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
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