East Dulwich Sunday Lunch Club 22.02.26

[suzannej]

This is what all the fuss is about...

https://www.suzannejames.co.uk/event-details/east-dulwich-sunday-lunch-club-008 

If you have not given this Sunday Lunch a try then you really have not dined in East Dulwich!  It's BYO too.  No service charges!  Its a banger!

 

[NewWave]

The photo shows chicken and bacon but the menu reads as Vegetarian?

Also without clicking on the link can you give us a price please?

[Castleton]

1 hour ago, NewWave said:

The photo shows chicken and bacon but the menu reads as Vegetarian?

Also without clicking on the link can you give us a price please?

£45

[beansprout]

What for a Sunday lunch? Yes, her food is good but no way would I pay that… grant you her Supper club was that sort of figure but from memory more courses. East Dulwich folk have a lot more money than little old me.. For that price I would expect fab setting and linen table cloth and napkins..And if you want a nice wine, on top too, obviously..Just c looked again £45.00 for a vegetarian meal!!! God knows what the cost would be if you wanted chicken, pork or beef.

[NewWave]

4 hours ago, Castleton said:

£45

Sorry BUT that is far too expensive..I know its  mentioned its BYO and no service charge but even so thats £90 if me and my OH wanted to go for a sunday lunch..Then If we wanted Sparkling water or a sof drink/coffee that would add another £5 minimum.

We went for a fabulous sunday roast last Sunday and it was £30 per head for 2 courses.

a family of 4 deciding to eat at this supper club would end up paying out £180 before any drinks.

With so many other places nearby I'd be very suprised if many people decide to go to this.

[beansprout]

17 hours ago, NewWave said:

Sorry BUT that is far too expensive..I know its  mentioned its BYO and no service charge but even so thats £90 if me and my OH wanted to go for a sunday lunch..Then If we wanted Sparkling water or a sof drink/coffee that would add another £5 minimum.

We went for a fabulous sunday roast last Sunday and it was £30 per head for 2 courses.

a family of 4 deciding to eat at this supper club would end up paying out £180 before any drinks.

With so many other places nearby I'd be very suprised if many people decide to go to this.

Glad to know, I am not the only one who feels it is expensive! Did a double take when clocked it was the price for a vegetarian Sunday roast… never paid that in my life, not knocking her thou, in any way, her food is great, and as I said, ED has a certain type/class of person where to spend this amount of money , well is small change! People in The Village would go I am sure as would folk in ED.. oh, Johnson still live in Camberwell, sure he would come with wife/friends.. Truely staggered… was it a typo do we think?

[Froglander]

On 13/02/2026 at 15:43, NewWave said:

The photo shows chicken and bacon but the menu reads as Vegetarian?

Also without clicking on the link can you give us a price please?

I noticed the meat in the photo which also included sausages.  It is an expensive price, especially for a vegetarian offering.  Haven’t been for a roast dinner in the area for a long time. Used to like the offerings at the Irish pub just by Rye Lane in Peckham. They changed hands quite a few years ago. They used Irish potatoes for their roasties.

Edited Sunday at 00:24 by Froglander
Deletion

[beansprout]

Well, having relooked you pay the price and it is from 1/3….

She is a prof in area, so maybe someone is using her name? Spam ? Whatever.. just so unlike her, but, times are hard….
 

 

[NewWave]

My feeling is...If times are tough offer a good deal...

2 courses £20 make a profit on soft drinks, teas + coffee

and sell out the event.

 I clicked the link and noted Tea and coffee mentioned on menu but no mention of soft drinks or even sparkling/still water option- just seems a bit ill thought out.

I'm all for local small buisnesses but not if they are taking the p**s on pricing.

 

[Emily1011]

I’m writing to stand up for local businesses, particularly Suzanne’s supper clubs and lunch. Having been to several of these, I feel protective of her business, her hospitality, and her good name, which she has built over 35 years of experience.

I don’t live in the village and I’m not wealthy, but I believe in paying for quality. Suzanne’s offerings are premium, and I thoroughly enjoyed her food, company, and her commitment to her beliefs. So much so that I recommended her to some friends who are getting married in the summer. They too were impressed by the service and response, and they booked up straight away.

At £45, this price range falls at the lower end of the private catering range for that level of quality and service.

Here are some things that justify that price:

- Quality ingredients: Suzanne uses good cuts of meat and fresh produce.
- Homemade sauces and sides: Her sauces and sides are not prepared in bulk or pre-made.
- Dessert included: Dessert is included, which adds extra cost and labour.
- Delivery and plating/warming service: Suzanne provides delivery and plating/warming service.

I agree that £45 might feel steep if the food was delivered cold with no service, or if the portions were small, or if the ingredients weren’t high quality.

However, what Suzanne offers is a full-service roast dinner experience, not a basic meal. So, £45 is not a lot by London catering standards. If you’re comparing it to a basic pub roast, that’s cheaper, but not in terms of effort or offering.

You can find out more about Suzanne, her sense of community, using local suppliers and providing training and lifelong skills to youngsters here; https://www.suzannejames.co.uk/about-us

To not charge corkage is unheard of, even at Thai corner it’s a fiver.. 

PS. You’ll definitely have gleaming cutlery, glassware, crockery and freshly pressed linen and napkins with some floristry. Quite far removed from a £20 roast you can get at a pub! 

 

[beansprout]

Reread the menu and she and her team are offering chicken breast or nut roast plus all the trimmings.

Personally, still think it is expensive. Even if the chicken is organic! A nut roast is not expensive to produce and let’s say for argument saje veg and spuds come from say Able and Cole or the expensive  but good quality grocery store on Lordship Lane. Plus I assume she gets the ingredients at cost price.

If memory serves me correctly, at the beginning of Covid she offered produce at a price - I assume as she had ordered and clearly the doors were firmly closed.

Yes, she obviously has to pay staff, insurance, light, washing up etc but even taken this into account - put it this way, a good mark up.

i know she has championed various community initiatives as well.

My point is, few people I know would pay that amount for a Sunday Roast - that said, clearly people do as they are able to afford the cost. Each to their own.

Sadly, a lot of people in East Dulwich can’t simple as that so my point is it really is a gourmet experience for the minority. 

Think there is a limited to the amount of people who can participate due to the venue… can’t remember off hand but say 30.

Surprised she doesn’t offer wine - soft drinks and add it to the cost. Perhaps the idea is people bring their own beverages and if lucky, folk taste  a wine or non alcoholic beverage that they might not have experienced or heard of.

 

 

 

[suzannej]

That was a tough read - and such a horrible stomach drop feeling! 

Thank you all though, for taking the time to share your thoughts — I appreciate you engaging, even when opinions differ.

I’d like to clarify one point: in my enthusiasm to share the event, I initially posted the vegetarian menu. The full menu, including the meat option, is available here:
https://www.suzannejames.co.uk/event-details/east-dulwich-sunday-lunch-club-008
Apologies for any confusion, and thank you to those who highlighted it.

To address a few comments:
– Tables are styled with linen and flowers
– Water is provided on tables
– We offer a curated wine list, beers and soft drinks to purchase on the day, alongside a BYO option

For those questioning the price, it’s worth saying this is carefully calculated. Once VAT, staffing, ingredients, and the overheads of running a local, compliant hospitality business are taken into account, the margins are quite modest. This isn’t about overcharging — it’s about making the event viable while paying people properly and using quality produce.

This is a private dining experience, rather than a pub lunch, and it’s priced accordingly. The cost reflects ingredient quality, skilled staffing, and the realities of running a small hospitality business — not an intention to offend or exclude.

Hospitality is a challenging industry at the moment, but we remain committed to offering good food, warm service, and a lovely experience for those who choose to dine with us.

Finally, thank you to Emily1011 for sharing your personal experience of dining with us — your support of my small independent business truly means a lot.

With thanks again to everyone who took the time to comment.

Suzanne

 

 

[alice]

I can go into sweaty betty and pay £80 for a pair of black leggings or I can go to Primark and pay £3.  

 

[NewWave]

5 hours ago, alice said:

I can go into sweaty betty and pay £80 for a pair of black leggings or I can go to Primark and pay £3.  

 

point taken.

I'm not a cheapskate I believe in eating quality ingredients and wearing clothes not made in a sweatshop.

I also prefer to support smaller indpendent local buisnesses...

I apologise if I upset anyone with my comments. I'm sure the food is excellent and I wish you well

However I still believe that £45 is expensive for whats on offer...

And trust me I'm not comparing it with a sunday lunch at Wetherspoons and the like 

[CMW]

My goodness, I am so sorry that you have had to endure these really nasty and unfair comments!  I struggle to find somewhere to have Sunday lunch for less than £60 pp and with this forget having a quick service, my allergies remembered or hot food. 

Perhaps people are unaware of the support you have given to the community for over 30 years, the children you fed in lockdown when they would not have had a hot meal, the 100's of local people you have employed, the local business you use and actively support.  The wholesale food business you supported during lockdown putting them in touch with people who couldn't find any food on the shelves. The money from supper clubs you poured back into the schools and the local community, working for zero profit.

I know how difficult from personal experience how difficult it has been in hospitality and I wish you every success.  I don't begrudge anyone making a living.  I will see you at Sunday Lunch!

[beansprout]

32 minutes ago, CMW said:

My goodness, I am so sorry that you have had to endure these really nasty and unfair comments!  I struggle to find somewhere to have Sunday lunch for less than £60 pp and with this forget having a quick service, my allergies remembered or hot food. 

Perhaps people are unaware of the support you have given to the community for over 30 years, the children you fed in lockdown when they would not have had a hot meal, the 100's of local people you have employed, the local business you use and actively support.  The wholesale food business you supported during lockdown putting them in touch with people who couldn't find any food on the shelves. The money from supper clubs you poured back into the schools and the local community, working for zero profit.

I know how difficult from personal experience how difficult it has been in hospitality and I wish you every success.  I don't begrudge anyone making a living.  I will see you at Sunday Lunch!

My goodness, clearly you are a supporter and I hope you enjoy your lunch with like minded people. You struggle to find Sunday lunch for less than £60.00….. wow is all I can say and I am sure many who have commented will feel the same way.. More money than sense springs to mind.. 

No body is disputing what she has done thru the years  for underprivileged children.. I for one, never heard of her feeding children during knockdown. I certainly remember her offering EDF folk  meat, I think it was which was not cheap via her contacts. 

One is not discussing her charitable work but the cost for a Sunday lunch in I guess you would call it an intimate setting. well certainly exclusive.
 

[Pugwash]

Obviously a Sunday Lunch at £45 can only be considered a treat for a special occasion. With all the extras that Suzanne mentioned and classed as private dining for the odd anniversary lunch is probably ok.

The hospitality business is being hit hard - we used to have a takeaway meal every 2- 3 weeks, but our local Chinese shut down a few months ago and we have not got round to finding another within walking distance. Had Fish and Chips from Joseph's a couple of weeks ago as was too tired to cook. 

[beansprout]

11 hours ago, Pugwash said:

Obviously a Sunday Lunch at £45 can only be considered a treat for a special occasion. With all the extras that Suzanne mentioned and classed as private dining for the odd anniversary lunch is probably ok.

The hospitality business is being hit hard - we used to have a takeaway meal every 2- 3 weeks, but our local Chinese shut down a few months ago and we have not got round to finding another within walking distance. Had Fish and Chips from Joseph's a couple of weeks ago as was too tired to cook. 

Lots  of folk have mentioned new places/ take away to try.. so you have choices… good ones too.  Extras she mentioned? Had to laugh at  that! Standard I would have thought to have napkins and tablecloth plus  glasses  to drink out of! Anyway, think we have all exhausted the subject now… clearly she has a following who are prepared to pay so good luck to all of them.. I won’t be joing them and certainly from memory don’t want to sit with strangers for  two hours… My preference would be to sit at a table for two with my partner….

[NewWave]

agree we've pretty much exhausted this subject....

 However- I feel I must just comment on the utterly rediculous statement by @CMW stating that they struggle to find somewhere to get a good sunday lunch with hot food for less that £60 per head.

I'm all for supporting our friends who own buisnesses or buisnesses we frequent and care about on the forum but I think such a sweeping nonsense statement (I too have food allergies btw and abhor tepid food) makes the post sound like the kneejerk reaction of a fangirl.