Melbourne restaurants doing home delivery and pick-up during coronavirus crisis
From spaghetti delivered in The Italian Job Mini to drive-by dining and click-and-collect cocktails, Melbourne’s restaurants are responding to the coronavirus crisis in creative ways so you can still feast.
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When Joseph Vargetto walked into his restaurant Mister Bianco the Thursday before last, he had bookings for a full house across the weekend. By lunchtime, all but a few tables had cancelled.
“It was like the rug had been pulled out from under us,” Vargetto says.
Last week, restaurants that seat fewer than 100 people remained open, but many diners were already heeding advice to limit their movements and staying at home. Now, cafes and restaurants are only allowed to offer takeaway and delivery.
According to industry body Restaurant and Catering, trade at some venues has declined by
80 to 90 per cent.
In order to keep their staff employed and doors open, many top restaurants have now turned to home delivery.
But instead of using a delivery service such as UberEats or Deliveroo, which charge commissions up to 35 per cent of the bill, these restaurateurs are doing it themselves.
Vargetto has turned his restaurant’s Kew kitchen into a powerhouse of freshly prepared pasta, sauces and schnitzels ready for fridges and freezers that are delivered to the door in a Mini.
In the city, Bar Lourinha is offering drive-by pick up of its famous kingfish pancetta and other signature dishes, Di Stasio Citta has pick up and delivery options of its acclaimed Italian fare, while chef Jerry Mai is offering to throw in a roll of precious toilet paper for those picking up take-home meals from her mod Vietnamese restaurant, Annam.
In Fitzroy, Indian diner ISH is offering vacuum-packed curries ready for freezing as well as curry sauce to cook at home and Seddon bar Lay Low now offers “click and collect” bottled cocktails.
Even our fanciest fine diners have had to quickly adapt to these rapidly changing and unprecedented times.
Starting today, Ben Shewry is offering two “Attica at Home” menus for pick-up or delivery — a three-course meal that resurrects the restaurant’s famous potato dish alongside spice-crusted lamb and the Plight of the Bees dessert ($95 for two people, pick-up), or a family meal featuring Ben’s lasagne, garlic bread and salad for $60. Also opening today at 72 Glen Eira Rd is an Attica Bake Shop, featuring giant versions of the Vegemite scroll among other goodies fresh from the oven. The bake shop opens at 9am-noon, Tue-Sat.
“The Attica team and I want to do whatever we can to be able to help our community, and the thing we know we can do well and take away some level of stress in terms of getting meals on the table for families, is by offering meals at home,” Shewry says.
“This will keep our team employed, and helps ensure we as a restaurant set ourselves up for a positive future when we get through these challenges.”
The brothers Bertoncello at O.My in Beaconsfield are making the most of their acclaimed kitchen garden and the suppliers they have on speed dial to create 50 farm boxes each week filled with seasonal produce and pantry items — including a loaf of their unbeatable sourdough — along with cleaning, cooking and recipe guides.
It’s not just restaurants reeling from the effects of social distancing and the cancellation
of events.
Neredah McIntosh of Blake’s Feast said what was to be the busiest week of the year for the catering company quickly turned into its quietest.
“In a few days we saw what was our busiest week that we’ve been booked out for six months for disappear. It was a domino effect. By Friday we had next to no events left,” McIntosh said.
With full-time chefs in the kitchen and wages to pay, the catering company has pivoted into providing take-home meals such as curries, pies, tagines and braises.
“The support from the community has been unbelievable. We had 1500 inquiries over the weekend and we’ve changed (our business) completely. Last week we were catering canapes and sit down events, now we’re cryovacing home meals,” she said.
Bay Leaf Catering in North Melbourne has also moved to delivering home-cooked meals as well as groceries such as fruit boxes, meat, baked bread and even wine.
Johnny di Francesco of pizzeria 400 Gradi has opened a pop-up supermarket in Brunswick East selling tinned tomato, fresh pasta, salumi and cook-at-home pizza in order to retain staff and maintain cashflow.
Nicky Reimer at Bellota in South Melbourne has set up a new dine-from-home menu available to pick up (noon-9pm, Mon-Sat) or for delivery (between noon-6pm) featuring her famous flavour-first salads and Med-influenced mains.
In Queenscliff, 360Q owner Barry Iddles is offering 14-day isolation packs with twice-weekly delivery of meals (sriracha salmon with bok choy; duck risotto; roast beef with veg) that can also include groceries such as milk, eggs and bread. The meals are available for delivery to residents on both sides of the bay.
Jessi Singh is offering his signature curries (including the world’s best dahl) for pick-up and kerbside delivery from Daughter in Law, as well as an “isolation pack” featuring butter chicken, dahl, rice, naan and a six-pack of Kingfisher beer or a bottle of red for $50, while pizza and wine from Montalto in Red Hills can be ordered for pick up.
Events and promotions company Our Boys and Girls is now offering Everyday Errands for Places — for venues who need staff for delivery for instance — and Everyday Errands for People, including grocery shopping, picking up ready-made meals from stores and other errands (minimum 1 hour booking).
Before the government announced the closure of all pubs, clubs and dine-in at restaurants and cafes from noon yesterday, a few Melbourne restaurateurs had already announced their doors would close for at least the next month.
Shane Delia has closed his Maha Group of restaurants until at least April 29, while up the road Matteo’s in North Fitzroy will remain closed until at least May 1, pending further government advice. Teage Ezard, however, has called time on his CBD restaurants Ezard and Gingerboy, closing them both permanently after their final services last Saturday.
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