I confess that this post will be more of a round-up than a review, as my budget hasn’t stretched to too many takeaways and home deliveries during the past few months.
I have looked on longingly while watching Great British Menu, MasterChef: The Professionals, and reading reviews from other foodie bloggers, and this is my list of places on my lockdown-fine-dining-wishlist.
I’ve only included options with nationwide delivery…while I still consider myself a bit of a Londoner, having lived in Zone 1 and 2 for over a decade until recently, the fact that my house now sits just outside the M25 means I’m not eligible for London deliveries.
Hame by Adam Handling
Adam Handling came to our attention on MasterChef: The Professionals a few years ago, and quickly moved on to set up his own restaurant.
During lockdown, he is producing fine dining at home menus under his ‘Hame’ brand (hame means home in Scotland). The choices are ridiculously indulgent, with ‘chicken butter’, burrata, truffle-roasted chicken, lobster tagliatelle, cheesy doughnuts, and tarte tatin all up for grabs.
I keep getting asked to create a home delivery menu of @frogbyah let me introduce ‘Hame’ our brand new delivery service!
Can’t wait for you all to try it.
Hame – my restaurant food, prepared by me and served by you. 🎉#hamebyah https://t.co/DlkY3OytbV pic.twitter.com/0tSlukEZX5— Adam Handling (@AdamHandling) May 20, 2020
It’s not cheap – the veggie menu is £110 for five courses for 2 people, and the ‘dine in style’ menu is £200.
This review from Kirsty is what sold it to me – she shares lots of detail and pictures and importantly, confirms the portion sizes are much bigger than you might get in a restaurant!
Order your meal here: https://www.adamhandling.co.uk/hame/
Food Delivery Boxes from Tommy Banks
Tommy Banks is a Great British Menu legend who brings a much-needed sense of fun to the programme. I’ve never been to his Michelin-starred restaurants in Yorkshire, but they are on my UK-restaurant bucket list for the future.
He started doing food boxes for home delivery back in Lockdown 1, nearly a year ago, and these have continued to be popular all year – at the time of writing, 2 of the 3 options (the ‘Classic Weekend’ and ‘Signature’ boxes) were sold out.
It looks like orders open every Wednesday for delivery the following Friday (9 days later), so you can enjoy the 3 courses for two people, starting from £21 per person, over the weekend.
This review from Ed has great pictures (Ed clearly has some skills in food presentation!) and shows what you can expect – from tomato salad, to chicken and mash and mousse for pudding (but read the review as that list really doesn’t do it justice!)
Order your Food Box here: https://tommybanks.co.uk/product-category/foodbox/
Simon Rogan at Home
Simon Rogan is another GBM chef and his restaurant L’Enclume, in the Lake District, is also on my fine-dining bucket list.
He has created 3-course menus for nationwide delivery starting from £45 per person. The contents change each week, reflecting his seasonal approach. The menu for the last week in January 2021 includes ham hock terrine, guinea hen with mushroom sauce, and verbena posset with blackberry and camomile cake.
You can also order a matching wine flight, selected by L’Enclume Head Sommelier, which I think is a lovely touch for a special occasion.
Check out the menus and order here: https://simonroganathome.co.uk/our-three-course-meals
Despite my yearning for posh restaurants and tiny portions, I do have some foodie treats ahead. For Christmas, I was given two exciting presents.
First, the steak box from lakedistrictfarmers.co.uk, which is due to arrive in a couple of days. I’m looking forward to trying some different cuts of meat and to stocking up the freezer too.
Second, a gift voucher for a couple of meals from Dishpatch, which is collaborating with (mostly) London restaurants to deliver multi-course meals for 2 people. They have a vegan / veggie theme going on in January and I hope to try my first meal later in the month.
I’m hoping to get a review of these up in the next few weeks, so do check back to find out my thoughts!
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