Restaurants in a Box PT1- Home by Nico

I'll lead with the fact that when it comes to Home by Nico this is not my first rodeo. The dine at home meal kit from Six by Nico first launched over the summer lockdown and of course I had ample opportunity to try it then. I tried their French meal kit for my lockdown birthday and I even managed to get a quick review of their Italian themed box published on Liverpool Confidential- if you fancy reading that one the link is here. 

Restaurant in a Box- Home by Nico

Fast forward a few months and surprise surprise we are still very much on lockdown but Home by Nico have changed up a few things. Earlier last month they launched the Nationwide food and drinks service Home - X and they're now running their dine at home boxes from there. This is good for a few reasons- it means there's no need to leave your house and it also means you can get your hands on one whether you have a Nico in your city or not (previously it was collections only). 

Home by Nico Wine Pairing

All the boxes are dispatched and sent via DPD, the bottoms are filled to the brim with ice packs to keep things cool and fresh and you'll get a day and a time to expect your new arrival. Veggies are now catered for too which seems to have been a bit of an oversight with the original boxes and, in another positive move the packaging is now nearly 100% recyclable. The sea turtles are thrilled.

The boxes are enormous and arrive perfectly packaged with everything you need to create a themed four-course menu including a set of instructions, garnishes for each dish and a bottle of wine to go with it. The 'cooking' part is mostly just warming things up so the only stress is trying to plate it nicely which I swear is always harder than you think it is.

This month's menu was as follows...

The starter: Hot and Sour Tom Yum soup with prawn dumplings- a really light, herby broth packing a sneaky hit of chilli at the end.

The main course was the favourite- a creamy Panang red curry sauce with slow roasted chicken, sweet potato, baby corn, herbs and pak choi. Excuse the slippers... I like to be comfy when I eat.

On the side we had crispy pork Pad Thai with Prik Nam Pa dressing, mooli, rice noodles and peanuts along with fragrant jasmine rice with lemongrass and lime leaf. 

Each box comes with a cheese and chutney course which isn't really my thing so my partner took full advantage of that one whilst I made light work of the the dessert instead. Coconut and cardamom rice pudding gently warmed through on the hob topped with salted caramel and an 'exotic' fruit compote was just as comforting to make as it was to eat  (though admittedly my plating ability leaves a lot to be desired).

Each box comes in at £60 for two and includes a starters, mains, sides, a cheese course, dessert and a bottle of wine-the delivery is completely free.

You can find more information or grab your own Bangkok Box on the website here.

Becky x

*In the interests of full disclosure I have been working with Six by Nico for a few months as one of their ambassadors. This box was kindly sent for free however I had no obligation to post about it and as always thoughts are all entirely honest and my own.

The A-Z Liverpool Gift Guide 2020

It's one thing to have the intention of supporting small businesses at Christmas time but when the festive season rolls around and everything descends into madness it's all too easy to grab the first thing you come across in the Asda, stick a bow on it and call it a day (guilty and not sorry). 

To make it a bit easier to shop small this Christmas I've put together a list of local, independent Liverpool businesses, makers, bakers and sellers to inspire your shopping. Not only will you be supporting the local economy but you've got the opportunity to get something handmade, unique, personalised and sent with loads of love.

(Side note: I started this list pre-lockdown 2.0 so some of these shops may not be open to visit in person at the moment but hopefully they will be soon! Shopping small can understandably be a bit pricier so just want to add that if you're struggling this Christmas there's nothing wrong at all with shopping wherever you can or skipping the gifts altogether this year. As our big green friend The Grinch once discovered: this time of year is about friends, family and good vibes- the presents are just the cherry on top.)

With all that said....let's get started.

A is for Artists

If there's one thing guaranteed to brighten up your living situation it's a framed picture from one of Liverpool's many incredible artists and designers. For dreamy images of the city I've purchased loads already from Helen Louise Design, for colourful, quirky images that can be personalised to include you and your mates Jess Hanko Art is your gal and, known for her iconic murals dotted across the city, Jazz Stan is now selling full sized originals on canvas. See also: Sean Webster illustrations.