A movable feast that's fit for a queen

Cai Meng/China Daily

Get out of the kitchen and relax. The Chinese New Year caterers are on their way

"Let me propose a toast to her majesty the Queen, the President of the Republic and all her ministers and to all my friends. But most of all, here's to you, my family, for being here."

If you have ever dreamed of being Cinderella or a handsome prince at a state ball or dinner, dream no longer. The invitations have been issued and you are at the top of the VIP list.

The date: Feb 7, Chinese New Year's Eve.

Venue: Your place (as long as you are in Beijing or Tianjin).

Time: About midnight.

Dress: Whatever you like.

The food: To be supplied, at a modest charge, of course, by the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, which has decades of experience in serving the world's most powerful people in fine style.

The home-delivery catering industry has grown immensely over the past couple of years, and the tablecloth for eat-at-home dining has stretched to the traditional Chinese New Year's Eve dinner. Not only that, but Diaoyutai Food and Biotechnology, a business Diaoyutai State Guesthouse set up in late 2015, announced in Beijing last month that some of the guesthouse's signature state-banquet dishes are to be sold on the Chinese online shopping website Tmall.