Since the start of COVID lockdown pretty much one year ago to the day, it's estimated that 2.4 million people will be out of work due to the pandemic. That doesn't count the millions of self-employed people who are struggling to make ends meet as they work in entertainment, arts, events, hospitality, to name but a few. And on top of that, there are those that have been furloughed for the best part of a year too as businesses cannot offer enough work to bring people back on full-time.
It's no wonder then that the businesses we've been chatting to since starting this blog usually begin their story with "...it started during lockdown". This phrase actually illustrated something incredibly positive; that despite everything crappy about COVID and the situation in the UK over the past year, these businesses are actively setting up or adapting to pursure the livelihood that we find them in now. One person I spoke to said that when they were made redundant in March 2020, in their head it was a "sink or swim" moment. "You can either mope around and resent what's happened, or you can get off your butt and try and change the situation for the better" they said. The latter is what they did. They finally pursued a passion in baking and set up a business that allowed them to work in partnership with a friend, working around being a full time mum, and doing something they love. So what happens now that normality is on the horizon? Now that lockdowns are lifting and life as it was in February 2020 seems within our grasp again, are these businesses going to continue? Or was this just a fun experiment? Or a way to kill time?
The honest answer is that it seems to be a real mix. We spoke to a lot of the businesses that we reviewed about what their plans are going forward, and it's a real mixed bag, but one thing is for sure, that this time has given them insight into new ideas and avenues. For example, we spoke to Adrian from Mapamundo who was furloughed as a Head Chef. Since then, he used the time to set up his home catering business which we tried earlier in the year. Although the plan at the end of lockdown is to return to his Head Chef job, this time off has allowed him to experiment, test the waters and try out some new ideas, but also to give him the confidence to one day have a business and restaurant of his own.
Experimentation is a positive theme to come out of the past year for owner of Craft & Cleaver, Adam too. Whilst the government furlough scheme has allowed him to retain all of his staff and keep them employed, his weekly meal kits have also allowed him to rotate chefs to keep coming into the kitchens to keep their skills (and their knives) sharp, and to give staff a sense of still being part of the Craft & Cleaver family even whilst doors are closed. The meal kits were set up in Lockdown v1 and have allowed Adam and his team to test out new dishes, bring in new ideas and innovate the menu, alongside keeping business going! What's exciting is that we'll see some of those lockdown dishes weaving their way onto the new menu when they open their doors again even after the weekly meal boxes are no more. Without this down time, there's very little time to innovate in much the same way as they have been able to over the past year.
Another company we have been chatting to over the past few months is London-based dumpling company Ugly Dumpling. These guys run a dumpling restaurant in London's Soho area, but in 2020 obviously had to close their doors for the most part. They joined a couple of local food markets to sell frozen and fresh dumplings to the public and also offer delivery of frozen dumplings to various postcodes within and around the A406 North and South Circular. This pivot of business model has allowed them to remain in business and continue stuffing lucky faces with delicious dumplings. But this is just one story of many! Most restaurants have moved heavily into delivery mode. And that's not only delivery through third party platforms such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats (even Harrods is on Deliveroo now!) but the notion of meal kits has escalated. Now, most restaurants in the UK have a meal kit so you can get the restaurant experience in your own home. Chinese restaurant and three Michelin star holder A Wong did a £100+ meal kit for Chinese New Year consisting of over 40 elements to be created into an 11 course menu!
Whether these kits and delivery options will remain after April 12th though, remains to be seen. Philipp from Ugly Dumpling tells me that for him, the delivery service was just a lockdown necessity; with everything opening up again and more cars on the road as restrictions lift, his deliveries just aren't economical now. One local business hoping that increased deliveries are here to stay is One Delivery. This hyper local delivery platform works with brands such as Sassy Bird and Union Sourdough Pizza around the Hemel Area and continues to grow. Owner Joe tells us that he believes the landscape of how people eat out has changed and that even when restaurants do open again, there is an appetite for experiencing exciting, innovative cuisines in the comfort of ones own home. One thing is for sure though, that restaurants are now able to get their food further afield; experiencing a brand no longer has to be an active move to a specific location by the consumer; increased delivery options allow brands to grow their fan base wider than ever before.
Some really exciting additions to the local food offering all have COVID to thank in a weird way for their endeavours taking off. Both Lucy from Cheesequake and Gabi and Fla from Union Coffee & Dough were all looking ahead at a blank sheet of paper when they realised that now was the opportunity to try out that idea they've been wanting to pursue for a long time. Lucy believes that how people order food and get food has changed fundamentally, which has allowed her to start of small and use the power of social media and local word of mouth to get her business off the ground. Her initial return has gone towards building a bespoke website so that people can order more easily direct from her website and allows her to grow the business. She is now fulfilling a dream of making cheesecakes for a living which is something that the landscape provided by COVID has allowed to thrive. The same is true for Gabi & Fla; they set up a company that runs online and delivers, because this is how people are now interacting with food brands. The fact that people must "Stay at Home" means that their delivery-based business model has thrived. They can mould the business around their needs and grow it at a pace that suits them. Interestingly, this is a notion shared by owners of Sassy Bird and Union Sourdough Pizza too, who have more delivery cuisine ideas up their sleeve and are investing heavily in renovating a space from which to cater from, even after lockdowns lift!
Gabi & Fla revealed to me that they believe that traditional bricks and mortar for food businesses won't be as important going forward. This is certainly a sentiment shared by Adam from Mozzarella Fellas. He found his work as a recruiter slowing down in 2020 and pursued a passion for street food by buying and kitting out a van from which he makes the most amazing pizzas. He learnt his trade and perfected it over some months and finally launched in September 2020 as a mobile delivery concept. He invested in this approach because like previous examples, he believes that the way we now eat has changed and will not go back to what it was before. This mobile platform has given Adam the freedom to move to a different town every night and deliver from a focal point to the local community. It also allows him to travel with the Watford football team to keep them well fed with pizzas and sushi! This new endeavour is now Adam's livelihood and he will continue to grow and expand the business that he's carved out throughout lockdown.
As I remember from my days running a bakery and restaurant, working in food is physically demanding on your body and your time. Adam says that he is now working 18 hour days, but also that he wouldn't change it for the world. In fact, what many of the founders of these companies have in common, is that they are now doing what they love. So it's hard to not be able to say at least a small "thank you" to COVID. There is certainly a silver lining to this past year for some.
One thing is for sure though, COVID has thrown a curve ball that no one saw coming. It has tested peoples' resilience, but it has also oddly dealt people an opportunity to pursue something they may not have been able to ordinarily do. From seeing the quality of food, the innovation, the passion and the new ideas in just this one small area of England, it's phenomenal to think how rich the fabric of our local landscapes has become. And as we go into the "new normal" we can take the notions of supporting local, having artisanal food and services and supporting each other forward so that these fledgling, incredible businesses can continue to thrive!
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To continue supporting any of the businesses mentioned in this article, please see details below:
Craft & Cleaver are continuing their Friday feast meal boxes until April 9th. Outdoor seating will reopen April 12th alongside an indoor deli/grocery space until indoor dining opens later in the year.
Ugly Dumpling will be continuing to offer their dumpling delivery via Slerp (access through their website). They will open again in Soho with outdoor seating from April 12th.
Union Coffee & Sourdough and Cheesequake will continue to run their online store & delivery service. All access via each company's website.
Union Sourdough Pizza and Sassy Bird can be found on the One Delivery Site/App for pre orders.
Pre orders for Mozzarella Fellas also available via their website.
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