Restaurant turns fine dining on its head with at-home offering
A Michelin-starred restaurant has been able to turn fine dining on its head during the health crisis, establishing an at-home delivery service which is set to become a staple for the restaurant after the pandemic ends.
Peel 's, based at Hampton Manor in Hampton-in-Arden, set up its new venture Peel 's on Wheels, known as POW, just a week after the first England-wide lockdown in March of last year - one of many to set up the venture after being forced to close.
Logistics, menus and the new offering 's takeaway and delivery website were set up at speed by Fjona Hill, creative director at Hampton Manor, and Peel's head chef Rob Palmer and are now being overseen by Hampton Manor general manager Craig Newman and Laura Haswell.
Orders flooded in according to Fjona, who said that in the first 12 weeks of lockdown were averaging 250 fine dining orders.
During the second lockdown, Peel 's expanded to national delivery with boxes being sent to all corners of the country - even as far as Newcastle.
James Hill, founder of Hampton Manor, also opened up a new restaurant, Smoke, with head chef Darren Meacham just before the second lockdown. Smoke serves up vegetarian small plates alongside hearty, meaty dishes cooked in the wood fire.
During the first month of Peel 's on Wheels, meal kits were sold out within five minutes.
The Michelin-star inspired at-home meals are prepared by Peel 's chefs, and include three courses with a snack to start. At-home diners are left to construct and reheat the final dishes themselves.
Plus, for every at-home box ordered, Peel 's sends out an additional box to vulnerable locals for free.
Nearly a year after speedily launching the dining concept, the restaurant has delivered thousands of fine dining at-home boxes.
Despite its success, the restaurant, like many others impacted by the pandemic, are just breaking even after a year of restrictions on hospitality.
The fine dining delivery boxes will remain a staple at Peel 's and Smoke 's after the pandemic ends, but in-person fine dining will still be at the heart of the restaurants ' hospitality offering.
Fjona explained: “The problem with a takeaway is that it can be a non-event. But if you are re-creating the fine dining experience in of a restaurant in your own home, you look forward to and enter that moment differently.
“I think when you have a fine dining meal it is an invitation to get together and really connect. It's a moment set aside from the everyday where you celebrate each other and that 's what fine dining signifies for people.
“Smoke will be open Thursday and Saturday night for takeaways and Peel 's permanently. We 've heard from families and parents that the concept actually really helps them to connect and creates a special moment in their homes if they haven 't got the option to go out.
“Fine dining is really hard to scale, but delivery and takeaway gives us chance to scale businesswise. ”
- Until it is permitted to open again, Peel 's on Wheels is available to order every week for Friday deliveries and pick up. Smoke is open for drive thru on Saturday lunch and dinner and Sunday lunch. The hotel with 19 bedrooms also offers a range of corporate packages.