Once upon a time, you might have been scoffed at or called lazy for getting food delivered. But in our pandemic-ruled reality, we are being actively encouraged to get food deliveries where possible rather than taking trips to the supermarket.
As well as offering convenience – and reduced Covid risk – pre-packed food boxes can offer you the chance to enjoy restaurant quality food in the comfort of your own home. Whether you want a box full of ingredients to cook a fresh meal, or a meal that’s been cooked and sent straight to you, we’ve rounded up some of the best options from across Scotland.
Thyme 2 Dine Glasgow
£45 for a box for two, £80 for a box for four
In a distant, far-off memory, Friday and Saturday evenings were reserved for getting dressed up, going out and having fun. If you’ve been looking to recreate a sense of occasion around the weekends now spent in perpetual lockdown, but are finding yourself floundering, Thyme 2 Dine could have the answer.
They deliver luxury food boxes on Fridays and Saturdays – with a menu changing every fortnight so you won’t get bored – that provides everything you’ll need for a special weekend celebration. Boxes serve either two or four people and have a bottle of wine to pair with the meal (you can choose which dishes and wine you’d prefer).
The food is of the highest quality, with current menu options including slow-cooked pig cheeks and smoked duck breast, and delivery available in Greater Glasgow, Edinburgh and surrounding areas. Still need convincing? Herald restaurant critic Ron Mackenna rated his box 21/25 and described the food as being “full of flavour”, “professionally put together” and “a cut above.”
0141 556 6597
www.thyme2dineglasgow.co.uk
The Adamson at Home
Prices vary depending on box chosen, starts at £25 for a vegan food kit
The Adamson is ordinarily one of the most buzzed-about venues in St Andrews, known for their high-end cocktails and reliably good food. Thankfully, with their Adamson at Home offering, you can enjoy both their gourmet cooking and their range of cocktails from the comfort of your own sofa.
The Adamson Food Kits are designed to suit all diners with a vegan option, a Chateaubriand box and a romantic Valentine’s selection that includes homemade chocolate truffles and a Cupid’s Arrow cocktail. But our favourite has to be the Chris Niven Food Kit, featuring the best Adamson menu dishes, according to their head chef Chris Niven.
It includes smoked salmon with capers and rocket to start, corn fed chicken kiev Caesar for the main (with a side of hand cut chips) and a sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce for dessert.
There’s even a Lady Dalton cocktail thrown in, but you could also order a Doctor’s Order Box which contains three cocktails of your choice made fresh and then packaged up. The Adamson at Home is available for delivery nationwide, or collection from the restaurant in St Andrews on Mondays and Thursdays.
www.theadamsonathome.com
Brunch Box from Edinburgh’s Café Milk
£35 for a box for two
Brunch has soared in popularity over the last few years, as more and more of us head out for a fancy breakfast to brighten up our weekend mornings. But with cafes across the country closed due to lockdown, you might be missing your regular brunch fix, perhaps trying in vain to recreate it at home. Fear not: Milk Café is delivering everything you need for a glamorous brunch directly to your door, with an original, vegetarian and vegan option. Provided that you live within an EH1-EH17 postcode, they will deliver the box between 9am and 2.30pm on February 14 to start your Valentine’s Day in style, and you don’t even have to do any cooking. Boxes vary for vegan and veggie options, but the original brunch version contains Heatherfield Smokehouse smoked salmon, almond croissants, homemade clementine marmalade, granola, seasonal fruit, sourdough crumpets, avocado, strained yoghurt with date syrup, pistachios and rose and some freshly squeezed blood orange juice. Phew.
www.cafemilk.co.uk
Lychee Oriental
£45 for a box for two (plus £3 delivery)
In non-Covid times, Lychee Oriental is one of Glasgow’s best Asian restaurants, with its glossy decor and moody lighting helping to create a great atmosphere.
Obviously, unfortunately, you can’t visit in person, but there’s still the opportunity to enjoy the restaurant’s high-end food.
In honour of next weekend’s Valentine’s Day, Lychee Oriental have created their own meal delivery boxes – the perfect way to make your other half feel special amid somewhat dampened festivities. For £45 you’ll get plenty of food for two: prawn crackers; mixed platter starters; honey chilli crispy chicken; aromatic duck with Hoi Sin sauce and pancakes; wok fried noodles; egg fried rice and finally banana fritters with maple syrup and coconut dust.
The boxes are available on Friday 12, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 February for collection, or delivery within a two mile radius of the restaurant’s address on Mitchell Street. And, of course, if you don’t have a significant other in your life, there’s nothing stopping you from ordering the box anyway and enjoying it all to yourself…
www.lycheeoriental.co.uk
Kumar’s Curry Club
£39.95 for 6-8 servings or £54.95 for 8-12 servings
Born in India, trained at Gleneagles and now living in Perth, Praveen Kumar prides himself on the authenticity of his dishes. He started his frozen curry business in 2019 as a secondary venture to his popular restaurant (Tabla in Perth); yet it proved to be a shrewd move when lockdown forced the hospitality industry to close down.
Having the Praveen Kumar Cuisine business meant its eponymous owner could continue to share his brand of Indian food, but in his customer’s homes instead of his restaurant. You can order an individual dish on the website if you prefer, but those who want to get the best sense of Praveen’s cooking might view Kumar’s Curry Club as a good bet.
These curry club boxes, which come as frequently as you like, typically contain a selection of main dishes, pakora, rice and naan, but with flexibility to change the options to suit your own preferences.
With your first delivery, there’s also two Kadais (traditional Indian copper dishes) included for free to serve your curries in, and delivery is offered right across Scotland.
www.praveenkumar.com/curry-club
Barnhill Boxes
Prices vary depending on box chosen, starting from £10
If you are feeling a little more gastronomically adventurous, the Barnhill Boxes offer a hybrid between cooking from scratch and getting a takeaway.
This Renfrewshire firm, which specialises in farm-to-fork fresh produce, has a range of ingredient boxes that cater to different meals and occasions. There’s a Breakfast Box (containing a selection of meat, eggs, bread and fresh orange juice); a Dinner Box (with a choice of pie and plenty of seasonal vegetables); a Create Your Own Pizza Box (with frozen balls of pizza dough) and a Salad Box if you’re feeling healthy. You can get your box sent straight to you with next day delivery, or else pick it up with hygienic contactless delivery.
www.barnhillboxes.com
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