At-home kits to try during lockdown 2.0

Arros QD

Wishful thinking, but perhaps during the second lockdown we’ll get round to trying out all the things we said we would during the first? If perfecting the art of paella is on the agenda, then look no further than Arros QD’s DIY paella kits. Not only do they come with all the necessary ingredients – think specialist paella rice and chef Quique Dacosa’s secret stock – but the kits also include the equipment to cook it all with, including paella pans and spoons. A fun idea for one of many upcoming nights in.

MEATliquor

New to the meal-kit scene, our friends MEATliquor have chosen hot dogs rather than their famed burgers for the home cook. And we’re into it: Big Apple all-beef dogs, plenty of cheese, onions, gherkins and a punchy chilli to go on top and (oo-err) pillowy buns too. Despite the name, MEATliquor does right by vegans too – there’s a plant-based version on offer if you prefer.

Bocca di Lupo 

Just last month we named Bocca di Lupo as one of the eight must-visit pasta spots in London, but current circumstances prevent us from visiting – luckily with Bocca di Lupo at Home, you can bring the restaurant to you. In keeping with its ethos of highlighting the different areas of Italy throughout the menu, the regionally focused menus will change monthly. Expect sausage ragu pasta, creamy burrata and perhaps even a free Negroni or two…

Hakwsmoor

The OG of meal kits, Hawksmoor’s steak night box may not be the cheapest, but it is brilliant value. Not only do you get a spectacular piece of meat – 35-day dry-aged rib eye steaks to be precise – and great advice on how to cook it, but all the trimmings (*that* bone marrow gravy!), sticky toffee pudding and a generous amount of drinks to ensure a night to remember.

Club Mexicana

Here for all your vegan needs, Club Mexicana recently opened its first permanent site in Kingly Court and has now launched its DIY kits nationwide. Get tacos, nachos and cocktails delivered to your door with the new delivery menu featuring its famed dishes, including the Al Pastor taco kit and loaded nachos with ground ‘beef’. The team clearly know we’ll all need a drink a week into lockdown, so luckily their selection of margaritas is also available to order.

Honest Burger

You might need to act quickly on this one, as Honest at Home is a real hit and sells out fast.  The kits include everything you need to recreate the perfect burger at home, including four patties, bacon rashers, honest kichen pickles and red onion relish and burger buns from The Bread Factory. Following its initial success, the vegan PLANT and signature TRIBUTE burger are also now available for nationwide delivery, 7 days a week. You even get a free tote bag thrown in and some rosemary salt to season your own chips at home. Sold.

BAO

It feels like we’ve been writing about BAO a lot recently, but with good reason as the team has been working non-stop to find creative and clever ways to make things work during these challenging times. Soon after lockdown hit the first time around, they launched Rice Error, specialising in takeaway rice boxes with Chi Shang Rice from Taiwan, going on create Chinese takeout Call Suzy. Meanwhile, the team have worked on making sure their classic BAO kits travel well – and having tried them, we can confirm they’ve done a very good job.

HG Walter

We’ve tried several of the collaborations that the rightly-famous butchers HG Walter has done with some of our favourite names – Kricket and Patty & Bun among them. In fact, back at the start of lockdown 1.0 there was a brilliant kit with Anglothai’s John Chantarasak and Tabasco for fiery, fantastic hot dogs. We hear there’s another collaboration with John on the way, so do check the butcher’s website for details.

We’ll keep you up to date with new at-home kits and delivery services throughout lockdown. To subscribe to the Bulletin, click here