As the days get shorter and colder, we start to look for comfort foods, more substantial meals and desserts. Out goes the BBQ’s and Picnics and in comes family roast dinners and good old fashioned puddings such as apple crumble and sticky toffee pudding. What better way to spend a Sunday than baking with the kids in the morning, enjoying a family lunch followed by a walk in the golden coloured countryside and then lazing on the sofa with a good film and a good pudding.
Autumn brings thoughts of brown and golds, the falling leaves, Halloween and bonfire night. Toffee apples, sparklers, apple pie and ice cream. What an amazing time of year. As the clocks go back and the evenings get darker, the summer evenings long gone. We tend to move inside, spend more time in front of the TV, playing board games and enjoying mealtimes together.
This year brings it’s own challenges, in the midst of a pandemic, going out isn’t quite the treat it was before. Lazy afternoons in the pub are a little less appealing and a takeaway in the comfort and safety of your own home has become the new going out. But how do you make things, well, a little more like going out?
Here are some ideas to make the weekends, feel more like the weekend!
Making a Takeaway Feel Special
Whether it’s a family favourite, a romantic meal or spending time with your social bubble, there are things you can do to differentiate between any other night of the week.
1. Lay the table
Put on a table cloth, your best cutlery and crockery and dress the table to make it feel a little more special, use napkins and name cards to create a dinner party air, or theme your table. For example, a harry potter theme, followed by one of the epic films to watch and enjoy after dinner.
2. Ask everyone to dress up
Choose to get dressed up like you are going out, have a pyjama theme or ask people to dress from the 80’s. Creating a theme can make the whole night more enjoyable.
3. Order some new dishes
When ordering your takeaway, don’t just go for the usual selection. Try a dish you’ve never had before, order a variety of dishes to share or pick something a little bit special.
4. Serve your meal on plates
When your takeaway arrives, transfer it into warmed plates and dishes and place in the centre of the table, or serve up for each diner. This again will make it feel a little bit special.
5. Eat at the table
If you usually eat your food on a tray in front of the TV, this is the time to put the trays away. Head to the dining table, turn the TV off and put the phones and iPads away until after the meal.
6. Play some music
It could be some classical background music, something to go with a theme if you’ve chosen one, or maybe each diner could choose a few songs and set up a playlist beforehand.
7. Make it into a dinner party
A lot of restaurants are moving towards offering takeaways to try and keep existing customers and maybe find some new ones. Why not have a really special meal and order from somewhere with really delicious dishes instead of your usual go to takeaway options.
Why every Restaurant Should be Offering Takeaways
Not only does the current climate give businesses the option to try out offering a takeaway service, it gives them the opportunity to reach customers that may not normally eat out at their restaurant. It couldn’t be easier, with delivery companies taking the hassle away of worrying about transportation, there really is not reason not to give it a go.
With many restaurants and cafes seeing lower numbers of diners, this is also a good way to bolster sales and in some cases can be the difference between trading and having to close up for good.
If you are a business looking to get started, then do take a look at our takeaway packaging options, we can support all types of take away food, hot, cold and drinks can all be served in a variety of options, so take a look around and if you need any help, well, you know where we are!