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Chef · Experiential Host · Culinary Consultant

EmmaLee
Gough

Food as a love language. Intimate dinners, cooking classes, and collaborative experiences rooted in season, curiosity, and connection.

Based in Virginia,

working wherever a table can be set.

EmmaLee Gough holding a wooden salad bowl in her garden, golden hour light

"My work is plant-forward, farm-driven, and designed to be felt through taste, texture, warmth, and story."

This is more than
a dinner party

Most people remember very little about what they ate at the last event they attended. They remember how it felt — whether they were welcomed, whether the room had warmth, whether something surprised them.

That's what I build. Not just menus, but moments. Not just food, but the full arc of an experience.

Inquire About Your Experience

50+

Events hosted

4–60

Guests per event

3

Countries cooked in

100%

Seasonal menus

EmmaLee Gough laughing in her garden holding fresh carrots with rain falling around her

Chef, baker,
& storyteller

I believe a meal is never just a meal. It's the smell of something slow-roasting, the way a table looks when it's been set with care, the conversation that only happens when people are finally, genuinely fed.

I'm the founder of The Conscious Table, a supper club and culinary experience company rooted in the idea that cooking is one of the most powerful ways to connect people to place, to seasons, and to one another. I've cooked for intimate dinners, multi-day retreats in Costa Rica and Virginia, farm collaborations, and nonprofit events.

My work has been featured in Richmond Magazine and on PBS. My food is plant-forward, farm-driven, and always designed to be felt.

Get in Touch

What I offer

Each experience is custom-built around your vision, your season, your people.

01

Private Dining

Intimate seated dinners for 4–20 guests built entirely around your vision and the season. From milestone celebrations to monthly supper clubs — every detail considered, every dish intentional.

Starting at $125–$175 per person

Virginia & Mid-Atlantic · Custom menus · Travel available

02

Cooking Classes

Hands-on, convivial sessions for small groups. Technique-forward but never intimidating — designed for curious home cooks, bachelorette parties, corporate teams, and everything in between.

Starting at $95 per person

Groups of 4–16 · Private & corporate · Custom themes

03

Retreat Chef Services

Full culinary programming for multi-day wellness retreats, creative residencies, and brand gatherings. I've cooked for retreats in Costa Rica and across Virginia — handling concept, sourcing, and every meal.

Starting at $175+ per person per day

Multi-day · Domestic & international travel · Full-service

04

Dinner Party Consulting

You host, I help you do it beautifully. Menu planning, shopping lists, prep guidance, and day-of support so you can be a guest at your own table.

Starting at $250 per consultation

Remote & in-person · Menu design · Day-of support

05

Farm Collaborations

Site-specific dinners hosted on working farms, designed to tell the story of a place, a harvest, a season. A signature offering of The Conscious Table, rooted in land and community.

Seasonal pricing · Inquire for availability

Seasonal · Virginia farms · Site-specific menus

06

Social Media & Creative Direction

Food styling, recipe development, and content creation for brands, restaurants, and hospitality businesses. Visual storytelling that makes people hungry and curious.

Custom packages · Inquire for rates

Brands · Restaurants · Hospitality · Content creation

Plan Your Experience

Portfolio

A visual record

Private dinners, farm tables, and seasonal menus — click any image to expand.

Private Dining
Candlelit supper club table setting
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Vanilla cheesecake with blueberry swirl being plated on floral china
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Intimate private dinner with warm candlelight ambiance
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EmmaLee speaking at a candlelit string light dinner with guests seated
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Guests gathered at an intimate candlelit dinner with string lights
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Poached pear dessert course on a gold-rimmed plate
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EmmaLee in white shirt serving at a dinner event
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EmmaLee in blue apron at an outdoor winter event
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Farm & Outdoor Events
EmmaLee at a farm venue with string lights and wooden chairs at dusk
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EmmaLee salting purple sweet potatoes on an outdoor farm grill
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Three bowls of edible flower kale salad at a farm dinner
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Outdoor farm dinner event setting
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EmmaLee prepping outdoor appetizer spread at an event
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EmmaLee at an outdoor event
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Outdoor garden event setup with string lights
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Seasonal & Plant-Forward
Fig and cream tarts on hand-thrown ceramic plates
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Butternut squash soup in handmade ceramic bowls
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Roasted root vegetables with tahini on a ceramic plate
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Orange sorbet served in hollowed oranges with marigold flowers
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Vegan brie and beet carpaccio farm table spread
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Seasonal plant-forward dish
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Hand-folded dumplings in orange sauce on an ornate glass plate
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Seasonal plant-forward menu dish
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Colorful seasonal food detail
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Featured In

Press & recognition

PBS

Featured Chef

2024

The Conscious Table

Founder & Culinary Director

Ongoing

Upcoming Events

Join the next dinner

Public supper clubs, cooking classes, and farm dinners are announced via the newsletter first. Sign up to get first access.

Let's build
something together

Whether you're dreaming of an intimate dinner for eight or a full retreat experience, I'd love to hear what you're imagining.

I take on a limited number of events each season to ensure each one receives the care it deserves.

Based in

Virginia, working wherever a table can be set

Email

hello@emgough.com

Instagram

@emmalee_gough