Can’t face the cooker? Then let Joanna Taylor point you to London’s best meal delivery kits
Once again we Londoners find ourselves trapped in a city of culinary delights with nothing but our own ability to make pesto pasta. Gone are the days of Eat Out To Help Out, sharing costly sides of buttered boiled potatoes and battling for a seat under a rickety patio umbrella.
Unlike those optimistic days during Lockdown 1.0, when many relished the idea of rustling up a delicate, Michelin-starred bouillabaisse, the general consensus seems to be that we’re all feeling a little too tired and deflated to bother. And it’s not just our rumbling stomachs that are suffering.
Hundreds of our capital’s restaurants have been shuttered, threatening the livelihoods of those responsible for London’s magical restaurant scene. So, why not cheer yourself up, feign a little cheffy prowess and help out a restaurant or two by indulging with a finish-at-home meal kit from some of our local favourites? Go on, treat yourself.
Feeling naughty and nice? Have delectably guilt-free Dirty Vegan Beyond Meat burgers, gooey Vida Bakery chocolate cookies and calming CBD-infused Meda drinks delivered to your door in one neat little package. Simply pop the patties and cookie dough in the oven, assemble and ta-da!
£42, serves two
For the price of an impulse takeaway you can spend a lazy Sunday afternoon tucking in to this expertly curated eight-course tasting menu, featuring Korean gochujang carrots, sweet piquillo pepper tabbouleh, Goan xacuti masala and pumpkin and orange cake alongside a lovely bottle of chilled white wine to wash it all down.
£55, serves two
Kiss soaking lentils goodbye and let the brains behind Lahpet do the hard work for you. This hearty Myanmar dish offers heaps of textures that will please your every desire, including glass noodles, moreish lentil curry and sweet potato crisps for crunch. Add a serving or two of pickled ginger and double-fried beans to your order and you won’t regret it.
£18, serves two
Cast aside that tin of chickpeas, because Karan Gokani, director of the Hoppers empire, has a Sri-Lankan ace up his sleeve. A feast of breadfruit (that’s jackfruit’s cousin, FYI) kari, sauce-mopping string hoppers, vegetable rolls and jaffna mix, this is one that’ll convert even the most stubborn of meat eaters.
£25, serves two
If, for you, dinner time is all about the wine, then it’s imperative you spoil yourself with a delivery from Berry Bros & Rudd. Created to complement its renowned cellar, the establishment’s Burgundy, Loire and South of France deliveries feature confit duck legs, pavé of trout and, of course, an array of sticky tarts. Cheers to that.
From £90, serves two
Relive the thrills of gallivanting around Soho from the comfort of your Hobbit hole with this Dean Street institution’s box of wonders, featuring Jeremy Lee’s infamous turkey and bacon pie, expertly cured salmon and rich St-Emilion chocolate tart. Don’t forget to add a batch of the barman’s moreish Negronis to your order, obviously.
£95, serves two
Clear your, er, busy schedule: you’re going to want to savour this five-course Michelin-star feast. Chef James Lowe’s delicately balanced offeringof pumpkin and whey soup, crab and barley porridge, 14-week hung dexter beef rib, quince sponge and brown butter cakes will leave you dumbstruck for days.
£140, serves two
This venture by Eddy Tejada and Matthew Scott of St John, Silo and Cub was born out of Lockdown 1.0, when both found themselves needing to expel some cheffy ideas, which led to a residency at The Plough, Hackney. Their to-the-point weekly menus are designed to convey their feelings around lockdown, with dishes including F*** Boris Buns and 5 Tier Trifle. Feisty. £40 per person
Roti King without the gigantic queue? Yes please. Dip, scoop and slurp your way to culinary heaven with this Malaysian menu of flavour-brimming Tamil-style chicken curry, sauce-sapping roti chenai, mamak mee goreng fried noodles, lick-the-bowl worthy dal and stir-fried morning glory.
£50, serves two
Prepare to be bewitched by
this tempting array of Indian specials. Pick from a huge selection of Clay’s dishes, including its unique tomato dal, bhuna venison and melt-in-the-mouth lamb lagan ka gosht, and soak them all up with baghara rice and John’s mixed bread basket, all delivered pre-cooked ready to heat at your convenience.
From £9 for main dishes
Devour this banquet of Farang’s famous sweet and spicy green chicken curry and flaky whole sea bass marinated in Nahm Jim citrus, chilli and lime alongside crackling duck spring rolls. Then finish off with a dessert of bouncy mango sponge, pandan custard and toasted mung beans. Yum.
£50, serves two
For gloriously unhealthy artery-clogging deliciousness, look to Fitzrovia’s Passyunk Avenue’s Philadelphia-inspired sandwiches. Perfect for a hangover (or any time you’re feeling a little naughty, really) these hunks of Italian hoagie bread slathered with Wiz cheese and stuffed with
rib eye steak are satisfaction on a plate. £32.99, serves four
You’ve got the sweatshirt, the tote bag and a mustard stain on that favourite sweatshirt from the time you ate Monty’s latkes on the move, so why not go the extra mile and have your favourite Jewish deli’s pastrami and salt beef sarnies delivered to your door? Treat yourself.
From £38, serves two to three
Okay, this isn’t quite a sandwich, but these gargantuan brunch dish kits do involve a whole loaf of bread. So, arguably better? Anyhow, imagine a loaf of sourdough hollowed out and filled with smoked bacon, slow-roasted tomato, leeks, oyster mushrooms, spinach, sprinkled with cheese and a free-range egg. Simply fill, grill and enjoy.
From £14.50 each
Mix and match Angela Hartnett’s award-winning Italian fresh pasta and sauces to your heart’s delight. Our favourites include the chef’s unique tortellini with chicken and mortadella paired with fresh tomato sauce and the creamy tortelli with spinach and ricotta paired with lashings of butter, pepper and parmesan. No, you’re dribbling.
From £3.50
Italian bliss is mere moments away with this kit. Containing one of this pasta maverick’s unique spicy, saucy recipes, this speak-to-the-soul experience makes one realise that good pasta cooking requires much more than a jar of sauce.
£23, serves two
We’ll race you to the front of the queue for these brand new bites of Mexican moreishness. Offering a whole host of options from short-rib aged beef with aged tatemada salsa, to conchinita pibil pork with habanero pickled red onions and cauliflower al pastor with crispy salsa macha, there really is a spicy little something to tickle everyone’s fancy.
From £30, serves two
Sometimes, Tesco hummus and plastic packaged falafels just won’t do. Jet off to Lebanon with Arabica’s array of delicious mezze, which features all of the heavy hitters, including hummus Beiruti, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, grilled halloumi, aubergine, walnut and pomegranate kibbeh, Arabian-style lamb stew and a scrumptious selection of baklava.
£50, serves two
If you’re missing sliding down the slopes and a buzzing après session, we implore you to try The Cheese Bar’s professional fondue kit. Championing British makers, this gooey mix of Coolea and Cornish Kern, served with Coombeshead Farm sourdough, new potatoes and cornichons will have you screaming ‘c’est la vie’ in no time.
£28, serves two
Praise be! With a little help from this fiery little parcel, any man or woman can jerk with confidence. Containing pre-marinated chicken, perfectly seasoned rice and peas and everything you need to make a heat quenching coleslaw, we’re hooked.
£40, serves four
Got outside space? You’re in luck. This Persian dinner kit contains everything you need for a warming winter barbie, including the mangal barbecue. Dine on succulent marinated lamb koobideh and chicken jujeh kebabs, clay-baked lavash bread and a refreshing somagh onion salad — until the neighbours start demanding a skewer of the action, that is.
£65, serves two
Skip the tedious hours watching over a brisket and get these meat heads to do it for you. Easy as pie to prep, you’ll be digesting these tender barbecued pork buns with mustard and slaw faster than you can say: did somebody say Just Eat? Don’t forget to order a side of mustard rarebit jacket potato.
£27.50, serves four
Groove around the kitchen to this authentic Mumbaian restaurant’s Friday night playlist while you rustle up a bumper catch of jumbo tandoori mustard prawns, hariyali bream, shahi salmon tikka fillet and garlic butter pepper crab, an expertly spiced seafood meal like no other.
£80, serves two
All aboard for classic comfort food. Impress your loved ones with Parsons’ carefully crafted menu of cod roe with seaweed crackers, smoked haddock chowder, sea trout en croûte and apple tart, which all require little more than turning on the oven when it arrives on your doorstep. Result.
£55, serves two
Sourcing the ingredients for a lavish seafood platter can be such a bore, so we recommend turning to our fishy friends over at Wright Brothers. Longtime experts in sourcing the very best British seafood, their selection of super-fresh lobster, Carlingford oysters, king prawns, scallops and caviar baeri can’t be beaten.
£95, serves two