CLICK HERE to go straight to the Red Lion takeaway menu
For me it was mid-morning when Iain the Landlord dug me out from beneath my self-isolating duvet to deliver two Red Lion takeaway meals and the grocery order he had collected for us from the cash-and-carry warehouse.
Okay, so mid morning to me is what everyone else calls pre-lunch: Mrs Banks had been up since seven the washing machine, feeding the hens and harvesting some winter greens from the garden. Ian had been up even earlier filling his car with the takeaways he had cooked and packed the day before and picking up bags of groceries to distribute to we ‘vulnerables’ around local Isolated villages.
His takeaway menu advertised on this site (CLICK HERE to see this week’s updated offerings) had worked well: 75 orders for food from an extensive menu on a click-and-collect basis which the chef offered to deliver to those of us who have been ordered by the government to stay home.
His neighbourly service is particularly valuable for us: I live on the English side of the border but my nearest GP is in Scotland, whose government has not so far seen fit to register us with the supermarkets as ‘vulnerable’ (although at 72 years of age with asthma and undergoing chemotherapy for my immunity-damaged leukaemia I tick every NHS ‘at risk’ box apart from pregnancy!).
And ‘neighbourly’ is the word: Iain and wife Clare aren’t making a fortune from the enterprise while his gastropub stays closed: he reckons to make almost £1 on each individual meal, a little more on the multi-portion meals which is a modest return for three days work taking telephone orders on Tuesdays, spending all day cooking on Wednesdays and most of Thursdays fulfilling the orders.
As you will see from this week’s menu (CLICK HERE), some items have changed. “Quite a few people last week bought for the freezer,” said Iain. “I have made a couple of changes to offer some variety. Many thanks for your help.”
With my food critic’s hat on I can tell you that the Cajun Chicken Curry and the Steak and Ale Pie that Gemma and I consumed on our Saturday ‘at home date night’ last weekend were top notch. We will be dining again this weekend. Why not join us?
From a safe social distance, of course!
Hi Mrs Banks, I suppose that gannet BANKSY scoffed the Steak and Ale pie, while you settled for the Cajun Chicken. He’s always been that way. Give that boy a sniff of Ale and he’s first past the post every time.
Just taking the opportunity to wish you both safe isolation — from all down here in the South (of Spain).
Let’s make a date to meet up INSIDE the Red Lion when all the coronafuss is over.
xx
DO they deliver to Windsor?