Dishpatch delivers meal kits from the UK’s finest restaurants. Now it wants to cater your Christmas – but does it beat home cooking? Olivia Palamountain reports
Dishpatch is one of a number of posh food delivery services to have sprung out of lockdown. Offering “finish-at-home” meal kits from the UK’s best chefs, some of London’s top restaurants are represented – from Bubala to Cafe Murano – and all available for delivery nationwide.
With the festive season looming, Dishpatch has released a series of DIY feasts aimed at reducing the time families spend in the kitchen and letting them get into party mode.
I never jumped on the lockdown meal delivery kit trend. Why? Because I love cooking and there was sod all else to do. But I also love eating. And with the demands on my time now back to pre-Covid levels, the promise of a night in with one of Britain’s best chefs is a seductive proposition. But who to choose?
Cafe Murano Italian Celebration (from £100): Angela Hartnett’s famous risotto milanese and osso bucco takes centre stage, alongside the likes of porcini and truffle arancini and a one-off panettone bread and butter pudding.
Parsons Sea Trout En Croute (£85): From seafood specialists Parsons comes a festive fish supper made with the finest, sustainable British produce – think steelhead sea trout en croute with lobster bisque and avruga sauce, plus Scottish scallops and ratte potatoes.
All menus are available for pre-orders from November 14 for first delivery on December 3. A one-off Christmas Day Beef Banquet from 10 Greek Street (£120) will be delivered on December 23, featuring six courses that include braised beef shin stuffed with onion, sirloin steak and spiced ginger cake.
Angela Hartnett? In my kitchen? Well, that’s a no brainer: it’s the Cafe Murano Italian Celebration Box for me. I’m given a rough delivery time with the promise of a text on the day to confirm my slot.
I’m away for the weekend when handover happens on Saturday, so a neighbour takes charge: I’m told it’s smooth and timely. I’m also told that the meal will stay fresh until Monday – which is when I plan to cook it.
There is a generous amount of food – enough for two hungry people or three elegant appetites – and a really vibrant variety of flavours.
This being Italian food, there’s a sneaky extra course before the main: a salad of chicory and radicchio with roast squash, gorgonzola and a vinaigrette, plus a ball of mozzarella served with hazelnut pesto.
Next up is osso bucco, a Murano winter classic, made with veal on the bone from HG Walters, which is braised in chianti, stock, and various herbs until “meltingly tender”, says Angela. And she’s not wrong. In just 20 minutes, we’re eating a stellar slow-cooked dish that would have taken at least a morning to prepare.
I’m not shy of gluttony but after this course, even I am nearly done. Just as well that everyone has a pocket spare for sweet stuff, right? Angela has us covered with a panettone bread and butter pudding made even more decadent with candied pistachios and a pistachio crème anglaise. Phwoar.
Would I order from Dishpatch again? Absolutely. It’s a fantastic service, brilliantly executed, and complete with all the garnishes and extra details you’d expect from a restaurant experience.
Plus, let’s face it. While I love cooking, I think it’s fair to say that Michelin-starred Angela Hartnett does it does it better.