The Hammer & Pincers hits nail on head with sell-out luxurious lockdown takeaways

The Hammer & Pincers in Wymeswold, Leicestershire – Great Food Club’s Fine-Dining Restaurant of the Year 2019/20 – has responded to coronavirus with positivity and verve. So much so that on some days it is serving more customers than it did during busy times pre-lockdown.

On Easter Sunday, for example, owner Danny Jimminson and his team provided contactless takeaway lunches to 150 people. And last weekend, they launched their six-course Saturday Night Grazing Menu in takeaway form – complete with flights of wine. They sold out again, cooking for 90.

“On both Easter Sunday and last weekend, we probably could have served more people,” said Danny. “But we’re still learning what we can do. The skills we’ve honed for our outside-catering business are coming in handy.”

The Hammer & Pincers’ lockdown takeaways – and deliveries via the ‘Hammeroo’ Delivery Bike (Wymeswold village only) – are contactless. Customers book and pay online, then drive into the car park and say their name. A member of staff brings the bagged-up meal out to a table and retires to a safe distance, or pops it into the customer’s boot if they prefer.

Furthermore, the restaurant is conducting daily deep-cleaning of its kitchens, providing anti-viral hand sanitisers for its team and checking the temperatures of all staff, twice daily.

“At first, we offered pies and casseroles, but as we’ve found our feet we’ve been able to make more of the kinds of dishes people expect from the Hammer & Pincers,” says Danny. “As time goes on, more customers are wanting an extra-special treat during lockdown, so that’s what we’re offering.”

The Hammer & Pincers’ takeaway dishes include…

Amberjack, Turbot & Lemongrass Spiced Fish Patties, Coconut & Coriander Curry Sauce, Carrot Salad.

And: Dry-Aged Pork Chop (from Elms Farm, Costock), Pig’s Head & New Potato Croquette, Grilled Hispi Cabbage, Celeriac Puree, Granny Smith Apple.

The Leicestershire restaurant has launched Takeaway Tapas and Takeaway Sunday Lunches, too, receiving a large response to both.

Danny has also responded to lockdown by digging some raised beds in the garden, and he’s planning to build a chicken run and add some beehives.

Meanwhile, the team are planning how to operate when restaurants are finally allowed to reopen. “There are so many unknowns that it’s virtually impossible to plan properly,” said Danny. “But one thing we’ve talked about is putting up curtains or screens between tables. Whether that could work remains to be seen, but we’ll continue to innovate as best we can.”

He concluded: “When we’re open again, I predict we’ll be looking at offering an even more engaging and luxurious dining experience. We think people will see dining out as more of a treat than they did pre-coronavirus, so we’ll be doing everything we can to exceed their expectations.”

Book your Hammer & Pincers takeaway here.