Now that lockdown 2.0 and #BlackNovember are out of the way, we’re once again filling our evenings — dining with our households or meeting some pals (safely) outdoors of course — and booking some of the best festive dining spots London has to offer.
If you’ve been in a lockdown hole (heck – we all have) and don’t know where to begin, then we’ve put together a hit-list of all our favourite festive feasts in the city no matter what your mood.
London Stock: For a chilled out evening in South London
The newest kid on the block of Wandsworth Ram’s Quarter has reopened its doors in true holiday style with a £65pp 10-course holiday menu that will certainly blow your mind. It begins with two delectable mushroom dishes (one a Mushroom Cep gnochetti and the other a parfait with pickled walnuts and sourdough) and ends with Malt and Miso soufflé bang.
Some other culinary highlights include the Beef Cheek with Jerusalem artichoke, Roast Cod with pickled mussels in a light soy and ginger broth, and Roast Turkey two ways. London Stock’s culinary exodus is completed with a trio of sweet treats which includes a Delica Squash with Yuzu, praline and honey.
London Stock has also given its cocktail menu and wine list a festive makeover – and we’re looking at the ‘In The Woods’ concoction — a mixture of Hayman’s old Tom Gin and Cocci Americano, Mushroom and Blueberry Shrub — as both an aperitif and digestif.
Galvin at Windows: A timeless meal with unbeatable views
With 14 years at the (literal) top of London’s food scene, Galvin at Windows’ Christmas menu is certainly taking festive dining to new heights.
Following the lead of Chef Patron Chris Galvin and under the watchful eye of Chef Marc Hardiman, the ‘Taste of Christmas’ menu at Galvin at Windows begins at a very reasonable £59 pp offers four incredible courses and a welcome Perrier-Jouët Blanc de Blancs to start. If the Cured Faroe Island Salad, Cornish Cod, and Native black Angus sirloin isn’t enough to blow you away (which is highly unlikely) than the panoramic views of Hyde Park certainly will.
The Christmas Day lunch menu is priced at £199 pp for four courses and offers a luxurious twist on timeless British classics. So, if you’re looking to reward yourself with an indulgent Christmas meal to end 2020 in true #TeamCoco style — then we highly recommend it.
All of the Galvin at Windows Festive menus can be viewed here.
Ayllu: A festive fusion meal that is out of the ordinary
‘Festive’ may not be the word that comes to mind when you think of Peruvian-Japanese fusion, but Ayllu’s holiday menu certainly packs the festive punch and then some. This contemporary fusion restaurant in Paddington was inspired by the ‘Ayllu’ Incan community and highlights these familial Peruvian traditions with a wonderfully creative selection of small plates.
We recommend dining out on the terrace and enjoying views of the canal while feasting on Ayllu’s Nikkei Tasting menu. The menu is priced at £55 for two people to share and has more than enough to satisfy your festive cravings.
Full menu available to view here & Christmas Day menus here.
Heddon Yokocho: For Ramen Lovers everywhere
This one is for all the ramen lovers looking for a festive meal out this December. Heddon Yokocho is re-opening with a new Christmas menu that packs all of the familiar ramen goodness with a Christmas twist. The menu is priced at only £24.5 per person and offers three courses with a drink.
We recommend the Chicken Karaage and Tokyo Shoyu ramen, and raising a glass of Shochu Sour Berry soju to finish. Also, the restaurant’s casual yet retro Japanese aesthetic will certainly satisfy your desire for escapism even if its just for one evening.
Heddon Yokocho’s Christmas menu is available from 10 to 24 December
After such a tumultuous year we’re sure we’re not the only ones who want to make the most of eating out while we can. This time of year London’s dining scene comes alive with festive menus and winter terraces and while we’re still unable to dine indoors with anyone outside our household or bubble, there’s still plenty of options for booking some fun this festive season and a glut of new openings to try out.
There’s A New Head Chef at Fenchurch
Sky Garden’s contemporary British fine dining restaurant Fenchurch, with its imposing views over London from the 37th floor, has a new head chef in the form of Michael Carr, bringing with him fresh new menus and vibrant dishes with innovative flavour combinations.
Having recently paid a visit myself I can very much vouch for the Scottish scallops with cauliflower puree, bacon jam and coriander dressing – an absolute explosion of flavour – and the sumptuous aged beef fillet with braised cheek, bone marrow, carrot purée and thyme jus,
Inspired by the diverse cultures that make up Australia’s cuisine, Queen’s Park’s Milk Beach serves all day brunch and a menu of seasonal sharing plates in the evenings. Speciality coffees are sourced from all over the world, as are the wines it handpicks from independent winemakers, making for a truly varied menu.
The kitchen is led by Aussie Head Chef Darren Leadbeater hailing from Mackay, Queensland. With dishes like banana bread with espresso cream cheese, smashed avocado with confit cherry tomatoes, whipped goat’s curd and pumpkin seed crumble and a sourdough english muffin with xo confit duck, korean coleslaw and a fried egg, it’s a tasty alternative to a bog standard brunch.
We may not be jetting off to Cuba for the time being, but luckily October saw the opening of Bar Bolivar, a vibrant cocktail bar with Cuban-inspired cocktails and Venezualan street food heroes, Pabellón serving up a spread of mouthwatering grub. Opening on the 20th October in Reuters Plaza at Canary Wharf, it comes from the team behind Casa de Frango and the bars at Vinegar Yard and Pop Brixton, and transports guests to 1950s Havana.
We can’t wait to try The Hemingway Highball, a cocktail inspired by the writer’s favourite drink at institution El Floridita, while food comes courtesy of Pabellón, winners of the British Street Food Awards in 2019, will be serving up south American street food, with signature dishes like Arepas, grilled corn bread filled with cheddar cheese; Pico de Gallo salad, avocado chunks and sweet fried plantains and slow cooked beef brisket, winner of the British Street Food Awards ‘Sandwich of the Year 2019’.
Bring London’s Best Restaurants Home With Dishpatch
If you’re still not keen on venturing out, revolutionary home delivery service Dispatch works with some of London’s best restaurants to deliver their dishes to you with all the cooking and prep work done by the chefs. December’s menu includes a Parsi Feast from Farokh Talati, Thai Tasting Menu by Farang, a West African Feast by Chishuru and a Classic Fish Suppe ray Parsons, not to mention three stunning Christmas menus from Andrew Edmunds, 10 Greek Street and Bubala.
Brixton Village is the latest location from Rudie’s Jerk Shack, the third site from husband and wife team Matin and Michelle Miah. Situated in Market Row, the 50 cover restaurant (with both indoor and outdoor seating) serves an innovative menu including their famed ‘Real Jerk’, marinated for 24 hours in their secret blend of herbs and spices, before being grilled and smoked slowly over charcoal in a steel drum.
From ‘climate positive burgers’ and Thai comfort food, to chimney cakes that will take you back to the European Christmas markets of yesteryear (or… you know… last year…) South Molton Street plays host to street food market KERB’s latest venture, opening on 9th December for two weeks before Christmas.
Visitors can expect an array of street food that caters to every palette and dietary requirement from climate positive burgers from GROUND, artisan baked treats from Sweet Chimney Bakers, signature crispy seafood from Calamari Canteen and Thai comfort dishes from Yaay Yaay, all fully compliant with the latest government guidelines and bathed in South Molton’s Street’s twinkling Christmas lights. It will be open from 12pm-7pm on Wednesdays – Fridays and 12pm-4pm on Saturdays.
A honey-based restaurant launched at Selfridges last week, resplendent with on-site bee hives and keepers. Diners can experience an immersive honey-inspired environment while enjoying an all-day menu of innovative dishes and a range of honey and cheese pairings, including Comte and Chestnut Honey and Fourme d’Ambers with Buckwheat Honey. The range of honeys utilised in Hive’s menu is harvested on-site from the restaurant’s own rooftop hives as well as procured by the artisanal farm Le Miel des Français.
Move over Netflix, there is a new subscription service in town and it’s offering even better value. Pret is launching the UK’s first in-shop coffee subscription on Tuesday 8th September 2020. With the subscription, YourPret Barista, coffee fiends can enjoy endless caffeine for just £20 a month. That’s five red stars from us.
To celebrate, the subscription is completely free for the first month and is available at participating Pret A Manger shops nationwide. All barista-prepared drinks are included from silky smooth flat whites, hot chocolates to refreshing iced lattes, teas and smoothies. Theinitiative is the first of its kind and indicates the start of Pret’s recovery in London and the wider UK. Ready to transform the way the UK buys its coffee, YourPret Barista lets subscribers enjoy Pret’s full range of barista-prepared drinks, up to five times a day. Organic milk alternatives are also available free of charge.
Briony Raven, UK Food & Coffee Director at Pret, said:
“Not only is YourPret Barista incredible value and something that has not been done in the UK before, it’s also a chance to enjoy and celebrate the huge range of drinks our expert baristas offer every day.”
While more and more people are heading into its shops, Pret has also launched a host of new products specifically designed for customers to enjoy from wherever they are. Examples include Pret’s ‘Heat Me at Home’ meals, its first ever range of ground coffee and espresso beans, available via Amazon and a new dinner menu available for delivery.
YourPret Barista subscription – how it works:
Customers can subscribe at your.pret.co.uk or can be guided through QR codes available in every Pret store nationwide
The subscription is loaded onto customers’ Apple or Google digital wallets or can be accessed via emailed QR codes. Scanners installed in Pret shops enable customers to verify their subscription status and redeem hot drinks
YourPret Barista coffee subscription is valid for one month, and auto-renews with no minimum term contract. Customers can unsubscribe at any time
Only redeemable in-shop for takeaway or eat-in. Redemption is limited to one drink per transaction, up to five per day, with 30 minutes intervals between each transaction to prevent misuse
After months of isolation, never in my life have been more excited about brunch in my life. It is only fitting then that my return to the quintessential weekend brunch date was at Ham West Hampstead, because it’s the perfect neighbourhood spot that balances timeless brunch favourites with contemporary British twists.
Located in buzzy, charming (yet not too hectic) West End Lane, Hâm looks exactly like something from your ‘stylish brunch Pinterest board.’ Picture mint green banquettes, pastel-hued arts, exposed brick walls, low-hanging gold pendant lamps and gold-toned countertops. It is exactly what I pictured when imagining my first London brunch after lockdown.
The menu reflects the same kind of casual yet sophisticated atmosphere, offering simple but imaginative modern British cuisine. Don’t expect any fancy foams here, because each dish really allows each ingredient to shine.
Head Chef Matt Osborne creates a weekly menu with highlights including the Burrata, courgette, with pea and mint pesto; Buttermilk fried chicken with satay sauce and lime coleslaw; roasted monkfish with gnocchi; lemongrass strawberry and honeycomb panacotta.
For brunch, we sampled the Lambton and Jackson smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, fried potato and kale and also tried the signature Hâm breakfast. The breakfast is comprised of sourdough toast, fried eggs, streaky bacon, sausage, avocado and tomato relish, a healthier twist to the classic full-English. Both brunch dishes were perfectly executed, highlighting the rich flavours of each ingredient, and without overpowering you with a crazy portion too.
No brunch is complete without drinks and we recommend trying the ‘Skin Contact’ Cantine Rallo, Ciello Bianco, Catarratto ‘orange’ wine. It is a naturally cloudy, vegan and organic white wine that is perfect complement to Hâm’s delicious brunch offer. We will certainly be coming back, not just for the delicious brunch, but also for the casual yet vibrant neighbourhood vibe we’ve been so deprived of during this truly crazy year.
The Lockdown has hit the restaurant industry hard and with the restrictions finally easing, plenty of our favourite London spots are finally opening their doors once again. To help these creative and truly special foodie spots keep their doors open, we’re giving you the lowdown on exactly which London restaurants are reopening in each neighbourhood – so you can get to booking ASAP.
Our favourite Portuguese restaurant has reopened its doors in London Bridge, bringing the taste of the Mediterranean back to weary Londoners. Bar Douro now offers an updated menu and an extended terrace area to adhere to social-distancing guidelines. The new terraço is the perfect spot for a Bifana sandwich and White Port Tonic this summer.
Japanese Mayfair staple Taka has reopened in mid-July boasting a new and improved menu from Chef Taji Maruyama. The new menu was designed around the traditional Japanese ‘shun’ food philosophy, which states that food should be eaten only when in season (to enhance the flavour). You’ll be happy to know that Taka favourites such as the A5 Kagoshima Wagyu or Maitake Mushrooms are once again available along with an exciting new 8-course tasting menu.
This vibrant Peruvian restaurant in Angel Court, City of London has once again welcoming customers. It offers a seasonal changing fusion menu inspired by a blend of Latin American and Incan culture. Guests can once again enjoy Coya’s popular ‘Lomo des Res’, a spicy beef fillet with crispy shallots and aji limo, and sip on a cocktail or two in the restaurant’s extended outdoor terrace.
Wine lovers rejoice, because independent wine specialists 28°-50° has reopened in Covent Garden, boosted with an updated wine list and a new array of fresh summer dishes. We recommend the Artichoke tempura with aioli or the crab salad with mango and avocado. If you’re looking for an excellent summer wine recommendation? There’s no one better than the wine experts at 28°-50°, so better get booking and fast.
Michelin Starred Chef Atul Kochhar’s colourful contemporary Indian restaurant Kanishka has reopened in Mayfair and we can’t wait to make our return. It offers an unconventional menu that uses seasonal British ingredients to showcase the unexplored cuisine of North East India’s ‘Sister States,’. Highlights include Lake District lamb patties, New Forest venison and Kentish goat. The restaurant has also been updated with a new outside bar, where guests can enjoy Cobra beers, wines, and spirits.
After (who knows how many) months of lockdown, three postponed destination weddings and one cancelled romantic getaway (with my better half), to say I was excited when I was invited to review the cheeky London outpost of Mama Shelter in Hackney, is an understatement! It’s been on my bucket list for some time and it didn’t disappoint.
On arrival, I was instantly greeted by all of the things that helped propel Mama Shelter as one of the world’s leading hotel brands: bombastic décor, welcoming and knowledgeable staff and of course, incredible location in London’s culture hub of Hackney. Needless to say, it offered a more subdued version of its usual self, but that’s fair given it now has to operate in a COVID-19 world, but they still did well to retain the playful personality it’s known and loved for. This included the team’s mandatory face masks, each emblazoned with its own unique mouth design (tongue out, lip biting, smiling with braces) turning a dull and restrictive item into a fun and desirable accessory.
The overall style of the played on its location in the heart of trendy east end with a mixture of mid-century and vintage furnishing throughout. The ground floor was a kaleidoscope of colours with a mish-mash of lampshades, long tables (which also double-up as great workspace), booths and chalkboard ceilings, along with an open plan kitchen. The Greenhouse, where I was met by their resident mixologist trying out new concoctions, was airy and bright with a retractable roof – a perfect space for dining with friends and drinking cocktails al-fresco. In winter, I can imagine it also offers a cosy alternative.
My room was 70’s inspired with playful little touches, including a novel corner booth with lush velvet emerald green cushions, super comfy bedding and perfectly proportioned (and very well lit bathroom). The room also had a great view over the old gasworks synonymous with nearby Regents Canal. And of course, it wouldn’t be a stay with Mama without their lovely selection of Mama Organic Skin Range (along with their suggestive namesakes, ‘Mama wants to cream you up’).
My beautiful room overlooking the famous gasworks on Regent’s Canal
After unpacking and freshening up, I headed to the Greenhouse for dinner. The (paperless QR) menu offers generous family-style dishes with some Turkish influences. My favourites: the burrata with borlotti beans, golden raising and gremolata and the simple (but delicious) cured sea trout with heritage beetroot, horseradish and lime. For the main, I devoured the Chicken Za’atar with harissa yoghurt, pickled cucumber and pistachio. The downstairs space and Greenhouse would also make a great brunch spot – the fluffy American pancakes were incredible! – with your friends or family and ideally located for exploring the area after.
As a former Hackney resident, I know the neighbourhood well and I couldn’t recommend it enough for readers looking to discover a new part of London or just fancied a fun night out without the hassle of getting a taxi home later. The hotel is perfectly placed between bustling Broadway Market (for lazy Saturday mornings) and Columbia Road (the infamous flower market runs on Sunday’s) and about a 15 minutes walk from Shoreditch High Street, offering endless art galleries, contemporary furniture and clothing stores and live music venues (although this is on pause for the time being).
Mama normally offers an unmissable program of events (currently on hold due to government guidelines) which has helped it to create a great sense of community among locals. Downstairs, Japanese-style karaoke rooms – they often host drag karaoke nights – are decked out with pinball machines, retro video games and classic 50s-style microphones and are available to hire for groups. Guests can also create personal souvenirs of their Mama Shelter experience with the photo and video booths, via the brand’s social platforms.
My first Mama experience was in Paris for my birthday a while back. It was one of their first hotels – Mama Shelter East – and I remember thinking then that it was ahead of its time, offering an affordable boutique hotel experience with all the trimmings you’d expect from a five-star hotel: great food, buzzing atmosphere, service and modern design (but without the hefty price tag).
The Mama Shelter journey started in 2008 with the launch of Mama Paris East. Founded by the Trigano family – co-Founder of Club Med – and world-renowned designer Philippe Starck, Mama Shelter believed in launching in lesser-known, ‘out of the way’ neighbourhoods in iconic cities, allowing guests to discover new creative corners with Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Belgrade, Prague and Toulouse soon added to the group’s portfolio. Today, MAMA’s international footprint continues to grow, with hotel openings in Lille and Paris West this year, and properties in Luxembourg, Dubaï, Santiago de Chile, Lisbon and further locations set to open by 2022.
It was lovely to see Mama’s managed to retain her charm even after global domination.
To celebrate their reopening, Mama London is offering stays from as little as £49* per night. The only condition is that you have dinner in their restaurant or via room service – seems fair to me!
While the debate is still going about how we can safely return to our favourite pubs and restaurants, we shine the light on the coolest London restaurants bringing their culinary offerings straight to your couch. Because who says you can’t add a gourmet twist to your Thursday night takeaways?
Hakkasan Group has launched an authentic Mexican (virtual) pop-up that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
Casa Calavera was inspired by the traditional Mexican holiday ‘Día de Los Muertos’ and takes delicious culinary cues from the street side taquerias and beachfront restaurants of Mexico.
We can’t stop raving about the mouth-watering tacos which include the Chipotle beef brisket, grilled yellowtail with sirracha and pico de gallo, and grilled cactus with salsa verde and guacamole. Is it Taco Tuesday yet?
Casa Calavera is available online via Supper, Deliveroo, and UberEats.
Mac & Wild has launched the D-I-Y burger of our dreams and is just the perfect thing to impress at your next socially distanced backyard barbecue.
Mac & Wild’s Venimoo DIY Burger Box includes four beef patties, four venison patties, four brioche buns, and a hefty serving of pickles, lettuce, cheese, onions, bearnaise and red job sauce. Now that’s how you fire up a grill.
To accompany those delicious Venimoo burgers, Bar Douro has launched a DIY White Port and Tonic Kit that will soon be your favourite summer sundowner. The cocktail is made with Churchill’s White Port, Fever Tree, and with a zesty orange peel that makes it the just the right drink for afternoons in the sunshine.
One of our favourite Chinese dim sum teahouses, Yauatcha, has launched rainbow pot stickers in support of charity Magic Breakfast. The rainbow dumplings are available to order via Deliveroo, Supper and UberEats throughout the month of June, with each box funding a month of breakfasts for a child in need.
The red dumpling is filled with Szechuan tenderloin, the orange with cumin spiced lamb; the yellow with chicken and chive; the green with mushroom and bamboo pith; the blue with seafood and spinach; the indigo with pork and prawn and finally, the violet with truffle sweet potato.
Yauatcha and Magic Breakfast have set the goal of funding 8,000 breakfasts in June. One bite into this colourful array of dumplings, and we’re certain they’ll reach their goal in no time.
While the hospitality sector across the country has changed beyond recognition over the last few months and we still don’t know when, or if, it might fully recover, one thing is for sure; it’s fighting for survival and every week more and more of our favourite names are staging a comeback.
With bars, restaurants and suppliers coming up with innovative new ways to keep going over the last couple of months, from takeaway cocktails to delivery boxes from favourite dinner spots, slowly but surely London’s foodies are starting to get their fill once more.
This month’s column might not be the usual fare of favourite restaurants to sit and enjoy a meal in, but it’s sure to set your tastebuds tingling and tide you over until we can all get out and about again.
Get Your Wing Fix Delivered
London’s chicken wing festival might not end up happening this year but you can still get your wing fix with Wingmans’ home delivery. Choose from their signature Buffalo or Sweet & Smokey BBQ with each kit delivering everything you need to dish up 1.5kg of wings; enough for four people apparently but we’re pretty certain we could tackle it solo… www.shop.wingmans.co.uk
Pick Up A Boss Brunch From Eggslut
I for one am missing a weekend brunch, but Notting Hill’s Eggslut are open for takeaway, the perfect excuse to cycle over to Portobello for a weekend stroll and pick up a nibble. They can also deliver two of their signature dishes – including The Gaucho, seared wagyu tri-tip steak, with egg, chimichurri, red onions and dressed rocket in a warm brioche bun – and The Slut (coddled egg on top of a smooth potato purée, poached in a glass jar, topped with gray salt and chives, served with slices of baguette) within a couple of miles. Come July, Eggslut will also be opening a second London site on Fitzrovia’s Percy Street, staffed by hospitality workers who were made redundant as a result of COVID-19. Good eggs all round. www.eggslut.com
Serve Up Jewish Street Food Smoked In Brixton
Ruben Dawnay isn’t letting a little thing like coronavirus stand in the way of his dreams. The 19-year-old was awarded a six month residency at Brixton Village after making his mark in the Brixton Kitchen competition and mentorship programme, aiming to find the next big talent in food, whilst studying for his exams last year. While the crisis may have derailed his big plans, he’s quickly adapted his business strategy by offering delivery of his slow-smoked meats and fish to South West London.
Specialising in Jewish-style street food, Ruben’s Reubens serves up a 10-day slow-cured salt beef, pastrami cooked low ‘n slow over hickory and maple glazed hot smoked salmon, with meat sourced from Ginger Pig and salmon from Chapman’s of Sevenoaks, all of which are cured and smoked at his Brixton home and delivered by bicycle to customers in South West London. Order via his Instagram @rubenzreubenz.
Have Your Fill Of Smithfield Steak
We’re all missing eating out, but if you’re dying to get your teeth into a great steak then Heliot Steak House has joined forces with their meat supplier, third-generation master butchers Tom Hixson of Smithfield, to launch a premium fresh meat box. Curated with the help of Heliot’s Executive Head Chef and the world’s first Meatologist™ Ioannis Grammenos, the box brings restaurant fine dining to your kitchen.
It’s not for the faint-hearted, with 22 premium grade steaks including 2.5kg of Argentine Black Label Ribeye, 1kg of deluxe Wexford Valley Chateaubriand and 1.2kg of Angus Pichanha. While it will set you back £100 that’s a lot of steak for your dollar, and it comes with free delivery anywhere in the UK. www.tomhixson.co.uk/the-heliot-box
Support A Local Fishmonger
With stores in Clapham South, Dulwich, Islington and South Kensington, fishmongers Moxon’s buy the best fish daily from Newlyn and Plymouth in Cornwall, Brixham in Devon, Peterhead and the Faroe Islands in Scotland, Scalloway in the Shetland Islands, Newhaven in Sussex and from Billingsgate market – it really does get the pick of the British Isles. Since lockdown, began Moxon’s are selling three times more John Dory, twice as many turbot and twice as many seabass at the same price as 20 years ago to help support the struggling fish industry. All of their fish, plus their deli selection of fish pies, fish cakes, sauces and stock are available to safely collect in store. www.moxonsfreshfish.com
Bring The Greek Islands To Your Dinner Table
We might not be making it to the islands as soon as we’d hoped this year, but with news that famed Greek restaurants Mazi and Suzi Tros have launched a takeaway and delivery service you can bring the flavours of Greece to you this summer.
Available for delivery in the borough of Kensington & Chelsea (as well as W2, W10 and W12), the menu features delicious dishes such as smoked aubergine salad with thyme honey and creamy feta, their celebrated grilled octopus with garden herb potato salad and olive tapenade and orzo pasta giovetsi with braised milk-fed ossobuco. There will also be special dishes created on a weekly basis centred around seasonal ingredients. Order online at www.mazi.co.uk for delivery or pick up from Mazi, 12-14 Hillgate Street, W8 7SR.
Pour The Perfect Negroni At Home
Primo Aperitivo launched in January, but with bars still shut for the foreseeable and little chance of enjoying the real thing on the Amalfi coast as planned this summer, what more of excuse does one need to indulge in the perfectly mixed Negroni, created by a dynamic duo of Italian-born mixologists and the founder of the Roma Bar Show? Handcrafted in Italy using the finest ingredients, the bespoke blend of dry gin, sweet vermouth and bitter comes resplendent in a slick glass bottle that will look right at home on any bar trolley. £29 for 500ml (5 serves) from www.primoaperitivo.com
Pimp Up Curry Night With A Spicebox Delivery
North London favourite, vegan curry house Spicebox, is sharing its spicy flavours with the nation having launched a family curry night recipe box, complete with nationwide delivery service. Choose from a Tikka Masala or Cashew & Coconut Korma – both 100% plant-based – can be delivered to your doorstep a Thursday or Friday, ready to pack a punch on curry night. SpiceBox’s founder Grace has also created accompanying YouTube recipe videos live on SpiceBox TV on YouTube, and each £45 box (serving four) donates £2.50 straight to The Woodland Trust. www.eatspicebox.co.uk.
Serve Up A Feast From Cérès
Newington Green local Cérès might still be closed but it’s delivery offering is second to none. WIth dishes made from scratch to order and ingredients sourced from trusted local vendors, choose from starters like octopus salad and mains including sous-vide duck slow-cooked with cocoa nibs and homemade pasta. Indulge in the decadent Afternoon Tea Box or the luxurious Oysters and Wine Box, which includes a dozen oysters, homemade bread and a hand-picked wine pairing, or satisfy a sweet tooth with their brioche loaf, a dozen classic madeleines, or a pint of homemade ice cream – surely this is the ultimate one stop shop for delicious home deliveries.Visit www.cereslondon.co.uk/shop to order and book a delivery slot, within 5 miles of the restaurant.
Order A BBQ In A Box To Your Doorstep
National BBQ Week might be behind us but with the warm weather set to continue that’s no reason to forgo everyone’s favourite summer supper. BBQ In A Box, founded a few weeks into lockdown to meet food demand in small towns across the Home Counties that currently do not have Deliveroo or Uber Eats, the service has proved so popular it’s expanded to offer to London, Surrey, and Essex. Build your own pick & mix box choosing from dishes such as 48-hour marinated jerk chicken piece, homemade burgers blended together with their special herb recipe, teriyaki tuna and king prawn kebabs, as well as sides like homemade slaw with pomegranate and parsley garnish, corn on the cobs, mini halloumi bites and stuffed peppers. With music at its heart and the motto ‘chill and grill’ each box comes with a carefully curated playlist to max out on those summer vibes. www.bbqinabox.co.uk.
Banging Burgers To Rival The Big Guns
Seven Dials Market might be closed for now, but a host of its traders are offering delivery services, including the rather delicious Truffle burgers. Their DIY burger kits are available for delivery within the M25, with their signature Truffle Burger and Aged Beef Burger along with two veggie options from Beyond Meat. The £25 box includes enough to create four mouthwatering burgers with all the trimmings, including a piping bag of their signature sauces. www.truffleddiyburgerkitlondon.com
Dine A La Carte A La Living Room
Flat Iron Square’s critically acclaimed Lupins has just this week kicked off its new ‘Lupins at Home’ service, ahead of opening a new deli and kitchen shop later this month, meaning you can now enjoy their delicious dishes in the comfort of your own home. While like so many others restaurant owners, top chefs Lucy Pedder and Natasha Cook, had to rethink their business model to adapt to the current circumstances, they’ve since come to the conclusion the changes to their restaurant may well be permanent. The new at-home offering includes many of the restaurant’s favourite sharing plates, some new recipes developed during lockdown, an extensive deli to include delicious homemade quiches, sandwiches and seasonal salads, plus a kitchen shop selling unique tote bags, handcrafted goods, delicious freshly baked bread and kombucha. They’re offering set meals for two (with or without meat) alongside A la Carte favourites such as rosemary focaccia with brown butter and their hugely popular signature dish Cornish crab thermidor. While there is a delivery service available, customers are also invited to pick up their order and enjoy a glass of cold beer or coffee while they wait. www.lupinslondon.com
Did you know that it was International Hummus Day today? Yes, yes yes 13th May is the day to behold your favourite dip and enjoy it with your fave accompaniment.
Nutritious, sustainable, and delicious, the ChicP hummus range proves that no fruit or vegetable should ever be discarded! Founded in 2016 by food waste advocate and former chef, Hannah McCollum, ChicP offers a range of delicious dips created from surplus and imperfect vegetables. With an array of flavours ChicP can help you fully enjoy and make the most of International Hummus Day.
Wake up! It’s time to get your Hummus on! Kick off International Hummus Day the right way with something sweet with none other than ChicP’s Banana & Chocolate dip. This is a delicious and fulfilling healthy chocolate dip ‘chocummus’. Imagine a sugar free nutella! Perfect for pancakes, porridge and toast!
Light and airy ChicP Velvet Is a lovely smooth olive oil based hummus, using different sized chickpeas, mixed with tahini and just a hint of olive oil. This is the perfect way to enjoy another side of hummus, without the guilt and the fatigued after feeling.
Add some pep to your step Now it’s time to get serious with Chicp’s Raw beetroot & horseradish hummus. This dip is really fresh, vibrant, healthy hummus with a strong kick from horseradish. The perfect way to get you Delicious with a salad, dip or snack.
Hummus for Lunch? Yes please. Staying true to the theme of the day, it’s time to enjoy some hummus for lunch, and what better flavour than Chilli Pumpkin. This is a delicious creamy warming hummus with a welcome kick of hot chilli and is garlic free.
Time to get your snack on Wanting to take a break from Hummus, but not wanting to break the hummus festivities? Well, why not try ChicP’s veggie bites. These new additions to the ChicP collection are delicious and healthy balls full of aromatic flavours and veg. They are soft in the middle, great for dunking into the ChicP hummus range and completely natural. High in protein and fibre. They come in three unique flavours; Sweet potato & rosemary, Beetroot & Apple and Spinach, parsley & red pepper.
Dinner time! Now, of course we know you can’t eat hummus solely on its own for dinner, so why not add in ChicP’s Herby as an accompaniment to your dish. This earthy, green hummus is wonderful as an accompaniment to any meal. Packed full of antioxidant herbs. It is fresh, delicious, full of protein and contains very few calories.
Boost that immune just before bed We started the day with something sweet, so now it’s time to end it with some immune boosting goodness. ChicP’s Carrot, ginger & turmeric dip is fresh, warming and loaded with antioxidants.
For more info, visit https://www.chicp.co.uk/ available from Ocado, Wholefoods, Planet Organic and more
We have just about all got used to our new norm of lockdown, and we’re baking, eating, and enjoying home comforts more than ever, so #TeamCoco has put together a few foodie home comforts for you to check out.
You’ll find hearty sausages and burgers (meat and veggie), savoury treats, flour (for all your bread and baking needs), something sweet for those with a sweet tooth, and much loved seasoning of salt!
HECK
We have added the all-important sausage into our comfort foods because, who doesn’t love a sausage, whether it be pork, chicken, chorizo, veggie or vegan, we’re all partial to a sausage or two.
HECK has got some great new lines for summer, including a versatile frozen range launching in May that’s perfect for these unusual times when we’re relying more on store cupboard essentials, cutting waste and turning to our freezers for good food. The frozen range is gluten-free, additive-free and is aiming to cut food waste and plastic packaging with its 100% recyclable cardboard boxes.
In fresh and chilled, they’ve got new Pork Chorizo sausages coming to Tesco soon, plus they’re expanding distribution of some of their popular recipes this summer.
So for all your BBQ needs, toad in the whole specials, sausage butty fillings, classic sausage and mash, chicken Italia burgers, or vegfurters, look no further than HECK.
HECK FRESH HECK Chicken Chorizo, £3 HECK Meat-Free Chipolatas, £2.50 HECK Chicken Italia Burgers, £2.50 HECK Chicken Italia Sausages, £2.50
HECK FROZEN HECK Simply Chicken Sausages HECK Family Favourite Sausages HECK Reduced Fat Pork Sausages HECK Vegfurters HECK Meat-Free Sausages HECK Vegan Breakfast All £4.50 each (600g), available from a selection of supermarkets across the UK.
Karma Bites
We have added Karma Bites into the comfort food mix, because we’re always up for trying new and improved savoury treats.
Super tasty and healthy, Karma Bites are crispy spheres of wholesome goodness! They are gluten-free, vegan friendly, low in fat, low in calories and a great source of protein.
For thousands of years, Chinese physicians and Indian practitioners of Ayurveda have used the nutritious super seeds of the Lotus flower, and Karma Bites use the same seeds from the Water Lily family to make a delicious wholesome snack with a taste like no other! Carefully harvested and lovingly prepared, they’re gently dried in the sun and popped in a low heat to preserve the goodness, before being flavoured to perfection.
Priced at £1.59 per packet, 100-125 calories per pack, available in Peri-Peri, Wasabi, and Himalayan Pink Salt – and for those with a penchant for sweet treats, then you’re lucky because Karma Bites are also available in Caramel or Coconut & Vanilla. From www.karmabites.co.uk
Tobia Teff Flour
Did you know that flourmills are working around the clock, struggling to meet demand, triggered by the recent baking frenzy during lockdown. And, flour sales are up by 92% compared to the same period last year! So, we absolutely have to include flour into our comfort food must-haves for 2020.
You can’t escape the flurry of banana cake and sourdough posts on Instagram as we become a nation of at-home bakers! While the supermarket shelves are now fully stocked with eggs and toilet rolls again, the shelves in the baking aisle are bare. Alternative flours were predicted to be a big food trend for this year by Whole foods, so get trendy and get baking with this batch of alternative flours!
A versatile grain the size of a poppy seed being hailed as the new quinoa, Teff is naturally gluten-free and packs a nutritional punch. Native to Ethiopia, Teff is vegan, nutrient-rich, super-tasty and has been called a Hollywood superfood.
Despite being the smallest in the world, this super tiny grain with not-so-tiny power is protein and fibre rich and boasts a range of health benefits. Not only does Teff contain more calcium and vitamin C than almost any other grain, it also provides a great combination of essential amino acids needed for the body’s growth and repair. Rich in magnesium, naturally low in fat and sodium, abundant in easily absorbed iron and much of its fibre is a type known as resistant starch, which has been linked in studies to health benefits such as improved blood sugar.
Tobia Teff Flour is Priced at £7.30 (for Organic Brown Teff Flour or Organic White Teff Flour), £6.10 (for Brown or White Teff Flour). Available from www.tobiateff.co.uk
Gregory’s Tree
Gregory’s Tree is a tasty fruit twist snack bar free from dairy, gluten, and wheat and made with 100% organic ingredients. We have included it in a selection of comfort foods because it is both a sweet treat and is part of your five-a-day!
Each Gregory’s Tree Blueberry and Raspberry Double Twist and new Strawberry Fruit Twist bar bursts with fruity flavour as each is made from pure organic fruit, which is gently heated and pulped to give it that extra tasty twist.
They’re naturally great tasting being only 60 calories a pack and one of your recommended five a day portions of fruit and veg. Gregory’s Tree is also, 100% vegan-friendly.
Priced from £2.80 (5 x 18g), available from Morrisons, Whole Foods, and As Nature Intended.
Maldon Sea Salt
We couldn’t put a list of comfort foods together without including Maldon Sea Salt and their gourmet salt flakes. Sea salt is just one of those simple pleasures in life that gives a subtle enhancement to most dishes.
With an increase in need for store cupboard essentials right now there is one thing which is a must have to add flavour to your cooking. Maldon Salt traditional sea salt flakes and their brand new grinder style is a perfect staple to add to savoury (and some sweet!) dishes.
Priced at around £3.50 (55g), available from Tesco, Ocado, Morrisons, and more.
