Chillicake founder Victoria Temple explained that with the huge popularity of TV’s Come Dine With Me and celebrity chef shows, together with the growth of internet dating makes this the perfect time to bring these elements together in a new blend.
Registering with Chillicake introduces you to like-minded people in your area and gives you the choice of hosting or attending a dinner party, choosing the types of people you want to meet, maybe with similar interests, of the opposite or same sex. You decide between you who will host the dinner or you can opt to dine together at a designated Chillicake table at a restaurant with other members.
Victoria said: “There is no question that people are appreciating and experimenting with food like never before, at the same time as being drawn to meet new people to share the dining experience with. If you have to rely on your existing circle of friends, conversation and food can become a bit samey and difficult to organise regularly. Also, singles in the city complain of finding it hard to establish groups like this outside the world of conventional dating, where they often feel under pressure. There are of course, a whole group of more mature adults looking to meet new people and this offers a civilised alternative to blind dates in public houses!
“Chillicake takes the heat out of this and enables members to meet up and share a dining experience as frequently as they wish, with no strings. It’s easier to enjoy conversation over a good meal and some nice drinks in a convivial group of like-minded people without feeling under a personal spotlight and needing to commit to or reject a dating scenario with one other stranger. If any of the Chillicake diners hit it off and pair up for romance after one of our dinners, that’s great, but that’s not the sole focus of this offering. Although, the Chillicake setting would doubtless make the dating game a whole lot easier and less fraught.”
Chillicake.com went live on Friday 29th April 2011 (Congratulations William and Kate!) Everyone who hosts a party by the end of May will enter into our monthly prize draw to win £50 of Grocery vouchers.
Chillicake membership works like this:
• It’s free to all members for 3 months after which time it costs £9.50 per month or £99 for a full year.
• Members can host and attend as many dinners as they like during their membership.
• Membership is on a monthly basis and can be cancelled at any time.
• As a member you can go to any dinner you wish, providing the host has a matching profile that allows you to join them. For example, some profiles may specify ladies only, so gents would be unable to attend. Similarly, a diner may have stated they wish to attend only vegetarian dinners and so it will be up to matching the right meal availability in that instance (providing the host lets you!)
• The host sets the parameters for dinner and the site then matches location and preferences of registered Chillicake dinner guests.
• As a guide, members should ideally match up an equal number of male and female guests, but essentially hosts have the choice - they can state number of attendees (minimum of 3- there is no option for there to be just 2 people) and the balance - they may go for a table of 6 and make it 4 ladies, 2 men. Equally, couples may wish to go to a dinner party together. Chillicake accommodates this preference too, so long as the host is willing.
• Members can provide all food and drink at their dinner party or, using PayPal the host can request invited diners to make a £ per head contribution to food and drink. Chillicake does not take a cut of this; all these contributions end up on the table to provide your evening’s food and drink.
• The host can post the dinner menu on the event in advance. Special dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, nut or gluten allergies etc.) will be known by the host as you include these in your online registration profile. You can also email the host once you receive their menu, if it features something that you really don’t like and would prefer an alternative.
• With your first 3 month’s free membership, if after registering you find there are no dinner parties happening in your neighbourhood or that you are able to easily travel to, Chillicake will not charge you. Social circles take time to build.
• Why is this better than Internet dating? – Because you have the opportunity to meet a group of people in a relaxed environment that gives you time to get to know them without the pressure of one-on-one relationship expectations.
• For would-be hosts struggling to dream up an ideal dinner party menu, the Chillicake site provides a range of basic recipes. Remember, you don’t have to be a gourmet chef – this is about sharing the enjoyment of home cooking, entertaining and meeting new people, or dining out together in a restaurant, if you prefer.
• Common sense safety warnings to members include: don’t drink and drive, ensure you know the times of public transport for your return journey or have arranged for a friend/family member or pre-booked licensed taxi to take you home at the end of the evening, ensure family or friends know in advance where you are going on a Chillicake dinner date and there is a 3-strike rule. If a guest is reported 3 times for inappropriate behaviour Chillicake reserve the right to cancel membership – more serious breaches may result in instant and permanent withdrawal of their membership.
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