Florence-Trained Chef • Sommelier • Author
Private Chef Experiences in Charlotte & Beyond
Intimate. Seasonal. Unforgettable.
You don’t just need a chef.
You want an experience people talk about long after it ends.
From intimate private dinners in Charlotte and Lake Norman to vacation homes, retreats and destination gatherings across the Southeast and beyond, The Tiny Chef brings thoughtful, seasonal dining directly to your table.
Whether you’re celebrating something meaningful, hosting people you love or planning an unforgettable week away, every menu and detail is created around you.
REFINED FOOD. RELAXED VIBE.
Private Chef Services in Charlotte & Beyond
In-Home Private Dining • Destination Chef Service • Corporate Events • Retreats • Cooking Classes
Culinary Gatherings
Based near Charlotte, The Tiny Chef creates personalized private dining experiences in homes, vacation properties and gathering spaces throughout North Carolina and beyond.
From intimate dinners in Charlotte, Lake Norman, Waxhaw, Weddington and Badin Lake to multi-day retreats and destination celebrations across the Southeast, every experience is designed to feel effortless, personal and unforgettable.
Led by Florence-trained private chef and sommelier Susanne Dillingham, our team handles the thoughtful planning, seasonal menu, ingredient sourcing, on-site preparation, service and cleanup—so you can be fully present with your guests.
Secret Ingredients of Life
A New Book by Chef Susanne Dillingham
Food, Italy, family, reinvention—and the moments that taught me what truly matters.
Secret Ingredients of Life is more than my first book. It’s the story of building a life around food, gathering people at the table and discovering that the ingredients we can’t measure are often the ones that matter most.
I can’t wait to share it with you.
Hi, I’m Susanne,
Florence-trained private chef • sommelier • author • storyteller
Welcome to The Tiny Chef, where beautiful food, thoughtful hospitality and meaningful stories come together around the table.
My journey began in Florence, Italy, where I trained in classical Italian cooking and fell in love with the connection between food, place and people. Over nearly two decades as a private chef, I’ve cooked for families, athletes and high-profile clients—including nine years as the private chef for NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon and his family.
Based in Gold Hill, North Carolina, I travel to clients’ homes, vacation properties and private venues to create seasonal in-home dinners, destination chef experiences, cooking classes and thoughtfully paired wine experiences throughout Charlotte, the Southeast and beyond. Life on our small farm inspires much of my cooking, but every private experience is thoughtfully created for your gathering and prepared on-site.
I’m also the author of the forthcoming book, Secret Ingredients of Life—a story of food, Italy, family, reinvention and creating a life that finally feels like home. My work has appeared on Charlotte Today and Food Network, but my favorite place will always be around a table, creating something unforgettable for the people gathered there.
As Seen In
Private Chef Services & Culinary Experiences
Choose the experience that fits your gathering—from in-home private dinners throughout Charlotte and surrounding communities to destination chef service, corporate events, retreats and hands-on cooking classes.
Every experience is personalized around your guests, location and occasion, with thoughtful planning, seasonal menus and warm, professional hospitality from beginning to end.
IN-HOME PRIVATE CHEF DINNERS
Enjoy a personalized, restaurant-worthy dining experience in the comfort of your home or private venue. The Tiny Chef creates seasonal multi-course menus for anniversaries, birthdays, dinner parties and meaningful gatherings throughout Charlotte and surrounding communities.
From menu planning and ingredient sourcing to on-site preparation, service and cleanup, every detail is thoughtfully handled so you can relax and enjoy your guests.
Now accepting a limited number of private chef bookings for Masters Week in Augusta, Georgia.
DESTINATION & TRAVELING PRIVATE CHEF
Turn your vacation home, retreat or weekend away into an unforgettable culinary experience. Chef Susanne and her team travel for lake-house weekends, mountain retreats, beach vacations, family gatherings, corporate retreats and multi-day private chef service.
Based in North Carolina and available throughout the Southeast and beyond, each destination experience is tailored to your location, schedule and guests.
PRIVATE COOKING CLASSES & CORPORATE EXPERIENCES
Gather your friends, family or colleagues for a hands-on culinary experience created around your group. Led by Florence-trained chef Susanne Dillingham, guests cook, learn, laugh and share a seasonal meal together.
Perfect for celebrations, team building, client appreciation and corporate gatherings. Private cooking classes are best suited for groups of 6–20 guests.
Life on the farm
Rooted in Gold Hill, North Carolina
The Tiny Chef is rooted on our small farm in Gold Hill, North Carolina, where fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and honeybees follow the rhythm of the seasons.
Life here shapes the way I cook. It keeps me connected to the land, to the North Carolina farmers and producers I work with, and to the belief that the most memorable meals begin with ingredients that have a sense of place and a story to tell.
While the farm is my home base and a constant source of inspiration, private chef experiences are created and prepared on-site in clients’ homes, vacation properties and private venues throughout Charlotte and beyond.
Private Chef Serving Charlotte & Destinations Beyond
The Tiny Chef provides in-home private dining and culinary experiences throughout Charlotte and surrounding communities, including Myers Park, SouthPark, Dilworth, Ballantyne, Matthews, Waxhaw, Weddington, Marvin, Mint Hill and Concord.
We also serve Lake Norman communities—including Cornelius, Davidson, Mooresville, Huntersville and Denver—as well as Gold Hill, Badin Lake and select locations throughout the greater Piedmont region.
For destination experiences, Chef Susanne and her team travel to vacation homes, retreats and private venues across the North Carolina mountains and coast, the Southeast and beyond. Specialized private chef service is also available during Masters Week in Augusta, Georgia.
Planning something outside these areas? Tell us where you’re gathering.
Let’s Create Something Unforgettable
Planning an in-home private dinner in Charlotte, a destination gathering, a retreat or a hands-on cooking class? Tell us what you’re imagining, where you’ll be gathering and who will be around the table. We’ll take it from there.