Please note: our meal kit from Restaurant Kits was received free of charge, but this in no way impacted on our opinion. We were not obliged to write a positive review, and the brand did not see this review before it was put up on the site.
With so much chopping and changing of COVID tier levels, it’s a tough time for hospitality businesses. Many have taken to new revenue streams to both keep them in business and to keep customers happy – and that’s where businesses like Restaurant Kits come in.
It’s an e-commerce site that delivers signature dish and drink kits from a range of independent UK restaurants, giving diners everything they need to recreate their favourite restaurant meals with ease at home. And this December, they’ve launched a range of festive kits, bringing the spirit of Christmas straight to customers’ homes.
These seasonal recipe boxes come complete with video cookery tutorials to help people enjoy celebrating with friends – and there’s also private live cook-alongs available for larger groups, for a Christmas party with a difference, for example.
Each and every one of their kits provides everything you need, carefully packaged and portioned, as well as full written instructions and pre-recorded video tutorials which are emailed to you when you buy.
When it comes to the festive kits, there are plenty to choose from. Turkey tikka naan rolls from Rola Wala, double festive turkey burgers from Around the Cluck – even two and three-course meal options for those looking to create the ultimate home restaurant experience.
I was intrigued by Mac & Wild’s Christmas burger kit. Priced at £20 for two people, it seemed like decent value for money, and the pictures looked incredible. Here’s what we thought…
The delivery
On the day of delivery, the ingredients arrived in a branded Restaurant Kits box, a label on the outside giving strict instructions that it needed to be delivered that day. Inside, a combination of Woolcool packaging and ice packs kept everything nicely chilled, meaning I was confident that the meat would be safe.
The pork patties and venison patties both arrived vacuum packed, with the two brioche buns packaged in a sealed plastic bag. The burger toppings – Brie, braised red cabbage, beetroot ketchup, caramelised onions and sprouts a la creme – came in their own mini plastic containers, and while mine arrived intact, I’m not sure they’re the most secure for something that’s being sent via courier.
The instruction leaflet was very comprehensive indeed, with pictures of the finished product, a detailed cooking method, ingredients and allergens for each element of the dish, plus details of the creators: restaurant and online butcher, Mac & Wild.
What’s more, the leaflet stated that the kit was to be used within three days of dispatch – it was nice to have the option not to have to use it straight away.
The cooking process
With the components all pre-prepared, I was expecting the Mac & Wild burgers from Restaurant Kits to be easy to cook – and I wasn’t wrong. The leaflet advised laying out all of the ingredients – including seasoning for the patties – in advance, as well as detailing the kitchen equipment that would be needed.
The first step was to build the buns: first toasting them in a dry pan, before heating the red cabbage and spooning over the base, and spreading the beetroot ketchup on the inside of the lid. It was then time to season and cook both patties, before stacking them with the caramelised onions and Brie on top.
The leaflet also included instructions for the double cloche technique to melt the Brie over the patties, so that had to be done! And once done, it was time to assemble – including the creamy sprouts, which I’d been told to heat at the start and set aside, but there were no details of where to actually add them to the finished product. They look pretty good, don’t they?
The result
Of course, I made some homemade chips to go alongside the burgers for more of a substantial meal. Not that the burgers weren’t substantial, with two meaty patties, but when you’re sharing yours with a hungry toddler, extra food doesn’t go amiss…
The strong, gamey flavour of the venison was beautiful – and with the pork patties seasoned with sage and onion, that festive stuffing flavour really came through. I was intrigued as to how the rest of the toppings would work together: the creamy sauce in the sprouts, the earthy-sweet beetroot ketchup, the caramelised onions and the braised red cabbage – there was a LOT of sweetness in there. But with the punch of the venison and the herby pork, it was fantastic, and none of the flavours were lost.
We were impressed with our Restaurant Kits experience – and at £20 for two burgers, it was a great way to enjoy a restaurant-quality meal at home without minimal effort, a fair price, and while still being able to feel proud of my creation. There are still slots available to book festive options – and keep checking back, as they launch new menus monthly! Recommended.