Look, there are no two ways to look at it: 2020 has been a hell of a slog, and we’ve still got a bit more to go. While Melbourne is still working through stage 4 lockdowns (at least until September 13), lots of kitchens have been transforming their fancy wares into at-home hampers, so we’ve picked out a few faves for you to treat yourself to.
We’ve missed out on a whole year’s worth of nice meals, dinner parties, and bougie nights out, and you know what? We collectively deserve a fancy little dinner, as a treat.
If you’re not in Melbourne, but you know someone who is, these hampers and dinner packs are so good for treating your mates to a little bougie meal, to let them know you’re thinking of them (and their tums).
1. Old Palm Liquor & Neighbourhood Wine
If you’re after enough food to have you feeling stuffed and satisfied on the couch, the hampers from the team behind Old Palm Liquor and Neighbourhood wine is ideal. They’ll set you back around $110, and give you enough food to graze for hours.
Enough pasta for two hungry people (or two kinda-hungry people with plenty leftovers), you’ll get a couple of insanely yum side salads, two desserts, a delish bottle of wine and snacks to pick at throughout dinner.
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2. Sunda
The iconic kitchen out of The Hotel Windsor in the city has turned its attention to bringing the banquets to doorsteps in the lockdowns. With offerings suited for two mouths and up to four, ranging between $139 to $285, you can order in a bunch of delicious treats suited for pretty much every appetite.
Plus Sunda is doing pantry banquets for $155 as well, filled with weird and wonderful pantry stuffs, if you know someone who loves to get creative in the kitchen and can do something with strawberry gum, or vegemite curry.
3. Ides
Beloved Collingwood eatery Ides has been packaging up a selection of their classic dishes to take home and recreate that chic dining experience at home. A real light-dimming situation, this one.
You can either opt for the March Menu, which comes in at $80 per person, or the One Day Sunday menus, which are a touch cheaper and change weekly.
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4. Supernormal
An all-time iconic Melbourne institution is bringing the nosh to your home through the shutdowns, and have two styles of banquet hampers on offer.
The Celebration Banquet comes in at $75 per person, and features those incredible lobster rolls, Szechuan pork dumplings, and Xinjiang lamb, while the Family Baquet is $60 per mouth and holds a selection of their favourite menu items.
5. Attica
Leaning hard on the real bougie-on-a-budget aesthetic, Attica has a heap of delish options available for minimal-fuss meals at home. Honestly, Ben Shewry‘s Family Meal for two has a full family lasagne, garden salad, and the prettiest garlic bread I’ve ever seen, and it’s a very tidy $60. Bloody hell that’s a bit of alright.
6. Firecracker Events
Taking a hard left from their catering business to catering for hungry bellies stuck at home, Firecracker Events are doing Pick Me Up at-home meals, supporting a bunch of local, small businesses from the city’s inner north.
Think brunch boxes, grazing platters, and supper clubs, with everything coming in at under $150.
This obviously isn’t an exhaustive list, and the good folks over at Providoor have a whole smorgasbord of treats from different kitchens across the city for you to peruse and treat yourself when you’re feeling a bit fancy.
