Neil Hodgson

Many food businesses have changed the way they operate so they can start trading during the Covid-19 alert level three restrictions. Some restaurants and cafes have started selling their food as takeaways or are delivering direct to your door.

Others, like Hopgood’s & Co, have taken a slightly different approach. They are spending a couple of weeks under level three refreshing things in the restaurant.

Kevin Hopgood told me they made some major changes last winter and early spring when they put in a new bar area with upgraded equipment and carried out a full redecoration.

But the kitchen needed the same treatment, he said.

‘‘We make sure the kitchen has good equipment and put a lot of effort into making sure it is cleaned properly every day, but the area hasn’t been painted since the restaurant opened.’’

He said it isn’t something you can do during the day and still open for dinner, so this lockdown has given them time to dismantle everything and paint the walls.

‘‘All the sanding and preparation makes a heck of a mess. But it is almost finished, and we can give everything a clean before we put it back together again,’’ he said.

The lockdown means he has also had time to share some easy recipes with you. To help the restaurants, cafes and catering companies that are back up and operating in a limited way we have decided to buy one meal a week from a different place.

Last Friday we bought a Korean pork dish from Gourmet Catering and Beachside Conference and Events. It was delivered during the afternoon in recyclable containers that are oven and microwave safe so were really easy to reheat for dinner.

And the food was delicious. The pork belly was meltingly tender, the rice wasn’t dry and the vegetables still had a little bite to them.

This is a family favourite, is easy to make and looks great in little pottles. You can use any smoked fish and also add lemon zest, coarseground black pepper and chopped chives to the butter that seals the pate. Enjoy. Ingredients

400g of smoked fish

50ml milk

125g melted butter

25g butter

125g cream cheese

Juice of 1 lemon

Tabasco sauce

Chopped dill

Method

Warm the smoked fish in 25g butter and 50ml of milk. When warm flake the fish into the bowl of a food processor and add the warm liquid you heated the fish in, then pulse for a few seconds to break up. Add butter, cream cheese and lemon juice. Process to a smooth paste. Check seasoning and add salt pepper and tabasco to your taste. Mix in chopped dill (you can use chives, chervil or flat-leaf parsley). Put in small pots for a dinner party or a single dish for home or a large party, smooth over and seal with a little melted butter. Chill for at least 4 hours. Serve with hot toast or crackers.