Kelmsley Catering is based in the coastal village of Pagham, near Chichester, surrounded by delectable local produce. We are a small, family run business; a friendly bunch of food-obsessed, organised and outgoing individuals. We really love what we do. Since our first event nearly a decade ago, every member of our dedicated team shares our passion for exceeding expectations.
We believe good food makes people happy!
Classically trained at Tante Marie Culinary Academy, Head chef and Kelmsley Catering Founder Jacqueline Wise, holds the prestigious Cordon Bleu Diploma and Level 4 Diploma in Professional Culinary Arts. Jacqueline worked at Buckingham Palace, The Ritz and Michelin Star restaurants, as well as private homes, traditional pubs and small establishments before setting up Kelmsley Catering in 2015. Quite a turnaround from a History Graduate working the cut throat world of marketing and advertising. Jacqueline has been on the Radio and Television sharing her knowledge and reached the semi-finals of Young Chef of the Year competition and won TV Cookery Show 'Win it Cook it' on Channel 4. When she isn’t cooking, or thinking about cooking, you’ll find Jacqueline sailing, surfing or wandering the hedgerows in search of foraged goodness with her daughter, husband and sunglass-wearing golden retriever named Dill.
Karleen
Operations manager, chef and right hand to Jacqueline, Karleen is at the beating heart of Kelmsley Catering. From speaking to clients, to prepping, packing and setting up and running things on the day, she is highly organised, efficient and conscientious. An Aussie, with an excellent sense of humour, she is also known for her ‘looks,’ ensuring no one steps out of line. “How do you make a sausage roll? Push it...”
Dilshan
Personally trained by Jacqueline over the past two years, Chef Dilshan brings his passion for cooking from Sri Lanka where he used to run a surf hostel. Known for his dauphinoise, brownie and BBQ cooking skills among many others, his dedication to Jacqueline's businesses and attentional to detail ensures everything runs smoothly. Dilshan also helps manage our prep kitchen and ensures total order and organisation.
Tom
Having been brought up in a family of caterers, working events both front of house and in the kitchen, is second nature to Tom. Whether it be designing the perfect set up solution or expertly searing steaks, he is always on hand, to lend a hand. He is known for his unflappable nature, and penchant for Guinness at the end of a long shift. Good man. “Sometimes the best ideas, are the simplest ones”
Nikki
Having trained under Jacqueline and worked with us from the beginning, Nikki knows Kelmsley inside out. With experience at top Brighton restaurants and an expert at food presentation, she is a highly skilled chef who is enthuses over eating delicious things as Jacqueline
herself, almost. She runs events and manages the kitchen seamlessly. She is also an award-winning photography graduate, and bread obsessive. “You can NEVER have too much butter”
Mike
Also known as ‘Spreadsheet,’ Husband to Jacqueline, Mike has designed our very fancy excel quoting system. This ensures the quick turnaround of bespoke menus for our clients, which are as competitive as possible. He is King of the risk assessments, and very particular when it comes to making sure all necessary procedures to running a sharp outfit, are carefully followed. “Always check, and then check again”
Izzy
An experienced chef, our cheeky ‘Frizzy Izzy,’ has creative flair for vegan and vegetarian food as well as cooking for those with dietary requirements, ensuring no one feels left our or goes hungry. She is also an award-winning ceramics designer, allotment holder and is always thinking of creative ways to display our food and keep our menus current. “Oh, I have never tried that before” (Said to every food, every time!)
Lou
A hard working and enthusiastic Lou is a permanent fixture front of house for Kelmlsey and we value her many years of experience working in events and passion for the business enormously. A smiley and fun loving person, she is the ultimate team player and is always the first to step up to any challenge.
“Always ready to go boss!”
Nicky
With us from the beginning, working front of house and as our bar manager, often with her twin boys Oscar and Archie, Nicky is always a bit sassy. She loves anything sparkly and is a fun and friendly asset to our team, as are her charming sons. Her many years of experience in events and hospitality are always be relied upon, and nothing is too much trouble for our glamorous gal, the ultimate grafter whose positive attitude never fails to keep us all smiling. “Team work makes the dream work darling”
David
From designing fabulous cocktails for an intimate celebration to event managing the team on our biggest events, David’s many years of experience managing hotels and working in customer service roles means he knows what needs to be done and when. Always looking dapper with impossibly perfect hair, David’s welcoming nature and genuine care for others makes him a very important member of the Kelmsley Team. “Service and style, delivered with a smile”