, and her Italian friend explaining the various dishes to us. I even got a chance to practice my Spanish with some of them, which was a lovely experience, having left South America two months ago and missing that Latino flair!

The great thing about WeFiFo is that it hosts such a vast number of events, in different locations, with different cuisines, and different price points, that you can always find something that suits you. And I’ll surely be perusing their site to find something else in the future, though I may opt for something closer to home, and perhaps a cuisine I’m less familiar with. Good Thymes charged £30, but it was also BYOB, which is a bit more than I would normally pay for a dinner.

I was a guest with Good Thymes thanks to WeFiFo. All opinions are my own.