Background
The Barbary is the beloved North African and Middle Eastern restaurant in Neal’s Yard. It is famously difficult to get a seat at The Barbary and Londoners have queued for hours for its aubergine moutabal and cured mackerel. Luckily for those living in a five-mile radius, The Barbary has just launched The Barbary Next Door, a delivery service inspired by a traditional delicatessen. The menu is divided into items from the bakery, delicatessen, cured, salads, slow cooked meals and desserts.

 The Meal Kit
The meal is made up of whatever you want to order – bits from the delicatessen to enjoy with a drink. A few baked breads, salads and cured fish for lunch, or a full feast with items from every section. Everything is delivered cold and is either meant to be enjoyed chilled or has heating instructions.

How many does it feed?
As many as you want!

Packaging
All packaging is recyclable or compostable – it just needs the stickers removed.

Prep
The Barbary has ingeniously managed to source packaging that is eco friendly and can be placed straight into the oven. Mains and sides need reheating but that is the extent of the cooking required – timing is the only thing you’ll need to keep an eye on.

The food
The set up of The Barbary Next Door is really fun as well as being practical. It is also extremely tempting to order a little bit of everything and keep some for the next day to enjoy over several meals. Delicatessen items include harissa and zhoug as well as the best hummus and labneh in London. The Bakery section includes stuffed bourekas as well as bagels, pita chips, challah and granola. Gravadlax and cured mackerel are fantastic appetite-whetters alongside fattoush or sesame, kale and Portobello salads. For the slow cooked mains, The Barbary is perhaps best known for its rich Berber Fish Curry and soft, indulgent Cauliflower Jaffa served with spicy orange GLC sauce but the Aubergine Chimichurri and Moroccan Chicken Tagine are just as tempting. For dessert don’t miss the Malabi milk pudding or Hashpot, a kind of pistachio crème with crumbled sugary biscuits. It’s a true journey across North Africa and the Middle East in the most delicious way.

The price
A meal for two with items from every section of the menu is around £70.

The verdict
A very low effort meal delivery service that offers a broad range of mind-blowing dishes. Could not be recommended more highly.

Visit thebarbary.co.uk/nextdoor for details and to order. The menu is also available to order via Deliveroo. Deliveries are available within five miles of the restaurant.