Since the Coronavirus lockdown forced all restaurants across the country to close back in March, both restaurant groups have individually trialled selling meal kits as an alternative to hot food takeaway and delivery.
Patty & Bun has joined forces with its meat supplier butcher HG Walter to launch The Lockdown DIY Patty Kit, which allows customers to make its burger at home.
In the box customers receive all the ingredients that its uses to make its burgers, including its signature HG Walter beef patties, Brioche buns, a mini squeezy bottle of is Smokey P&B Mayo, cheese slices, homemade pickled and smokey onions.
The burger group initially used HG Walter’s delivery network for its kits but has since taken delivery in house. So far it is delivering its boxes within the M25 – capping orders at 250 a day – but founder Joe Grossman tells BigHospitality Patty & Bun is now looking to work with logistics companies so that it can deliver the boxes to customers nationwide.
As of next week, it is also making its plant-based burger available as part of its lockdown kits.
Pizza Pilgrims, meanwhile, created a Frying Pan Pizza Kit that was available to order through Deliveroo from all of its restaurant sites, which contained enough dough, tomato sauce and toppings to make two pizzas at home.
Customers were instructed to shape and contrast the pizza in a frying pan, which could then be cooked under the grill.
However, Pizza Pilgrims stopped selling the kits once its restaurants completely ceased operations at the end of March.
A post on the group’s Instagram page says that the Frying Pan Pizza Kits are coming back, and this time they’ll be available to order nationwide.
More information on how to order the pizza kits is expected to announced in the coming days.*
Patty & Bun and Pizza Pilgrims aren’t the only operators to have diversified their offer by selling meal kits.
Plant-based burger slingers The Vurger Co has released a meal kit that contains all the components needed to make either two or four burgers, and also comes with fries that can be prepared at home. Next week, Honest Burgers will release 250 limited edition ‘Honest at Home’ kits, with all the proceeds going to charity.
Away from savoury options, dessert specialist Chin Chin has released two ‘starter kits’ for its marshmallow hot chocolate; and griddled cookie dough.
*Update: Pizza Pilgrims co-founder James Elliot has since announced the reopening of the group's flagship restaurant in Victoria, London, and that the Frying Pan Pizza Kits are now available for order nationwide.
