27 Aug 2025
There’s a new team taking over both event catering at St Albans Cathedral and the management of the Abbot’s Kitchen Café.
Female-powered venue management and catering company Dinner Ladies promises to deliver sustainable, seasonal, and bold food experiences when it starts operations on Tuesday September 2.
Their mission is to infuse the building’s 1,700-year-old legacy with modern hospitality, creating a warm, inclusive space for reflection, conversation, and nourishment, set against the calm embrace of the Cathedral grounds. The café will showcase locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, ensuring every visitor can experience the delight of eating well while supporting local producers.
Head of creative Natalie Denyer explained: “Dinner Ladies was drawn to the Cathedral due to its prominent role as a community hub and heritage venue, aligning perfectly with our mission to create memorable experiences through food and hospitality.
“While we are not local to St Albans, we have a strong presence in London and are keen to bring our experience running events in historical properties to an incredible historic site. It was, of course, a competitive pitching process but we felt our high quality catering, community approach and commitment to sustainability resonated well with the Cathedral’s values and won us the contract.”
She said visitors can expect a range of high quality options from breakfast through to lunch and delightful homemade cakes (including some Portuguese tarts from the cafe’s long standing chef).
“We will be focusing on seasonal menus that highlight local produce, offering both lighter bites and more substantial meals. Our focus will be on reducing queues and offering delicious coffee from our new supplier Campervan.
“We understand past experiences of the Abbot’s Kitchen may have varied. Our focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients, a welcoming ambiance, and exceptional service aims to create a completely new and positive experience for all visitors.
“We also have a community events calendar in work that will offer tickets to supper clubs, barbecues and Christmas lunches.”
The Community Supper Clubs will be intimate, ticketed events, often themed around seasonal produce or significant dates in the Cathedral’s calendar, offering a chance to enjoy a communal dining experience in a unique setting.
Natalie said: “The success of Dinner Ladies grew from the inception of the Supper Club and we want to repeat this at the Cathedral for a new community we know will enjoy getting to know each other over delicious food.”
Dinner Ladies will also take over event catering, including concerts, lectures, and community gatherings within its historic spaces.
“For larger events, we’ll offer a range of seasonal menus. This could range from elegant canapés and bowl food for receptions to more substantial seated meals, always with an emphasis on quality and sustainability.
“As an event caterer we understand how to tailor our food and events packages to our specific clients, we have worked hard with St Albans Cathedral to align this with their event expertise,” Natalie added.
