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Proper pub food, every service. No chef needed.
Chef-made meals, hot in 3–10 minutes. Whoever is behind the bar scans the pack, and the station runs the combi oven, air fryer or microwave on the right setting. Burgers, slow-cooked mains and bar snacks for wet-led pubs, inns and bars.
£3 to £6.50 a portion. No long contract. Delivered anywhere in mainland UK.
- £3–£6.50a portion, ex VAT
- 3–10 minto cook, straight from frozen
- 0chefs on shift
- Nothing binnedcook only what’s ordered; the rest keeps 12 months
Lost your chef? Keep the menu.Food that doesn't depend on who's in.
A pub kitchen is hard to make pay. Covers swing from a packed Sunday to two on a wet Tuesday, chefs are hard to find and harder to keep, and when the kitchen closes, groups go to the pub down the road. Chef-made food your bar team can finish changes that: a proper menu every service, cooked to order, and nothing wasted when it's quiet.
Wet-led pubs
Food that keeps groups in for another round, without a kitchen team. Bar staff scan, cook and serve.
Pubs that have lost their chef
Keep the menu running while you recruit, or stop recruiting. The dishes come out the same whoever is on shift.
Sports, quiz and music nights
Burgers, crispy chicken strips and arancini, cooked to order as the orders come in, so nothing sits under a heat lamp.
Inns and pubs with rooms
Evening meals and late food for staying guests. See late-night bar food without a chef.
Quiet Tuesday or packed Saturday.The same menu, the same plate.
- LunchMidweek tradeA short menu for regulars and the lunchtime trade, without paying a chef for a quiet shift.
- Big nightsMatch days and quiz nightsBurgers and chips, crispy chicken strips and arancini, cooked to order as the bar gets busy.
- EveningsProper mainsFeatherblade beef and lamb shank, slow-cooked by our chefs and finished in the combi oven.
What's on the menu.Pub favourites, cooked by chefs, finished by your team.
A selection from our range of 80+ chef-made dishes, from £3 to £6.50 a portion. We build your menu around your trade, your space and your busiest nights.
Allergen information comes with every dish. Chicken, beef and lamb come from a certified halal supplier, and the few pork dishes are clearly labelled.
The station does the cooking.Your bar team does the serving.
Staff scan the barcode on the pack, and the Scan-to-Cook Station programs the combi oven, air fryer or microwave and runs the right setting. Whoever is behind the bar can do it after one training session.
- No settings to learn: the pack tells the station what to do
- The same result on a quiet Tuesday as on a packed Saturday
- Cooked to order, so nothing sits under a heat lamp or goes in the bin
How it works.Tasting. Menu. Set-up. Deliveries. Service.
- 1Free tastingWe come to your pub, cook a selection on site and your team tastes it. No commitment.
- 2Your menuWe choose dishes around your trade, your space and your busiest nights, from 80+ chef-made dishes.
- 3Set-up and trainingThe Scan-to-Cook Station goes on your counter, next to a freezer. One training session for the bar team.
- 4DeliveriesFrozen, anywhere in mainland UK, usually within 3–5 working days. Orders from £500.
- 5ServiceScan the pack. The station runs the combi oven, air fryer or microwave on the right setting. Plate and serve.
Two formats.One for the bar menu, one for the function room.
| Individual portions | Catering packs | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Bar menu, à la carte, match days | Functions, parties, wakes and buffets |
| Serves | 1 per portion | 6–7 people per tray |
| Cook time | 3–10 minutes | 20–40 minutes (combi oven) |
| Staff | 1 person behind the bar, no cooking skill | 1 person, no cooking skill |
| Waste | None: cooked to order | Minimal: planned to headcount |
Already serving hotels, clubs and venues.Judged by operators, not by us.
Coaching inns, hotel bars, golf clubs, padel clubs and serviced apartments serve Nova Chef food with no chef in the kitchen. Book a tasting at your pub and let your own team judge it.
chef-made dishes
training session for staff
chefs on shift
What operators say about Nova Chef
“It looks like this is probably one of the best, if not the best option that we can possibly go for.”
Head of Operations, Pure Padel
“The quality of the food is exceptional. What a great system as well.”
Director, Link Golf UK
“The quality of the food is absolutely excellent and the taste was fantastic — I’d really encourage you all to give Nova Chef a go.”
General Manager, Pinner Hill Golf Club, London
“It tastes amazing. It’s zero labour, and it’s so easy.”
F&B Director, Hilton Hotels UK & Ireland
“The food is absolutely amazing, with great feedback from everyone. Highly recommended — a very professional company to work with.”
General Manager, Fraser Place Canary Wharf, London
“An unbelievable product — you’d never know, from frozen to the plate, it comes out so good.”
Executive Chef, Pullman London St. Pancras
What to expect.The questions operators ask first, answered.
| Kitchen | None needed. Counter space, power sockets and room for a freezer. No extraction, no gas, no fit-out. |
|---|---|
| Who cooks | Whoever is behind the bar, after one training session. |
| Price | £3 to £6.50 a portion, ex VAT, depending on the dish. No management fee. |
| Functions | Catering packs serving 6–7 people a tray, planned to headcount, ready in 20–40 minutes in a combi oven. |
| Minimum order | From £500 per delivery. We confirm your free-delivery threshold when you enquire. |
| Contract | No long-term contract and no monthly minimum. One-month rolling. |
| Delivery | Frozen, anywhere in mainland UK, usually within 3–5 working days. |
| Storage | 12 months frozen. Nothing needs defrosting: everything cooks from frozen. |
| Equipment | Your own combi oven, air fryer or microwave. Add the Scan-to-Cook Station, to buy or hire, and staff just scan the pack. |
| Allergens and halal | Allergen information for every dish. Chicken, beef and lamb from a certified halal supplier; pork dishes clearly labelled. |
Book a free tasting. We bring the food, your team cooks it, everyone tastes it.
Tell us about your pub and roughly how many meals you serve, or want to serve, in a day. We'll be in touch to arrange a date for a tasting at your pub.
- Free tasting at your venue, no commitment
- No long-term contract, one-month rolling
- Delivered frozen anywhere in mainland UK
Questions pub operators ask Nova Chef
Do we need a kitchen to serve hot food?
No. Our chefs cook everything in our London kitchen and it arrives frozen. On site you need counter space, power sockets and room for a freezer. No extraction, no gas and no kitchen fit-out.
Who cooks the food?
Whoever is behind the bar. They scan the barcode on the pack and the station programs the combi oven, air fryer or microwave and runs the right setting. One training session is enough.
We already have a combi oven and an air fryer. Do we need the station?
No. Every dish works in the combi oven, air fryer or microwave you already have, and each pack carries the finishing instructions. The Scan-to-Cook Station makes it foolproof: staff scan the pack and the station programs the appliance and runs the right setting.
How much does the food cost?
£3 to £6.50 a portion, ex VAT, depending on the dish. There is no management fee or service charge.
How long does a hot meal take?
3–10 minutes to cook from frozen for individual portions. Catering packs for groups take 20–40 minutes in a combi oven.
Can you cater for functions and parties?
Yes. Catering packs serve 6–7 people a tray and are planned to headcount, so a function for 20 is three trays. They take 20–40 minutes in a combi oven, straight from frozen.
What about allergens and halal?
Allergen information comes with every dish. Chicken, beef and lamb come from a certified halal supplier, and the few pork dishes are clearly labelled. There are vegetarian and vegan dishes too.
What is the minimum order, and is there a contract?
Orders start from £500 per delivery, and we confirm your free-delivery threshold when you enquire. There is no long-term contract and no monthly minimum: it runs month to month.
Where do you deliver, and how fast?
Anywhere in mainland UK, usually within 3–5 working days. The food travels frozen and keeps for 12 months in your freezer, so you order when you need to, not every few days.
Can we try it before we commit?
Yes. Book a free tasting and we'll come to your venue, cook a selection on site and let your team taste it. No commitment.
Full guide: ready meals for pubs without a chef: costs, suppliers and how it works. Pub with rooms? See late-night bar food without a chef. Want the full price list? See catering food supplier.