Some food businesses have simply shut up shop; some are turning their hands to takeaway; others still are cooking for the community, providing meals for care workers and those who can’t get out to buy food. The stories of how restaurants, food businesses and their staff are surviving during the coronavirus crisis are many and varied. We have seen very different approaches to how they are getting through these tough times. Whether moving to pizza and food deliveries, cooking 1,000 meals a week for NHS staff or switching from making gin to hand sanitiser, they are determined to survive. In this issue, we tell five very different tales of survival.
Some of us, especially those who have never spent much time in the kitchen before, have been treating cooking as therapy over the past few weeks. Those lucky enough to have flour have turned their hand to baking a loaf, while others have been stocking the freezer or store cupboard with homemade food. With this in mind, we offer some expert advice for the basics such as bread, jam and pasta. We have an oatmeal soda bread from the baking genius that is Dan Lepard; Angela Hartnett gives us her recipe for her homemade pasta dough; and Kylee Newton takes us through making apricot jam for those who want to turn their hand to stashing a few jars of golden treasure in their cupboards.
Through her television appearances and social-media platforms, Jack Monroe has been a godsend during the recent dark days, a guiding light to those feeding a family on a budget. In this month’s issue, as she prepares for publication of her new book, Good Food for Bad Days, Jack takes us through her Life on a Plate. We also hear from Tim Lewis, who has recently recast himself as cook for his family. He tells us how his time is now taken up with fish fingers and bright green birthday cakes.