The Old Vic is closed too

Lockdown 2: how to eat and other ideas

Updated 9 November (restaurant section)

Just like in March, England is again (like Italy and many other countries) in lockdown. The world is basically on hold.

This is a tragic, unprecedented catastrophe which will have consequences for a long, long time. The human loss, the financial crisis, the emotional impact are unfathomable.

And on a day to day level, life is a little bit harder. Food is scarce thanks to panic buying, non essential shops are closed, hand sanitisers are like gold dust.

Bloggers unite!

  • My friend Sonia has a comprehensive post on food deliveries in London
  • My friend Giulia published a post on coffee shops that – despite being closed – can supply coffee online.
  • My friend Jenn of Chocolate Ecstasy Tours links to chocolate producers who offer delivery, very useful for Easter (and any day of lockdown!) here.
  • Another very helpful post on independent producers offering delivery is by Eat Like a Girl.
  • An interesting post by food writer Clare Hargreaves focusing on cheese delivered
  • Time Out lists the best London restaurants deliverying meals (added 20/4)

Below are my additions to their useful listings, bearing in mind things change quickly so I will try to keep this up to date as much as I can. Any further tips, do let me know!

Groceries & household supplies

With chain supermarkets not offering any delivery slots, it is a golden moment for independent suppliers. Yet demand has driven them to capacity so it’s not always easy to manage to sign up as new customers. In addition to Sonia‘s list:

Groceries

  • Milk & More: at capacity but keep checking.
  • Eco Refill: genius delivery service package free. More stock coming soon.
  • I A Harris and Sons traditionally fruit & veg, now also delivering essentials such as milk and eggs. Min order £20, seem to have capacity
  • Good Sixty via Borough Market retailers (apparently no slots till mid April)
  • Bobtailfruit.co.uk Based in SE1, usually supply offices but switching to home delivery (fruit/veg/milk)
  • Panzers Deli: stocked up regularly, delivers in North London area
  • The Camden Grocer: groceries delivered to NW1 (added 30/3)
  • Husk & Honey granola: the good stuff, delivered.(added 27/3)
  • The Italians Chiswick: Italian groceries (added 30/3)
  • Farmer J: British groceries delivered (added 1/4)
  • Park Farm: cheese, delivered next day (added 1/4)
  • Daylesford Organic: fresh groceries and kitchen staples (added 1/4)
  • Greensmiths on Lower Marsh can prepare boxes of groceries for pick up or local delivery (added 5/4)
  • The Quality Chop House: famous Clerkenwell restaurant turned grocery shop (added 8/4)
  • Fat Macys: a social enterprise delivering fruit & veg boxes as well as hampers. (added 12/4)
  • The Cotswolds Guy delivers great produce from the vale of Evesham (added 21/4)

Restaurants meals

  • Maremma restaurant: cooked meals delivered locally (Brixton, delivery £5) (added 30/3)
  • Food & Drink 161: deliveries mostly to SE postcodes, but good selection of wine and bespoke meals too. (added 27/3)
  • Klose & Soan: frozen ready meals, delivered (SE London) (added 28/3)
  • 24 the Oval: meals, call & collect in Oval (added 28/3)
  • London Kitchen Delivery: catering staff cooking food-weekly menu inc. puddings & wine, London delivery £10 (added 1/4)
  • Tila in Deptford prepares meals to order for pick up (added 5/4)
  • Theo’s in Camberwell for the best pizza (local delivery or pick up) (added 12/4)
  • Goodness Cafe in Herne hill delivers daily changing meals to order (added 16/4)
  • Patty & Bun deliver DIY burger kits within the M25 (added 16/4)
  • Honest Burgers selling ‘honesty’ make your own burger kits, profits donated to charity too! (added 21/4)
  • Cote Brasserie delivers ready to cook or freeze meals plus meat, desserts and wines (added 23/4)
  • The Coal Room in Peckam offers sunday roasts (added 23/4)
  • Wahaca for click and collect in selected locations (added November)
  • Hame by Adam Handling: wonderful fine dining at home (added November)
  • Made in Oldstead by Tommy Banks: incredible Michelin starred meals delivered (added November)
  • the Dishpatch: monthly changing menus by some of London’s top chefs including Tom Cenci x 26 Grains (added November)
  • Tacos el Pastor or Santo Remedio for cook at home proper Mexican food (added November)

Bread & bakeries

Fruit & Veg

  • Smith and Brock Christophe@smithandbrook.com Box 1 fruit & veg £45 Box 2 mix veg £25 box 3 dairy £15 box 4 mix fruit £25
  • New Covent Garden Market – they own suppliers will deliver fruit/veg, seem to have capacity
  • Oddbox: fruit & veg boxes with saved from waste, fantastic products. No new orders at the moment but they are working on it.
  • Pale Green Dot: fruit & veg delivered. Seems they have availability.
  • Wonkyveg: as above, veg saved from landfill, also at capacity for now.
  • Rotten Fruit Box: freeze dried, saved from landfill snacking fruit. Not quite your weekly shop but can also help!
  • Vincenzo ltd: fruit & veg boxes delivered within M25, £40 (added 29/3)
  • Coffee Bean Shop: now offering fruit & veg boxes for £29 (added 1/4)
  • UCS Fresh: fruit, veg & groceries including my favourite coffee from 80 Stones (added 8/4)

Regional & meat

  • Discover Delicious: small producers’ products from Wales
  • Duchy Charchuterie: cornish made charcuterie, availability
  • Ethical Butcher: high welfare meat selection. Some items still in stock.
  • Boston Sausage: family butchers from Boston, Lincolnshire; they have a sausage stand at Borough Market and deliver a variety of meats throughout the UK. Low on stock.
  • Frankland’s butchers, Vauxhall Street.  020 7735 5627.  can take orders over the phone and deliver.
  • Farmison: meat delivered from Ripon in Yorkshire (added 30/3)
  • The Upper Scale: fish mongers, next day delivery to London (added 3/4)
  • Fish! Borough Market now delivers fresh fish & groceries (added 5/4)
  • Cabrito Goat Meat: sustainable goat meat by James Whetlor (free delivery over £70) (added 8/4)
  • Leon now delivers boxes of Ginger Pig meat (added 21/4)
  • T&G Wholesale meats based in Ascot (added 23/4)

Drinks

  • Stannary Wines: delivering quality wines at trade prices in London (added 2/4)
  • Aquaplus: natural mineral water, delivered free in London (added 30/3)
  • Cocktails by post from Nio (added 21/4)

Household / personal hygiene

  • Rivers Remedies: a lovely shop based in Lower Marsh selling online all things household & personal hygiene, with refill options too!
  • Who Gives a Crap? the best toilet paper ever. Sold out at the moment but once back online, you can buy with £5 off via this link.
  • Eco Refill: as above they also sell household items. More stock coming soon.
  • Bloom & Wild: flowers, safely delivered
  • & Keep for all your sustainable needs
Photo credit: Oddbox

Italian food & groceries

  • Nife is life: London’s first italian online grocery. A lot of stock sold out but still some availability yet very unreliable service too
  • Prezzemolo & Vitale: two outlets in London, very good quality products from Italy. Also running at capacity
  • Delicatezza: fresh pasta and dairy as well as groceries. Also at capacity but working on it.
  • Italian coffee: both my local favourite 80 Stone and my friend Terrone are small independent italian roasters and sell online, so by making a purchase you’ll be supporting their businesses.
  • Mercato Metropolitano: both locations (Elephant & Castle and Mayfair) are open for grocery shopping and offer delivery
  • BellaVita: they have now opened to retail
  • Gastronomica: delivered next day, and everything that I ordered! (added 3/4)
  • Delitalia: now delivering to retail too (added 3/4)
  • Zaino food: great selection including fresh yeast and flour at reliable prices, delivery within M25. I am so happy with my order! (added 16/4)
  • Sapori d’Italia: delivery free over £50 (added 20/4)
  • Cremoloso Gelato delivers artisan ice cream via Deliveroo in the Wandsworth area (added 23/4)

Be good if you can

This is just my personal suggestion, but so many industries are massively suffering from having to close down. Consider supporting them by donating or buying gift vouchers to provide some cash flow at a time of no activity if you can.

Some ideas:

  • Buy a dining voucher from your favourite restaurant
  • Donate to Deliveraid, helping restaurants and the NHS (what a great initiative) (added 12/4)
  • Donate towards your favourite restaurants on Open Kitchens and feed those in need (added 23/4)
  • Do not ask for a purchased ticket to be refunded
  • Make an actual donation: BFI, National Theatre, Southbank Centre are some of the charities I will be supporting
  • Help smaller charities get through this time by donating: here is the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park fundraiser appeal. They are a great charity!
  • Are you a dog owner in self isolation? Have a look at this great post by my friend Teresa The Dogvine on how to find support.

5 thoughts on “Lockdown 2: how to eat and other ideas

  1. Hello! We love your blog on how to eat during lockdown – a lot of great resources! We wanted to share our new website with you which lists independent food and drink suppliers in London who are delivering during the lockdown. Here is the site: https://locallondon.life/

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