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A Mother’s Day restaurant kit from The Wolseley, comprising a plate of scrambled eggs on toast with salmon and caviar, champagne, tea, and truffles
The Wolseley’s Mother’s Day kit
The Wolseley [Official Photo]

London’s Restaurants Embrace Mother’s Day Like Never Before

With dining rooms closed, presenting meal kits and deliveries as gifts is on the up

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The Wolseley’s Mother’s Day kit
| The Wolseley [Official Photo]

The novel coronavirus pandemic has changed restaurants — in some ways that won’t reveal themselves until things return to “normal.” But one very noticeable change is the way in which deliveries and meal kits have brought dining out into the world of retail — a world that very much enjoys making the most of anniversaries and occasions, even moreso than restaurants. That — and the newfound ability to ship their wares nationally — explains why this year, London’s restaurants (and a few picks from further afield) are flexing for Mother’s Day like never before.

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Diogenes The Dog

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Sunny Hodge’s Elephant and Castle wine bar is putting together a wine and cheese hamper designed for people who think “wine and cheese hampers” are boring. It packs in Sardinian pane carasau; a jar of honey; cheese; charcuterie; and two wines — the bar’s own white and a Portuguese red. Available for both local and national delivery.

Provisions

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Another anti-stuffy operation from Holloway’s Provisions. A natural Prosecco; Camembert; Burgundy jam; chocolate from east London’s Land, and some hefty duck terrine. Available for both local and national delivery.

BAO Borough

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JKS has reinvented itself as a retail outlet throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and offers up a to-be-assembled kit from Bao; a champagne duo from Bubbledogs; and Mother’s Day delivery for formidable kits from the likes of Lyle’s, Sabor, and Gymkhana. Local and national delivery are available.

The Wolseley

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Corbin and King’s low-key luxury vibe comes through in an elegant breakfast offering, to be turned into scrambled eggs with smoked salmon; caviar; and sourdough toast. There’s granola, orange juice, and marmalade too, as well as truffles and tea and a copy of A.A. Gill’s book on the experience of having breakfast at the restaurant. Available for delivery nationwide.

The Quality Chop House

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A local delivery option with a decidedly Easter vibe — centred around a lamb shoulder with spring greens, carrots, and mint sauce; pastrami-cured salmon; and a Basque-style cheesecake with rhubarb. For delivery on Mother’s Day itself, with the regular rotation of pies, steaks, and mince on toast available for nationwide delivery too.

Either confit duck or a rotolo of spring greens are at the heart of this trad-Med Mother’s Day effort from Brawn, with both nationwide and local delivery available. Bookends include a sticky toffee pudding with cream and citrus-cured trout with fennel salad, but the option to bung in a tiramisù and call it quits is pretty compelling on its own.

Speaking of tiramisù, Ombra’s Mother’s Day meal — billed as “also available for to all daughters, sons & friends stuck in lock down together” — would be well-served by the addition. Smart touches like a kids’ menu add-on and an amaro chaser, not to be taken together, orbit a centrepiece of roast monkfish with saffron, courgette, and mussel. Available for local and national delivery.

Circolo Popolare

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A cunning collaboration from the extra extra Big Mamma Group involves something fairly simple — decent pizza, delivered in London — paired with something fairly smart — a seed kit containing two types of basil, coriander, and dill, from east London florist Rebel Rebel. Available for delivery around London on 14 March, via Uber Eats.

Cockerel Cushion from Fosse Meadows

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The left-field option geographically and metaphysically, this cockerel cushion consists of a boned out cockerel wrapped around one of two excellent stuffings. Fosse Meadows produce some of the best chickens out there, and it’s an easy option to pop in the oven after delivery.

The Clarence Tavern

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Available for two or three people, the Clarence Tavern kicks off with ricotta and winter tomatoes; and calçots with romesco, and ends with a flourless chocolate cake. They’re the bookends to a centrepiece of pot roast chicken with Roscoff onions and artichokes, all ready for local delivery on either 13 or 14 March.

Monty's Deli

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Not strictly a Mother’s Day kit, but some of the best bagels anyone is likely to be eating come Sunday 14 March. Go plain for at-home customisation; order salt beef or pastrami for the restaurant-emulating experience; or just order babka and be done with it. Delivering nationwide.

Alhaji SUYA (Greenwich) Open 7 days

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Suya’s reliance on immediacy — the heat of the grill, the volatility of the yaji — makes Alhaji’s heat-at-home iteration all the more impressive. Sweet kilishi makes for a snackable gift, while the suya range goes from chicken or beef through tozo — a fattier, more melting cut of the latter — and all the way to an entire guinea fowl. Scaleable for the occasion, with local and national delivery available.

Juici Jerk

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Juici Jerk’s kits all contain a commitment to cementing the meal as an occasion, and its Mother’s Day offering — complete with candles, a face mask, and a relaxing playlist — is no exception. The food side of things is covered by jerk chicken thighs; plantain thighs; festival dough to cook at home; macaroni cheese; and fruit punch. Available for local and national delivery.

Coombeshead Farm

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This destination’s breakfast is justifiably famous, so its delivery offer would be the perfect option for a morning treat. It packs in enough for a few days’ fast breaking, with bacon; sausages; granola; two types of bread; and some beautiful grape juice. Available for national delivery.

40 Maltby Street

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Not food, but wine. There are many options out there, but Gergovie Wines — 40 Maltby Street’s boozy companion — does a six bottle seasonal number that will be a guaranteed hit.

Diogenes The Dog

Sunny Hodge’s Elephant and Castle wine bar is putting together a wine and cheese hamper designed for people who think “wine and cheese hampers” are boring. It packs in Sardinian pane carasau; a jar of honey; cheese; charcuterie; and two wines — the bar’s own white and a Portuguese red. Available for both local and national delivery.

Provisions

Another anti-stuffy operation from Holloway’s Provisions. A natural Prosecco; Camembert; Burgundy jam; chocolate from east London’s Land, and some hefty duck terrine. Available for both local and national delivery.

BAO Borough

JKS has reinvented itself as a retail outlet throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and offers up a to-be-assembled kit from Bao; a champagne duo from Bubbledogs; and Mother’s Day delivery for formidable kits from the likes of Lyle’s, Sabor, and Gymkhana. Local and national delivery are available.

The Wolseley

Corbin and King’s low-key luxury vibe comes through in an elegant breakfast offering, to be turned into scrambled eggs with smoked salmon; caviar; and sourdough toast. There’s granola, orange juice, and marmalade too, as well as truffles and tea and a copy of A.A. Gill’s book on the experience of having breakfast at the restaurant. Available for delivery nationwide.

The Quality Chop House

A local delivery option with a decidedly Easter vibe — centred around a lamb shoulder with spring greens, carrots, and mint sauce; pastrami-cured salmon; and a Basque-style cheesecake with rhubarb. For delivery on Mother’s Day itself, with the regular rotation of pies, steaks, and mince on toast available for nationwide delivery too.

Brawn

Either confit duck or a rotolo of spring greens are at the heart of this trad-Med Mother’s Day effort from Brawn, with both nationwide and local delivery available. Bookends include a sticky toffee pudding with cream and citrus-cured trout with fennel salad, but the option to bung in a tiramisù and call it quits is pretty compelling on its own.

OMBRA

Speaking of tiramisù, Ombra’s Mother’s Day meal — billed as “also available for to all daughters, sons & friends stuck in lock down together” — would be well-served by the addition. Smart touches like a kids’ menu add-on and an amaro chaser, not to be taken together, orbit a centrepiece of roast monkfish with saffron, courgette, and mussel. Available for local and national delivery.

Circolo Popolare

A cunning collaboration from the extra extra Big Mamma Group involves something fairly simple — decent pizza, delivered in London — paired with something fairly smart — a seed kit containing two types of basil, coriander, and dill, from east London florist Rebel Rebel. Available for delivery around London on 14 March, via Uber Eats.

Cockerel Cushion from Fosse Meadows

The left-field option geographically and metaphysically, this cockerel cushion consists of a boned out cockerel wrapped around one of two excellent stuffings. Fosse Meadows produce some of the best chickens out there, and it’s an easy option to pop in the oven after delivery.

The Clarence Tavern

Available for two or three people, the Clarence Tavern kicks off with ricotta and winter tomatoes; and calçots with romesco, and ends with a flourless chocolate cake. They’re the bookends to a centrepiece of pot roast chicken with Roscoff onions and artichokes, all ready for local delivery on either 13 or 14 March.

Monty's Deli

Not strictly a Mother’s Day kit, but some of the best bagels anyone is likely to be eating come Sunday 14 March. Go plain for at-home customisation; order salt beef or pastrami for the restaurant-emulating experience; or just order babka and be done with it. Delivering nationwide.

Alhaji SUYA (Greenwich) Open 7 days

Suya’s reliance on immediacy — the heat of the grill, the volatility of the yaji — makes Alhaji’s heat-at-home iteration all the more impressive. Sweet kilishi makes for a snackable gift, while the suya range goes from chicken or beef through tozo — a fattier, more melting cut of the latter — and all the way to an entire guinea fowl. Scaleable for the occasion, with local and national delivery available.

Juici Jerk

Juici Jerk’s kits all contain a commitment to cementing the meal as an occasion, and its Mother’s Day offering — complete with candles, a face mask, and a relaxing playlist — is no exception. The food side of things is covered by jerk chicken thighs; plantain thighs; festival dough to cook at home; macaroni cheese; and fruit punch. Available for local and national delivery.

Coombeshead Farm

This destination’s breakfast is justifiably famous, so its delivery offer would be the perfect option for a morning treat. It packs in enough for a few days’ fast breaking, with bacon; sausages; granola; two types of bread; and some beautiful grape juice. Available for national delivery.

40 Maltby Street

Not food, but wine. There are many options out there, but Gergovie Wines — 40 Maltby Street’s boozy companion — does a six bottle seasonal number that will be a guaranteed hit.