With traditional Mother’s Day celebrations cancelled for the second year in a row thanks to Covid-19, many will rightly be struggling for fresh ways to recognise their mums in 2021.
But with a year of coronavirus experience behind us (and multiple lockdowns), local pubs and restaurants have had plenty of time to work out how they can still offer families something special this Mother’s Day.
One such local pub is The Squirrel in Booker. It would usually be heaving with families out celebrating the special women in their lives, but its doors remain firmly shut as the pandemic rages on.
The team have come up with a fabulous way to make mums feel special – pre-prepared meal boxes delivered straight to your door. If you can’t take your mum out for a slap-up dinner, why not bring the meal to her?
Choose from three sumptuous options for starters, mains and desserts, and the pub’s chef will prepare everything with clear instructions to bring it all together at home.
I don’t live with my mum, and she doesn’t live in Buckinghamshire, so she didn’t get to enjoy the Mother’s Day box with me, sadly - but my partner Stephen was more than happy to check out The Squirrel’s at-home offering with me instead.
Firstly – perusing the menu. There are three options for each course, so no doubt you’ll find something that takes your fancy.
I decided to go for the chicken and chilli croquettes with sweet chilli sauce to start, while Stephen chose the smoked salmon and crayfish roulade.
For mains, it was supreme of chicken stuffed with sundried tomato tapenade for me and slow cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary and red wine for Stephen.
We liked the look of the indulgent chocolate brownie and the Baileys cheesecake to finish up.
After putting our order through (you can send a WhatsApp message to 07724 419038 or an email to contactus@thesquirrelhighwycombe.co.uk with menu choices and delivery address), we waited for our three-course meal box to turn up.
Everything we needed to put together a special evening meal arrived on our doorstep in brown paper bags. So far so good.
We took everything out on the dining table to see what we were working with and were thrilled to see the team had thrown in a special Mother’s Day box of Milk Tray as well – result.
The meals were clearly labelled in separate boxes, with handy cooking hints written on top of the containers. There was also an A4 page of instructions for each course that needed warming up.
Part of the joy of going out to a restaurant for a meal is that you don’t have to do any cooking yourself. And while The Squirrel team can’t come inside your house and cook it for you, you’ll be pleased to know that there really isn’t much preparation needed at all, as all the hard work has already been done.
We settled at the dining table while we preheated the over for my chicken and chilli croquettes. Stephen’s seafood roulade was ready to go straight from the fridge, so no work needed there.
Ten minutes later, the croquettes were ready, so we set about tucking into our starters.
Stephen’s salmon and crayfish roulade, served with a sweet pickled cucumber and dill salad, was a deliciously light way to start the meal.
If you’re a particular fan of sushi, you will definitely enjoy the roulade – it was creamy, colourful, and more importantly, tasty.
The croquettes were golden and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, with soft chunks of chicken and some added heat from the hint of chilli. Paired with the sweet chilli dipping sauce, it was a delicious starter that wasn’t too heavy, spicy or filling.
Onto the mains, and Stephen headed back into the kitchen to start warming the chicken up. That was the element that took the longest to cook at 20 minutes. The rosti went in with it eight minutes later, while the lamb shoulder, potatoes and carrots all went in together for 12 to 15 minutes.
The seasonal veg microwaved in the container (with lid removed) for around three minutes at the end, followed by the jus.
When the mains came out, I couldn’t believe the quality – it really did look like something you’d be presented with in a restaurant.
The chicken had a flavourful and crispy skin, while the tomato tapenade stuffed inside helped keep it beautifully moist. The vegetables were seasoned to perfection, and the red wine jus was rich. There was an ample amount of jus as well, so you could choose just how much – or little – you wanted.
The standout part of this dish for me was the rosti – fried with chorizo, potato and onion, it was golden and crisp with a deep and distinctive smoky flavour.
Stephen’s lamb was tender and melted in the mouth. Reheating roast potatoes is always a worry in case they lose their crispy skin, but we need not have been concerned. They were firm on the outside and soft and fluffy inside.
The roasted carrots on both dishes were al dente (as we liked it) and slightly sweet, while the rosemary and redcurrant jus added a fragrant and fruity layer.
Incredibly satisfied from our first two meals, we were in no hurry to find space for some dessert straight away, but we eventually dived into our final course.
The Baileys cheesecake, with chocolate shavings and a chocolate and Baileys sauce was creamy and soft, melting in the mouth, while the brownie was incredibly indulgent with a welcome fruity zing provided by the raspberry compote that coupled perfectly with the crème fraiche.
Having never had a ‘restaurant at home’ kit before, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was amazed at how easy it all was to prepare and how it tasted exactly like it would if you were in the pub yourself.
While we’re all no doubt missing our favourite local restaurants and pubs, these meal boxes are a brilliant way to support our eateries who are working so hard to adapt to the constant changes thrown at them by the coronavirus pandemic and enjoy a restaurant-quality meal at the same time.
The team at The Squirrel also run the Black Lion in Naphill, so another bonus is their delivery radius is huge – they will pretty much deliver from Chinnor to Great Missenden, to Beaconsfield, Marlow and everywhere in between.
If you’re interested in getting your hands on a Mother’s Day meal box, get your order in before 10am on Thursday, March 11, in time for the big day on March 14.
Two courses will cost you £24.95, while three courses is £29.95. Ordering is simple - send a WhatsApp message to 07724 419038 or an email to contactus@thesquirrelhighwycombe.co.uk with menu choices and delivery address.
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