January 2026: When the COVID pandemic hit, many people faced furlough and job losses. Northampton-based chef Peter Czarnocki was among them.
Before lockdown, Peter worked as a freelance chef and consultant for large hotels and restaurants. When restrictions began, his work stopped overnight and his income disappeared.
He said, “I had no income for a couple of months, and it was a time when everyone stayed at home. So instead of watching Netflix, I started offering private dining experiences in people’s homes once the restrictions were lifted in June 2020.”
Peter needed a brand name. Originally from Poland and now living in Northampton, he had worked across Denmark, Germany and Italy. During this time, French chefs gave him the nickname Gourmand Pierre.
Peter explained, “I was in my early twenties and completely obsessed with food. I was eating something all the time, and so my French colleagues started calling me Gourmand Pierre. Gourmand refers to a person who really enjoys good food and good drink. Peter simply means Pierre in French.”
That is how the name Gourmand Pierre began.
“After just three months, I had plenty of bookings and 2,000 Facebook followers which was a huge surprise!”
In November 2020, a second lockdown threatened his business. Peter planned to cancel all future bookings until one client stepped in to help.
Gourmand Pierre said, “I started telling my clients that I was going to have to cancel all bookings because I couldn’t go to their houses and cook. And one of my clients, a solicitor, told me that private chefs can still work in people’s homes, the same as cleaners, electricians, and plumbers, etc. She sent me a link to the government website, and on the list of ‘In-home Workers’ was private chefs.”
This discovery changed everything. He added, “Other private chefs on the market didn’t know that they could continue to work, so they simply stopped. With my competition out of the game, I became very popular, very quickly.
“For the first year, it was crazy busy, almost every day serving private dinners. But it was all small dinners, up to six people, because that was the rule.”
As restrictions eased, Pierre began catering for larger groups and weddings.
He said, “I started collaborating with venues, which quickly led to serving small weddings of 20-30 guests. After getting more wedding bookings through a platform called Add to Event, I put together a talented team and can now cater for events up to 200 people.”
Pierre has since cooked for footballers, Formula One figures and royalty, sometimes without realising who his clients were.
One booking brought him face to face with actress Michelle Keegan, though he did not know who she was at the time. He later learned from a pub owner that she arrived saying, “My friend Peter booked a table for us.”
Another booking proved key to his career. What began as a small private dinner turned into a high-profile event with well-known guests. With no catering van, Pierre and his team arrived in their own cars at a large estate in Warwickshire.
Pierre recalled, “Shortly after arriving, my client asked if we could have a chat. He asked, ‘Are you sure it will be okay? My wife is a bit worried because we have special guests today… Do you know Lloyd Grossman? We also have a Michelin-star chef here today… so no pressure.'”
Pierre replied, “‘I had no pressure when I cooked for King Charles, so today will be no pressure at all.'”
After the meal, the Michelin-star chef praised the food and service, calling Pierre’s business “fantastic”. They spoke about fine dining, world cuisine and new ideas.
The host later asked Pierre to become his private chef after using the same caterer for 20 years.
Now working across the Midlands and beyond, Gourmand Pierre caters for private dinners and weddings. He is known for seasonal menus using local produce.
He said, “I don’t see it as 100% fine dining. It’s more fun dining. Sometimes it’s not easy catering for large parties of people. But if you’re positive, flexible, and have a great attitude, you can do anything.”