Background
Le Gavroche opened in 1967, offering the finest classical French food, and has been run by Michel Roux Jr since 1991. The restaurant has always sourced the finest ingredients, and has now teamed up with its loyal supplier Lake District Farmers to offer, for the first time, a home delivery box for the duration of Lockdown 2.0. Michel Roux Jr says:  ‘We have resisted offering At Home deliveries previously as we wanted to be sure that the experience was compatible with our guests’ expectations of Le Gavroche. While nothing is going to replace going out to eat in a lovely restaurant, we all have to be as flexible as possible during the next few weeks of lockdown, and we are really pleased with the way this collaboration is going with Lake District Farmers. It’s a delicious menu!’

The meal kit
The menu changes weekly, but our kit featured all the ingredients for a five-course meal (including sourdough rolls, salmon gravadlax starter, braised venison and vegetables, a dark chocolate and praline dessert, and passion fruit jellies). It also included cooking instructions, and an ingredients and allergens list.

How many does it feed?
Two

Packaging
The beautifully presented box includes all dishes and garnishes packaged separately in recyclable containers. The individual containers are not labelled, but it is clear from the ingredients list what is what.

Do I need anything else?
A few pans, some warm plates and a big appetite.

Prep
All the dishes are prepared in such a way that your job is to heat up, mix a few ingredients and plate up like a pro. The instructions are easy to follow and will make you feel like you are part of the restaurant’s Michelin-star crew for the night.

The food
We were very excited to receive this box and expectations were high. But how can a delivered box of food, heated on a temperamental hob top, be anywhere near as mind-blowing as the real thing? Our concerns were soon put to bed. By the time we had heated the sourdough rolls in the oven (simple and delicious), and prepped, and promptly eaten, the oh-so succulent gravadlax starter with beetroot tartare and horseradish dressing, we were drinking wine with pinky finger out and wishing we had dressed up a little. It quickly became apparent that this was no ordinary dinner. Taking a break between courses, we began ‘creating’ the braised venison main with mash, cavolo nero and cep mushrooms, which we had to fry in butter with chopped shallots, garlic and parsley (oh the aromas!) and couldn’t believe the tender meat and steaming, mouth-watering sides had been ‘produced’ in our kitchen. We banished the kids to the other room as the dinner jazz streamed from the record player. The good thing about exquisite dining at home is you don’t have to wait long to move onto dessert. And, after taking a sneak peak at the chocolate and praline indulgence earlier, we wasted no time tucking in, eating it slowly to savour every rich and totally indulgent bite. Luckily, we found room for the tangy passion fruit jellies to round off a very special meal.

The price
£120 + £12.50 courier charge for London zones 1-6 (or free delivery for South Lakes)

The verdict
Anyone that can transform a suburban dining room into a two-Michelin starred restaurant for the evening deserves a medal. Not least because it made us feel like we had a hand in creating some of these delicious dishes ourselves. It offered a real sense of occasion that we’ve craved these past few months, and even though we wished we’d dressed up a bit, it could be a one-off opportunity to eat some exquisite food while wearing your pyjamas!

The boxes can be ordered through lakedistrictfarmers.co.uk/boxes Le Gavroche At Home will be delivered Wednesdays and Fridays. Lake District Farmers also offer a Jason Atherton At Home box for £140, which will be delivered on Thursdays and Fridays.