Florence-Trained Private Chef | Charlotte & Beyond
Intimate. Seasonal. Unforgettable.
Private dining experiences, cooking classes, and intimate culinary gatherings designed to be remembered.
Now booking private events, cooking classes & destination gatherings
Limited dates available
Private Dining • Cooking Classes • Corporate Events • Retreat Experiences • Destination Culinary Gatherings
Every gathering is thoughtfully designed to feel effortless and unforgettable. From intimate private dinners and boutique cooking classes to corporate events, retreats, and destination celebrations, The Tiny Chef creates memorable culinary experiences wherever people gather.
Proudly serving Charlotte, Lake Norman, Waxhaw, and surrounding communities with elevated cuisine inspired by local farms, global travels, and nearly two decades of culinary expertise.
Hi, I’m Susanne,
Florence-trained private chef • sommelier • storyteller
Welcome to The Tiny Chef, where food is rooted in seasonality, storytelling, and soul. I’m a chef and sommelier with nearly two decades of private-chef experience creating intimate dining experiences that bring people together around the table — including many years cooking for high-profile private clients and families.
My journey began in Florence, Italy, where I trained in classical Italian cooking and fell in love with the way food, culture, and community connect. Today that philosophy continues here in North Carolina, where I craft thoughtful menus inspired by the seasons, local farms, and the rhythms of life on our small farm in Gold Hill.
From intimate private dinners to hands-on cooking classes and thoughtfully paired wines, every experience is designed to feel personal, relaxed, and unforgettable.
Let’s cook something unforgettable together.
As Seen In
At The Tiny Chef, every gathering is designed to feel effortless, beautiful, and memorable. From intimate private dinners to hands-on cooking classes and destination culinary experiences, each event is tailored to your table and your story.
With classical training in Florence and nearly two decades of private-chef experience, Susanne creates thoughtful menus rooted in seasonality, hospitality, and a sense of place. Ingredients are carefully sourced from local farms and producers throughout North Carolina.
More than a meal, each experience is crafted to bring people together around food, wine, and meaningful connection.
Services & Experiences
Personal Chef Services
Experience the luxury of a personalized dining experience crafted in your home or at your event space. As your private chef, The Tiny Chef creates custom multi-course menus using seasonal ingredients sourced from trusted North Carolina farms and producers.
From intimate plated dinners and relaxed family-style gatherings to elevated cocktail soirées, every dish is prepared with creativity, craftsmanship, and care — turning each moment into a memorable dining experience.
Now accepting a limited number of private chef bookings for Masters Week in Augusta, Georgia.
Cooking Classes & Corporate Culinary Experiences
Bring the joy of cooking into your own space with hands-on classes led by Chef Susanne Dillingham. Designed for beginners and seasoned cooks alike, each experience is tailored to your group, culinary interests, and occasion — perfect for families, couples, corporate teams, team-building events, client appreciation gatherings, and small celebrations.
Using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, guests cook, laugh, and learn together in a relaxed, elevated setting.
Ideal for groups of 6–20 guests.
Retreat & Event Chef Experiences
Bring a chef-led dining experience to your retreat, celebration, or destination gathering. From wellness retreats and bachelorette weekends to milestone celebrations and seasonal farm-style dinners, Chef Susanne creates thoughtful culinary experiences wherever your event takes place.
Enjoy curated multi-course menus, elevated family-style feasts, seasonal small plates, and thoughtful wine pairings — each designed with intention, creativity, and nearly two decades of private-chef experience.
Available throughout Charlotte, Lake Norman, and surrounding regions, with destination travel across the Southeast and beyond.
Life on the farm
Life on the farm in Gold Hill, North Carolina is where much of the inspiration for The Tiny Chef begins. Here, fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and honeybees thrive beneath Carolina skies, and each season brings a new harvest.
Mornings often begin with the scent of earth and the quiet hum of bees working patiently among the flowers. This land offers more than ingredients — it offers rhythm, connection, and a reminder that the best meals begin with something real.
Those seasonal rhythms shape the dishes I create, grounding every menu in the place it came from and the story it carries.
Tiny Farm Honey
Tiny Farm Honey is a golden gift from our land — crafted with care by the bees we lovingly tend. Each jar captures the flavors of the wildflowers, herbs, and blooms thriving across our Gold Hill, NC property.
More than a sweetener, it's a taste of the season: sunshine bottled, wild and fragrant, harvested with intention. We love our bees, and we know you’ll love their honey.
Farm Events
Where nature meets the table, our intimate farm gatherings bring people together for unforgettable seasonal feasts. Surrounded by gardens, flowers, and the quiet beauty of Gold Hill, NC, guests enjoy thoughtfully prepared dishes made with ingredients grown just steps away.
It’s an immersive dining experience — connection, flavor, and storytelling woven into a magical evening under the stars.
From the Garden & Hive
Farm-to-table isn’t a trend here — it’s the heart of how we cook. We grow a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers right on our farm in Gold Hill, NC, ensuring each dish is crafted with freshness and purpose.
From crisp greens and juicy heirloom tomatoes to fragrant herbs and honey from our hives, every ingredient is harvested at its peak and handled with care, creativity, and love.
Areas We Serve
The Tiny Chef proudly serves Charlotte, NC and surrounding communities, including Lake Norman, Cornelius, Mooresville, Waxhaw, Weddington, Concord, Badin Lake, Winston-Salem, and the greater Piedmont region. We also travel for select culinary events, including Masters tournaments in Augusta, GA.
