Well-established chef of almost 40 years sets up gourmet meal prep business in Northamptonshire

A well-established chef of almost 40 years has recently set up a new gourmet meal preparation business in Northamptonshire.

Fathom Kitchen, set up by Daniel Paul Klein, operates in Greens Norton and aims to reach the surrounding communities – including Bradden, Towcester and Silverstone.

Daniel works with local suppliers to use the best and freshest ingredients, enabling him to bring gourmet cooking to tables across the south of the county.

The 53-year-old first became a chef at just 14 and moved to the UK from France in 1995.

For the first three years of his career in the UK, he worked at a number of prestigious venues until he took on private cheffing too.

Having flitted between working in venues and as a private chef over the past two decades, Daniel has built up his experience both in the UK and abroad.

The chef first moved to the county in 2018 and worked for a large estate in Towcester for two years.

Daniel feels lucky to have learned different techniques and methods of cooking from people of all walks of life, and decided he wanted to use those skills in a venture of his own.

After finishing a role in Surrey, Daniel planned to take some time off before the idea of setting up a gourmet food preparation business sprung to mind.

He hoped it would become a success and add something to his community.

As he lives in Bradden, he found the Greens Norton Community Centre was available to hire, had the ideal kitchen he was searching for, and was within three miles of his home.

Daniel first started operating from the community centre at the end of August and is booked in three days a week each month until the end of January. Each day there is a different starter, main course and dessert to choose from.

“I wanted to bring something different, as well as meals people recognise,” said Daniel. “I wanted to make fresh food daily, with no ingredients that don’t belong in the traditional recipes.

“I’ve put my own twist on old recipes. It’s gourmet food, made using healthy recipes and simply presented.”

Talking about the lack of facilities in the local area, Daniel questioned that if people are willing to travel to the supermarket, why would they not want the convenience of purchasing freshly-made meals nearby.

“And it’s something different each time,” he added.

If Daniel reaches a particular number of meals sold each time he visits the community centre, he hopes to bring his prices down – as he is “aiming for the long term and is not in it for a quick buck”.

The chef, who shared his “immense pleasure” for working privately but knew it was time for a change, said: “It is time for me to do something concrete, that I enjoy.”

The 53-year-old hopes to spread the word about Fathom Kitchen, after starting to get more online hits and handing out 2,000 fliers locally.

“I’m going to stand my ground and show everyone I’m here for the long run,” said Daniel, who already has menus planned for Diwali and Christmas time.

Orders can be placed online and for more information, visit Fathom Kitchen’s website here.