Easter Delivered in a basket (box)
Another year, another Easter in lockdown. Last year meal kits weren’t really a ‘thing’ seen as we all thought we’d be out of this within two weeks. This year however, we have all come to embrace meal kits / DIY / at home anything….
And seen as Easter is a lovely long weekend that is designed for rest and relaxation, what better way to do so than get a couple of food boxes delivered in?
At Home with Selfridges
What better way to celebrate Easter, and a long weekend off work than with a luxurious breakfast feast.
Selfridges is offering an Easter Breakfast box that serves four people, and is suitable for grownups, kids, or grown up kids. The box contains everything you need for a tasty and fun Easter breakfast. Firstly, for the adults, there is a big bag of fresh Colomnbian ground coffee, which is rich and smooth but packs a punch, complete with creamy milk from Ivy House Farm. Just the thing to get you going in the morning.
There’s four Celtic Bakers Organic hot cross buns, which are gorgeous simply toasted and slathered with the butter and / or the apricot jam provided.
But in case that is too simple of a breakfast for you, there are four English muffins, a large packet of smoked salmon, Daylesford Organic eggs and a pot of gorgeously creamy Delouis hollandaise sauce. All you have to do is toast the muffins, cook the eggs and serve, which is the perfect way to have a fuss free Easter breakfast. And that’s not the only thing that’s fuss-free, because included in the box is a packet of Tony’s Chocolonely Easter eggs and a pre-made Easter Egg hunt complete with stickers, clue cards, signs and little bags to hide eggs in. Making this meal kit delivery box one of the simplest, and most fun boxes on the market.
SMOKESTAK
I love cooking but there are some occasions that call for something a little more special, and my best friend's wedding is one of those occasions; not only are we in lockdown, but the wedding is actually in Austin, Texas. I was devastated to be missing watching my best friend marry the love of her life, but more than that, I was devastated to be missing a good old Texan party full of whiskey, country music and of course, BBQ food.
I had total FOMO, so how was I going to recreate the experience here, in rainy, locked-down London?
Well, Smokestack, a BBQ joint in East London came through for me. They are offering an Easter Box for two; a huge meaty BBQ meal delivered to your door. I ordered it to arrive on the day of the wedding, the meal kit came in a no-frills box, tapped up with black gaffer tape and everything wrapped in pain paper, giving it a very authentic Texan vibe.
My and my boyfriend got dressed up in proper wedding attire; full suit for him and floor length gown for me, and started off with a cocktail hour on the balcony, which was grapefruit + mint collins provided in the box with a pouch of grapefruit + mint mix and a mini bottle of prosecco, so you just pour over ice and serve. The drink was fruity, fresh and fizzy - perfect for an apéritif, my only reservation being that the small bottle of prosecco barely filled two glasses, so good think I had some champagne on ice waiting. While sipping on our cocktails we nibbled on starters of grilled flatbread, that you simply warm up under the grill and asparagus dipped in small bowls of creamy and tangy smoked cod's roe and refreshing wild garlic + chive soured cream.
Next came the sit-down meal, which was a feast of pulled pork, beef brisket, (both of which you simply wrap in the baking paper provided and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes) alongside new potatoes in a wild garlic aioli, spring greens, which you pan fry in a bit of butter and a gorgeously fragrant salsa verde. The pulled pork was some of the best I've had (and I’ve had a lot!), moist, rich and full of flavour, which was enhanced by the house BBQ sauce that SMOKESTAK provided. The hunk of beef brisket was covered with a rub that was smokey, salty and very, very Texan. After demolishing the feast, drinking some whiskey and listening to Country music records, my boyfriend and I both agreed, we could be in Austin (kind of), plus the ceremony was about to begin IRL, so, with a glass of champagne in hand, I facetimed a guest at the wedding and watched as my friends swap rings, vows and “I do’s”.
The night was finished off with more whiskey, more music, dance around the living room and a beautiful wedding-worthy white chocolate cheesecake, with poached rhubarb which came ready to eat. So while I couldn’t be in Austin, SMOKESTAK’s meal kit was the closest and tastiest thing we could get.