Going out on Valentine’s Day is not for everyone. It requires booking a table weeks, if not months in advance; a fairly sizable budget — at least those hoping to impress a date; and the negotiating of countless other loved-up diners, all of whom will be bustling at the bar ordering prosecco before taking up too much room on the Tube.
Rest assured, there’s another option: the meal kit to prepare and enjoy at home. These require a degree of planning, plus just enough cooking to show effort, but they are fun, straightforward and allow for staying comfortable indoors. February weather can be a drudge.
From £20 kits to £500, here’s our pick of the best.
Lina Stores
Scores of movies would tell us that pasta is the most romantic dish any couple might share and so the Valentine’s Box from the Italian restaurant group Lina Stores would work well on February 14. The kit comes in the brand’s famous green and white striped packaging and is filled with focaccia, Cerignola olives, coppa and Tuscan pecorino, as well as a pasta dish, a bottle of prosecco, and a pair of rich baci brownies. Pretty good for £75 and super easy to prepare. linastores.co.uk
Rockfish
Those who aren’t au fait with Rockfish, it’s a much-loved group of seafood restaurants based in the South West. This box would suit those who have a little bit of know-how in the kitchen, as some planning and preparation is involved. Straight out of Brixham quay in Devon comes a whole cooked lobster (to be halved), plus two fillets of turbot or Dover sole (buyer’s choice) ready to be baked in the oven with garlic butter. The delivery is sent frozen to defrost overnight. All you need do is add fries and a side salad and pop a bottle of champagne. Superb British seafood for £65 between two. rockfish.co.uk
Simon Rogan
The chef Simon Rogan, of the three Michelin-star Cumbrian restaurant L’Enclume, has put together a six-course menu for Valentine’s Day. Begin with a whipped goat’s curd tart with preserves before lobster with fennel and lobster head broth, pressed lamb belly with crushed new potatoes and salsify crisps, and a rhubarb and Bakewell slice. All this is bookended by sourdough bread and birch sap chocolate truffles. You won’t need much by way of technical ability in the kitchen and Rogan’s cooking instructions are precise. Three-star food for £150? Good deal. simonrogan.co.uk
Dishoom
Brinner — the art of cooking a cooked breakfast for dinner — is something a lot of people enjoy, though Dishoom’s bacon naan kit would make for a romantic breakfast-in-bed situation too. Perfect before a gentle stroll. Included in the box is a pack of Ramsay of Carluke streaky bacon, soft tandoori naans, cream cheese, chilli tomato jam, and fresh herbs. There’s a pouch of chai loose leaf tea, too. It’s a brilliantly affordable option at £20, plus Dishoom donates a meal to Magic Breakfast, a charity which supports hungry children in the UK and abroad, for every kit sold. Pre-order by February 11 to ensure a delivery before Valentine’s Day. dishoom.co.uk
Made in Oldestead
Like so many restaurant meal kits, Made in Oldstead was born in the perils of lockdown as a means to survive. Founded by Tommy Banks, of the Michelin-starred Black Swan in Yorkshire, the boxes proved so popular that he soon expanded the side hustle into a fully fledged business. The seven-course menu includes a celeriac and truffle croustade, a bread course with cured meats, halibut with smoked butter and cauliflower, and a prime beef Wellington before palate cleansers, dessert and petit fours. £180 for two. madeinoldstead.co.uk
Fortnum & Mason
For those with £500 to spend, or fancy a mad blowout, Fortnum & Mason has an Ultimate Valentine’s Day meal box full of excellent things. The list is long. Ready? A bottle of Louis Roederer champagne, cocktail nuts, gin olives, a lobster thermidor to share with a 30g pot of Oscietra caviar and Mother of Pearl spoon, a bottle of fine Saint-Emilion, a beef Wellington for two with dauphinoise potatoes and a porcelain roasting dish, green beans with a shallot dressing, a red wine jus, and then a heart-shaped chocolate box, two espresso daiquiris, a Tiger in the Parlour card, and each of a Fortnum’s corkscrew, champagne stopper, and honey candle. Actually quite a good deal, isn’t it? Available from February 12 from fortnumandmason.com
