The Dep is a place where people can share their passion for food with an enthusiastic audience.

We offer cooks the opportunity to explore creative culinary ideas while having fun and making a bit of extra cash. We use our website, newsletter (3100+), on-site posters, as well as Facebook (8800+),  Twitter (2600+), and Instagram (1900+) to co-promote the events we host, in collaboration with the participating cooks.

Workshops

Do you love sharing your food knowledge?

Our open kitchen & seating space makes room for a variety of workshops & classes, typically on Sunday & Monday evenings. Workshops are usually for small groups of 6-12 and have covered a range of topics, from canning to baking to fermenting. We’ve also done after-school workshops for kids. Workshop tickets are usually around $60, depending on the ingredients or take-away; The Dep takes $25 per person, with a minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 participants. Our kitchen is available from 3:30 pm, and classes begin typically around 6:30 p.m. for 2-3 hours.

Want to give a class or workshop? Drop me a line.

Rusholme Park Supper Club

Do you love to host dinner parties?

On Saturday nights, we push our tables together and host a series of dinner parties by a rotating cast of guest chefs, in an informal, family-style format.

The space accommodates seating for up to 24 diners. Doors open at 7:30, dinner starts at 8 and winds down by 11.

Tickets are $50 (+HST) per person, and we split the money (and any tips) 50/50 with the guest chef. That means chefs get up to $600 to divide between their ingredients costs and labour however they like.

Chefs have kitchen access from 3:30pm the day of their event. The Dep provides the tables, linens, service, kitchen, equipment, etc. and a staff member to help facilitate the event. The chef/host is expected to assist the staff with the clean up of the kitchen.

Want to cook for the Rusholme Park Supper Club? Drop me a line.

Drop-In Dinners

Do you make a special dish? 

On Thursday evenings we invite guest cooks to come and prepare a dish that they love to make.  At 6pm we open to the public and chefs serve 20-30 covers of their dinner, typically around $10-$14.

We go until9pm or we’re sold out. Chefs buy their own ingredients, have kitchen access that day from 3pm to prep & cook, and take home 60% of the selling price of their dishes. We also split the tips with the chef, and they are expected to help with the clean up afterwards.

Want to cook a Drop-In Dinner? Drop me a line.

Table Talk

Do you like to talk about food or food-related issues? 

Once a month, on a Tuesday evening, we invite a local food personality to talk about something that interests them. It’s an informal chat, and we sell tickets online for up to 24 guests.

Doors open and food is served starting from 6pm; Talks usually start around 7pm and go until about 8pm, then dessert & coffee/tea is served and people are welcome to hang around and continue the conversation.

Dep founder Len Senater cooks dinner*, and will try and use your topic as inspiration for that night’s menu — speakers are offered free dinner and a $40 honorarium.

*vegetarian/vegan and/or gluten-free options are usually available

Want be a Table Talk speaker? Drop me a line.

Private Events

Do you need a unique place to host a private dinner event?

We’ve got a charming venue designed for dinner parties. On Friday evenings, or on most weekdays, The Dep is available as a venue for private culinary activities: dinner parties, fundraisers, workshops and food events. It’s unique in that you can use the kitchen to make food an integral part of your event. The Dep provides the fully equipped kitchen, tables, linens, tableware and an assistant for $25 per person (+HST) on weekend evenings or $20 per person on weekdays, with a 12 person minimum and 24 person maximum. This is for the venue rental only – this does not include food.

For food, you have a couple choices: you can cook it yourself or with friends at The Dep, host a potluck, use any caterer you like, or we would be happy to connect you to one the many talented chefs that have cooked successful Supper Clubs at the Dep in the past, and you can make catering arrangements with them.

We’ll help with the setup, serving and clean up, but hosts are expected to help us tidy up. (Full-service cleaning can be arranged for an additional fee). Let us know the date you’re interested in, and if it’s free, we’ll hold it for you; a $200 deposit is required, which is non-refundable if the event is cancelled less with than 4 weeks notice. Private events serving drinks require a Special Occasion Permit from the LCBO ($25).

Please Note: we’re not a bar or a club – our space is designed for dinner parties, and our events wrap up by around 11pm. We share the building with long-time residents, so our venue is not suited for loud music, bands or DJs.

Want to host a private dinner party? Drop me a line.

Commercial Kitchen Rental

Do you need a commercial kitchen to prepare your food? 

We’re looking for people who want to use our kitchen when we’re not in it. The Dep’s sunny, inspected/commercial open kitchen is available for rent weekday mornings for recipe development, event catering, product demos, and small-scale food production for $25 per hour. We also run a small commercial kitchen co-op for long-term rentals, with several independent food entrepreneurs.

Want to rent our kitchen? Drop me a line.