Going underground...

It might seem daunting at first sitting around a big table with strangers, but it's a fun way to dine out and meet new people. LYNETTE PINCHESS visits a supper club that is wowing food lovers at a secret location in Nottinghamshire

- LYNETTE PINCHESS

I’D love to tell you about the location of my most recent foodie night out. But I can’t... other than to say it was at a grand Victorian property on one of the main routes into Nottingham city centre.

Shrouded in a veil of secrecy, the mystery location only adds to the intrigue of a monthly supper club, called the Underground Table which is literary that, below ground, at an imposing private house.

Clutching the bottle of wine we have been recommended to take to accompany the food, we ring the doorbell and it’s answered by a young man called Louis, who tells us he will be our waiter for the evening.

We're led into a spacious high-ceiled drawing room with sparkling chandeliers and striking artwork where we're served a nonalcoholic Negroni, since there's no licence to sell alcohol.

After the other guests arrive in dribs and drabs, we're led down a flight of stairs to a stunning wood-panelled basement, which was once a billiards room.

The nine of us sit around a long table and are served the drinks we've brought along.

Our chef is Claire Eden, a pink-haired lady, who takes a break from the kitchen to introduce herself.

Her full-time day job is as far away from the culinary world as you can imagine. She tells me she’s the very proud head of fundraising at Framework, the Nottingham charity that supports the homeless.

In her spare time she’s a talented self-taught cook and loves sharing her food with others.