The Fifth Flavor

What The Fifth Flavor does

The Fifth Flavor is a personal chef and catering business founded in 2004 by Nina Parrott, a California Culinary Academy graduate. Originally established in San Francisco, the business was later relocated to the Boston area and currently operates from the Seacoast of New Hampshire with delivery service available within 10 miles of Rye. The company is structured as a sole proprietorship with no disclosed employees beyond the owner.

The core offering centers on customized catering for three primary segments: weddings, corporate events, and private entertaining. Wedding services include bespoke menus spanning lobster dinners, Asian-inspired, tapas, and late-night snack formats. Corporate catering provides breakfast, brunch, soups, sandwiches, grain bowls, salads, and desserts with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. Private entertaining covers cocktail parties, buffets, plated dinners, and outdoor barbecues. A complementary meal delivery/pickup service sells chef-prepared dinners at $40-$50 per serving (two-serving minimum), and add-ons include private cooking classes and gift certificates.

The business operates entirely on a direct-to-consumer model with no technology platform or digital marketplace. Customers contact Nina Parrott by email or phone, custom menus are written for each engagement, and meal delivery orders are transacted via Venmo. There is no app, no API, no AI or machine-learning component, and no disclosed institutional funding. Marketing is limited to a Wix website (fifthflavor.com), a Facebook page, and a Twitter account tied to the owner. Pricing for event catering is quoted per engagement rather than published, while meal delivery pricing is transparent at the per-serving level.

Name

The Fifth Flavor

Legal name

Unknown

Website

https://fifthflavor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Fifth Flavor is a sole-proprietor personal chef and catering business founded in 2004 by Nina Parrott, serving weddings, corporate clients, and private hosts with custom menus, plus a direct meal delivery service within 10 miles of Rye, New Hampshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Chef & Catering Services

NAICS

Caterers (72232)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Chef & In-Home Dining Services (HSACAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Drop-Off / Delivery Catering (THAFAIAI), Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• Personal chef services
• Wedding catering
• Corporate catering
• Meal delivery
• Private cooking classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Rye

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Catering and Event Services: Revenue generated from catering services for weddings, corporate events, and private entertaining. Custom menus written for each client, with pricing likely quoted per event based on guest count and menu complexity.
2. Meal Delivery/Pickup: Per-serving meal delivery service with $40-50 per serving pricing, minimum 2 servings, plus $10 delivery fee within 10 miles of Rye. Customers order via Venmo.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Fifth Flavor is a personal chef and catering business that designs custom menus for weddings, corporate events, and private entertaining, while also offering chef-prepared meal delivery and pickup for individuals and families in the Seacoast of New Hampshire. Owner Nina Parrott writes each menu specifically for the client, with optional private cooking classes and gift certificates available as add-ons.

Product overview

The Fifth Flavor is a personal chef and catering business offering a comprehensive suite of culinary services. The core offering centers on personalized catering for weddings, corporate events, and private entertaining, complemented by meal delivery/pickup services and private cooking classes. The company provides diverse menu styles including cocktail parties, buffets, plated dinners, outdoor BBQs, tapas, Asian-inspired, and lobster dinners. Corporate catering includes breakfast/brunch, soups and sandwiches, grain bowls and salads, and desserts/snacks. All services can accommodate dietary restrictions including gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian needs. Gift certificates are available as an add-on product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wedding Catering Full-service wedding catering with custom menus written to reflect each couple's heritage, family traditions, and personal tastes; includes tasting sessions and menu design. Offerings span lobster dinners, Asian-inspired menus, tapas, and late-night snack stations, with dietary accommodations available.
• Corporate Catering Office catering for businesses covering breakfast and brunch, soups and sandwiches, grain bowls and salads, cookies and desserts, and coffee breaks. Includes grab-and-go and sit-down formats with vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free selections.
• Private Event Catering (Entertaining) Custom catering for private dinner parties and entertaining events, including cocktail parties with passed and stationary hors d'oeuvres, buffets, formal plated dinners, and outdoor BBQs featuring grilled items and seasonal sides.
• Meal Delivery / Pickup Chef-prepared meal delivery and pickup service for individuals and families in the Seacoast of New Hampshire, with rotating weekly menus, gluten-free and dairy-free options available upon request. Delivery available within 10 miles of Rye at $40-$50 per serving with a 2-serving minimum.
• Private Cooking Classes Private cooking instruction sessions available for individuals or groups, covering culinary techniques and exploration of exotic ingredients and dishes, scheduled by contacting the owner directly.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates available for purchase via email, redeemable across the business's meal delivery, catering, and cooking class offerings.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Tock: Reservation and experience platform for chef-driven dining events, pop-ups, and culinary experiences. Comparable to The Fifth Flavor in the experiential dining segment, though operating as a software platform rather than a service provider.
• Goldbelly: Online marketplace for specialty and regional foods from notable chefs and restaurants. Overlaps with The Fifth Flavor's premium, chef-curated positioning and represents the emerging marketplace model for artisan/craft culinary brands.

Direct peers

• EatWith: Connects travelers and locals with hosts offering in-home dining experiences and chef-led dinners. Comparable to The Fifth Flavor in offering bespoke, chef-curated in-home meals, though distributed globally rather than locally.
• Cozymeal: Online marketplace for private chef experiences, cooking classes, and culinary tours. Operates the same direct-to-consumer personal-chef model as The Fifth Flavor but at national scale and via a platform/aggregator approach.
• Take a Chef: Marketplace for booking private chefs for in-home dining and special events. Direct functional peer to The Fifth Flavor's personal chef and event catering services, with similar custom-menu value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Zola: Wedding planning platform with vendor marketplace covering catering and event services. Comparable to The Knot as a broad incumbent in the wedding vendor space where The Fifth Flavor competes for catering contracts.
• The Knot: Largest U.S. wedding marketplace connecting couples with caterers, venues, and vendors. The Knot influences The Fifth Flavor's wedding customer acquisition indirectly and represents the broader incumbent vendor-matching layer in the same end market.
• Blue Apron: National meal-kit and prepared-meal brand operating at massive scale. Adjacent to The Fifth Flavor's meal delivery line but uses a subscription/kit model rather than chef-curated local delivery, representing the broader at-home food delivery category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ninaparrott
• Facebookfacebook.com/thefifthflavor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-fifth-flavor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Fifth Flavor