We first discovered the joys of Forman & Field whilst researching where the very best smoked salmon could be obtained for The Independent. It seems we were a little late to the party, as Forman & Field are held in the highest of regards, supplying to the likes of Nobu and The Savoy to name drop just two swanky restaurants.
But now, NOW, we’ve discovered they’ve branched out to offer restaurant-quality meals, delivered to your home in under 24-hours. Recalling just how special their London Cure Salmon was, we were very keen to try this service for ourselves.
We began our decadent Friday night feast for two with Forman’s Smoked Salmon Blini Kit. It really would be a crying shame to order something from this company and not try their legendary smoked salmon so this felt like just the thing. It contains everything you need to assemble the easy starter. A complete doddle to make, there were a generous 18 buckwheat blinis in the pack (even we couldn’t manage the lot between two) and little tubs of pre-chopped shallots, capers and crème fraiche. We gave each base a good spoonful of crème, followed by a pre-sliced swirl of salmon and topped with the shallots and capers – more for presentation than anything else, but if you’re less shallow and not expecting them to end up on Instagram, you could easily hide everything under the salmon so it stays put. A winning dinner party starter, to be sure.
Moving on to mains, there are the likes of beef wellington or boneless quail with foie gras stuffing but we continued with the seafood theme, opting for Forman’s Dressed Lobster. Ready to eat, straight from the box, all that is left for you to do is plate it. This is the equivalent of an entire lobster, the meat mixed with celery, celeriac, pine nuts, mustard, fresh mayonnaise, parsley and lemon juice before being stuffed back in the gorgeous pink shell. Serving two, it’s priced at £49.95, and needs nothing more than a lusciously dressed green salad and salty frites on the side. Super special occasion territory, it smacks of anniversaries, special birthdays or the most special dinner parties. Don’t waste this on anyone you can’t be sure will appreciate every last bite. We paired it with an equally special and wonderfully rich 100% viognier from Domaine Faury Condrieu La Berne at Honest Grapes.
At this point it would have been a shame to dirty an apron making dessert, so we left that to Forman & Field too. Tempted as we were by the Tarte Tatin we opted for Forman’s Jaffa Cake Pots which arrived in a reusable glass jar (very 2019). All the better for seeing the layers of sponge, proper orange jelly and chocolate mousse. Again, this was completely ready to eat, leaving you to do more fun stuff like refilling the wine.
If that all sounds quite extravagant, you’d be right. This service is clearly for special occasions. And whilst you COULD go out to a restaurant and pay similar prices, you’d be missing the point entirely. To order this sort of quality food, to your house, where you could choose to wear your slippers all night if you so wish, is EXACTLY what makes it worth every penny in our opinion.
