Hearty Food – catering in Devon & beyond
Delicious
Casual, but special, globally inspired food using quality, locally sourced and seasonal ingredients.
Private dining
Perfect for parties, occasions and events. Relax and enjoy a special dining experience in your own surroundings.
Menus
Individually tailored menus to suit different dietary requirements, individual tastes and budgets.
Availability
Call Val now on
07725 476663 to check availability. Or, send an enquiry using the form.
Val McArthurChef
Why hire Hearty Food?
Provides a friendly, but professional, personalised service – making any occasion a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Sensational food presented beautifully with extra touches to make it special.
Stress free – all of the planning, shopping, cooking, serving and cleaning all taken care of.
Experienced chef who loves and takes pride in what she does.
Hearty Food prides itself on using good quality ingredients bought from local suppliers to make your fabulous meal.
Excellent Based on 33 reviews 
Hanne Hawle 22/07/2024 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The collaboration with Val in preparation of my birthday dinner at the Secular Retreat was already outstanding. Val was a great advisor to optimize my own ideas, and we ended up to have an ultimate feast. She even took her time to discuss with wine pairing with Dom from Barrel & Still, Kingsbridge whose selection was ultimate pleasure. Val's cooking was highly professional, and so was the serving. If you really want something extra-special, I can fully recommend Val's qualifications and her passion for everything she does.
hanne 
Charles Eaton 21/07/2024 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My partner and I stayed in holiday accommodation in Dartmouth with our families for our civil partnership, and Val came in and cooked an absolute feast for the 13 of us as part of the celebrations. Val was brilliant right from the start, discussing menus in detail, coming in while we were at the ceremony to have everything ready for us when we got back, and producing such brilliant and well-judged food - all of us were blown away. We can't praise the quality of the food highly enough. All tastes were catered for - Val even prepared something special for the kids. Val and Jez made the day so special. Charlie and Anne. 
Mackenzie Davis 05/07/2024 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Val was absolutely amazing. She laid on a spread for 16 of us for a friends stag do, everyone was obsessed with the food! Worth paying extra to have her bring a helper as we didn’t have to worry at all about clearing up or serving. Professional, prompt and a great laugh. Highly recommend Val. 
Matthew Byatt 20/05/2024 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A wonderful tailored dining experience.
Val and her colleague Jez catered for a group of 8 over 2 evenings.
Val’s approach and desire to make our evenings feel extra special was evident from the outset. She listened to my thoughts and came back with a number of menu ideas and shared ideas around meeting particular dietary needs.
The meals on both evenings were simply delicious – as a group of Malaysian’s I would like to think ‘we know food’ and Val’s food is outstanding; making time spent with friends even more special – thank you. 
Alice Dingle 19/02/2024 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We booked Hearty Food for a group of 12 for my mum's 60th birthday. Val was absolutely amazing , from the start she was easy to chat to , had fabulous ideas for menus and themes, was very organised and easily accommodated allergies in the group. The food was 10/10, seasonal, beautifully prepared and presented and overwhelmingly delicious. I wouldn't hesitate to book this again when we're next in the area.
Also shout out to Jez her assistant who was a delight, really easy to chat to. They both made our night and everyone at the table were raving about how lovely they were and how the food was the best they'd eaten in a long time. 
Jenny Hart 02/02/2024 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. we had a great meal for our annual choir get-together. This is not the first time we have used outside caterers, but this meal was special - not much left over - everyone enjoyed it very much, plus the easy-going attitude of val and jez. a great night to remember! 
Susan Owens 03/10/2023 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. When we decided to celebrate a Big Birthday as a family party of 12 in a beautiful holiday rental in Devon, we decided that it would be a good idea to hold the birthday dinner in style in the house with a competent caterer who could accommodate our various food requirements - 1 vegan, 5 vegetarians, 1 gluten-free and the rest omnivores. After some research, I settled on Val MacArthur’s well presented website, Hearty Foods. I contacted her and was immediately impressed by her swift response, her understanding of my requirements, her selection of menus and her obvious competence.
After several communications by email and telephone, I took Val’s advice and settled on Middle Eastern Sharing platters, as all our varying needs could easily be accommodated by that style of cooking. We tweaked her basic menu slightly and all arrangements were put in place.
On the day, Val arrived precisely as arranged, with everything prepped and ready. Her charming assistant was employed to help serve, clear dishes, and generally facilitate the proceedings.
The food was absolutely amazing! Every dish was subtle but so very tasty, beautifully spiced and presented. Our guests were hugely impressed with the feast - every dish was a masterpiece in fresh ingredients and subtle spicing. I personally could have eaten the entire spanakopita myself, I’ve eaten it in so many places but this was an absolute winner. Her freshly prepared sourdough focaccia went down very well with the delicious dips as part of the starter course, the spicy tamarind and honey prawns, yummy marinated beef with labneh and various lovely salads all warrant a mention. All our several dietary requirements were catered for beautifully.
After the feast, Val and her assistant cleared every trace of prep and cooking, the dishwasher was stacked and she vanished as efficiently as she’d arrived, leaving behind 12 very happy and replete diners.
I can thoroughly recommend using Val’s services and I will surely be in touch with her for the next official celebration in my life!
Sent from my iPad 
Ruth 14/09/2023 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We were SO fortunate that Val was available to cater for my parent's 70th birthday celebrations - it really made their day. We decided that we wanted a high quality caterer, who used good quality local produce, to really make the event special. Val was worth every penny. Around 50 friends and family attended the event at our local lawn tennis club and EVERYONE commented on how delicious the food was. From the first point of contact Val's communication was excellent - listening carefully to what we wanted, designing a wonderful selection of exceptionally fresh, tasty, healthy food that catered for everyone's needs and dietary requirements - and keeping us up to date. Val arrived promptly on the day with her assistant, Lou, and organised everything seamlessly - we were really impressed. The food was exceptional and Val had judged the quantities really well (a real skill!) with plenty for everyone but not too much that there was lots left over afterwards. Val had a relaxed, professional, dedicated, and friendly approach and nothing was too much trouble. Many of our guests complimented Val throughout the event on her dishes (including the vegans who were delighted with the the options they had and explained that often, at buffets, their options are rather limited or dull). Val also made sure that everything was cleared up after the event which was really appreciated. Hearty Food will be TOP of our list for any catering in the future - absolutely brilliant - exceeded all expectations. Would highly recommend. 
Steve Liddicoat 13/09/2023 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Val provided a buffet lunch for 50 people to celebrate our 70th birthdays. She couldn’t have been more helpful in coming up with a menu and her suggestions worked really well. We had so many compliments about the food and our vegan/vegetarian guests were particularly impressed : they said that it was such a wonderful surprise to be provided with such imaginative and tasty dishes which catered for their dietary needs.
Not only did she provide us with a feast but she set out all the food, served it and cleared up afterwards so we didn’t have to lift a finger. It all happened seamlessly.
When we need a caterer again, Val will be our first port of call but I hope that we aren’t shooting ourselves in the foot by singing her praises : we have a horrid feeling that she may be in such demand when we next have need of her that she will struggle to fit us in ! 
JOHN HASPINEALL 20/08/2023 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. A very special celebration was made memorable by the exceptional menu and bespoke cake provided by Hearty Food. Thank you Val and team!
Excellent
Based on 33 reviews
Hanne Hawle
22/07/2024
The collaboration with Val in preparation of my birthday dinner at the Secular Retreat was already outstanding. Val was a great advisor to optimize my own ideas, and we ended up to have an ultimate feast. She even took her time to discuss with wine pairing with Dom from Barrel & Still, Kingsbridge whose selection was ultimate pleasure. Val's cooking was highly professional, and so was the serving. If you really want something extra-special, I can fully recommend Val's qualifications and her passion for everything she does.
hanne
Charles Eaton
21/07/2024
My partner and I stayed in holiday accommodation in Dartmouth with our families for our civil partnership, and Val came in and cooked an absolute feast for the 13 of us as part of the celebrations. Val was brilliant right from the start, discussing menus in detail, coming in while we were at the ceremony to have everything ready for us when we got back, and producing such brilliant and well-judged food - all of us were blown away. We can't praise the quality of the food highly enough. All tastes were catered for - Val even prepared something special for the kids. Val and Jez made the day so special. Charlie and Anne.
Mackenzie Davis
05/07/2024
Val was absolutely amazing. She laid on a spread for 16 of us for a friends stag do, everyone was obsessed with the food! Worth paying extra to have her bring a helper as we didn’t have to worry at all about clearing up or serving. Professional, prompt and a great laugh. Highly recommend Val.
Matthew Byatt
20/05/2024
A wonderful tailored dining experience.
Val and her colleague Jez catered for a group of 8 over 2 evenings.
Val’s approach and desire to make our evenings feel extra special was evident from the outset. She listened to my thoughts and came back with a number of menu ideas and shared ideas around meeting particular dietary needs.
The meals on both evenings were simply delicious – as a group of Malaysian’s I would like to think ‘we know food’ and Val’s food is outstanding; making time spent with friends even more special – thank you.
Alice Dingle
19/02/2024
We booked Hearty Food for a group of 12 for my mum's 60th birthday. Val was absolutely amazing , from the start she was easy to chat to , had fabulous ideas for menus and themes, was very organised and easily accommodated allergies in the group. The food was 10/10, seasonal, beautifully prepared and presented and overwhelmingly delicious. I wouldn't hesitate to book this again when we're next in the area.
Also shout out to Jez her assistant who was a delight, really easy to chat to. They both made our night and everyone at the table were raving about how lovely they were and how the food was the best they'd eaten in a long time.
Jenny Hart
02/02/2024
we had a great meal for our annual choir get-together. This is not the first time we have used outside caterers, but this meal was special - not much left over - everyone enjoyed it very much, plus the easy-going attitude of val and jez. a great night to remember!
Susan Owens
03/10/2023
When we decided to celebrate a Big Birthday as a family party of 12 in a beautiful holiday rental in Devon, we decided that it would be a good idea to hold the birthday dinner in style in the house with a competent caterer who could accommodate our various food requirements - 1 vegan, 5 vegetarians, 1 gluten-free and the rest omnivores. After some research, I settled on Val MacArthur’s well presented website, Hearty Foods. I contacted her and was immediately impressed by her swift response, her understanding of my requirements, her selection of menus and her obvious competence.
After several communications by email and telephone, I took Val’s advice and settled on Middle Eastern Sharing platters, as all our varying needs could easily be accommodated by that style of cooking. We tweaked her basic menu slightly and all arrangements were put in place.
On the day, Val arrived precisely as arranged, with everything prepped and ready. Her charming assistant was employed to help serve, clear dishes, and generally facilitate the proceedings.
The food was absolutely amazing! Every dish was subtle but so very tasty, beautifully spiced and presented. Our guests were hugely impressed with the feast - every dish was a masterpiece in fresh ingredients and subtle spicing. I personally could have eaten the entire spanakopita myself, I’ve eaten it in so many places but this was an absolute winner. Her freshly prepared sourdough focaccia went down very well with the delicious dips as part of the starter course, the spicy tamarind and honey prawns, yummy marinated beef with labneh and various lovely salads all warrant a mention. All our several dietary requirements were catered for beautifully.
After the feast, Val and her assistant cleared every trace of prep and cooking, the dishwasher was stacked and she vanished as efficiently as she’d arrived, leaving behind 12 very happy and replete diners.
I can thoroughly recommend using Val’s services and I will surely be in touch with her for the next official celebration in my life!
Sent from my iPad
Ruth
14/09/2023
We were SO fortunate that Val was available to cater for my parent's 70th birthday celebrations - it really made their day. We decided that we wanted a high quality caterer, who used good quality local produce, to really make the event special. Val was worth every penny. Around 50 friends and family attended the event at our local lawn tennis club and EVERYONE commented on how delicious the food was. From the first point of contact Val's communication was excellent - listening carefully to what we wanted, designing a wonderful selection of exceptionally fresh, tasty, healthy food that catered for everyone's needs and dietary requirements - and keeping us up to date. Val arrived promptly on the day with her assistant, Lou, and organised everything seamlessly - we were really impressed. The food was exceptional and Val had judged the quantities really well (a real skill!) with plenty for everyone but not too much that there was lots left over afterwards. Val had a relaxed, professional, dedicated, and friendly approach and nothing was too much trouble. Many of our guests complimented Val throughout the event on her dishes (including the vegans who were delighted with the the options they had and explained that often, at buffets, their options are rather limited or dull). Val also made sure that everything was cleared up after the event which was really appreciated. Hearty Food will be TOP of our list for any catering in the future - absolutely brilliant - exceeded all expectations. Would highly recommend.
Steve Liddicoat
13/09/2023
Val provided a buffet lunch for 50 people to celebrate our 70th birthdays. She couldn’t have been more helpful in coming up with a menu and her suggestions worked really well. We had so many compliments about the food and our vegan/vegetarian guests were particularly impressed : they said that it was such a wonderful surprise to be provided with such imaginative and tasty dishes which catered for their dietary needs.
Not only did she provide us with a feast but she set out all the food, served it and cleared up afterwards so we didn’t have to lift a finger. It all happened seamlessly.
When we need a caterer again, Val will be our first port of call but I hope that we aren’t shooting ourselves in the foot by singing her praises : we have a horrid feeling that she may be in such demand when we next have need of her that she will struggle to fit us in !
JOHN HASPINEALL
20/08/2023
A very special celebration was made memorable by the exceptional menu and bespoke cake provided by Hearty Food. Thank you Val and team!
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