IT used to be that setting up a dining business meant throwing in your job and staking everything on opening a restaurant.

But Dan Wale and Max Baker, both 26, offer their dining experience without bricks and mortar.

Dan finally quit his day job in recruitment this year to focus on their two brands – Patas Arriba, a pop-up tapas bar, and the more recent addition the Makeshift, which provides event catering and a range of pop-up food.

The Makeshift was responsible for the catering at Bournemouth’s Gardens of Light like Christmas and has worked with THAT Group and Lush.

The business grew out of a supper club which started in Blandford in 2014. “It was an attempt to do something more interesting food-wise at a time when it was all very traditional three-course, British style dining,” said Dan.

“I think we both liked into the more European-style social dining and it just organically grew.

“It’s really high quality food but it’s affordable and it’s not precious.

“Blandford got consistently popular and we thought if it worked in Blandford, why not elsewhere?”

They received more requests to do private events, which they catered for while holding down full time jobs – Dan as operations manager with Jobshop UK and Max in hospitality.

The Makeshift was launched in response to the increasing number of requests for non-tapas catering.

They have taken their pop-up dining experiences to a host of Dorset venues – and the organic nature of their growth enabled them to avoid taking a big gamble. “We built it slowly enough to not get into any trouble,” said Dan.

“There are pros and cons to not having a static venue. One of the challenges we face is letting people know where we are,” he added.

However, partnerships with regular venues such as South Coast Roast in Bournemouth and Velo Domestique in Southbourne helped the brand get known.

Social media, particularly the photo site Instagram, have been a big part of the growth.

“We’ve got a small social media following. Our Instagram it’s only 800 or something, but 95 per cent of those people either have, or will end up, coming to an event,” said Dan.

He said Bournemouth was seeing an increasing emphasis on quality food.

“I think there’s a movement and we’re happy to be a part of it,” he added.