UPMARKET TAKEAWAYS

Tired of cooking the same old meals for the same old people under lockdown? Why not treat yourselves at home?

The agency, Leiths List, helps you find a local chef to prepare tasty meals in small batches or to fill your fridge with ready-to-heat-and-eat meals (leithslist.com).

Chef Alastair Little delivers ‘proper food’ nationwide. (byalastairlittle.co.uk).

Potage, founded in 2012 when Georgia Cummings was looking after her mum, also delivers a broad range featuring seasonal produce from small producers throughout the UK (potage.co.uk).

If you like cooking but hate prep, recipe boxes are ideal. They come complete with measured ingredients and precise cooking instructions.

Both Gousto and Hellofresh (gousto. co.uk and hellofresh. co.uk) offer a wide variety of dishes.

Morrisons has a smaller selection of recipes but is the most economical (morrisons. com/eatfresh).

Riverford Organic Farmers provide recipe boxes – primarily vegetarian – full of their own organic produce (riverford.co.uk/ organic-recipe-boxes).

The Cookaway offers world cuisine recipe boxes for 2-4 people with the option to pair wine or add a side dish. Cookaway does not require a subscription (thecookaway.com).

New to the takeaway scene is the dine-in-likeit’s-out option.

It makes for a treat, even if the bill is almost the same as if you were dining out – dishwasher and waiter not included.

You can indulge in Hawksmoor at Home’s roast or steak with all the trimmings (thehawksmoor.com).

Or try a three-course meal from Rick Stein (www.rickstein.com/ steins-at-home).

There’s a full Sri Lankan feast on offer at Hoppers Cash and Kari (hopperscashand kari.com), complete with their signature cocktails. Côte is also delivering chilled bistro meals throughout mainland Britain (www. coteathome.co.uk).

Another alternative is to cook with neighbours or friends once a week – the Come Dine With Me approach.

I have been teaching a group of children on Zoom on our street. It’s proving very popular with the children and parents.

If you’re going to invest in one time-saving gadget, I suggest a slow cooker that can cook soups and casseroles and braise fruits.

All these are under £30: Swan, Russel Hobbs Daewoo, Croc-pot and Murphy Richards.