We have run the Big Neighbourhood Dinner Table since the first week of lockdown and have engaged with 15 local independent restaurants in the city centre connecting residents with them to order food and with each other to share the meal together on Zoom. This Wednesday 15th July we will not be continuing the event as many restaurants are now open or about to open. The text below is an example of how we tried to expand our network of food outlets during the Covid-19 pandemic:

Engage has been working really hard to make contact with independent restaurants across the city centre and waterfront so that we can invite them to take part in our big neighbourhood dinner table project. We have sent emails, made dozens of phone calls and even sent Tweets to see if any of them are available with a delivery service or collection point.

We have asked residents to suggest restaurants they know to be open for outside catering during this Covid-19 pandemic. We thought it would be good idea to let you know the restaurants with whom we have been trying to connect. In the early days we heard rumours that many were open for deliveries but it seems that wasn’t the case and so we tried to speak directly with:

• The Monro
• Salthouse / Bacaro
• Wreckfish

In the end we had to look elsewhere. It must be said there were some wonderful restaurants that were simply unable to take part in the project which they supported but weren’t geared up for what we required. One of those was the wonderful:

• Delifonseca
• and another was The Blackburne Arms whom we spoke with but nothing came of it.

And so we are currently looking for new venues to take part in our big neighbourhood dinner table and have made contact with the following (so far without success):

• Chy
• Tranquil Evolution
• La Famiglia

If you can help with any of the above please do so and let us know how we can support their business. During the lockdown please do your best to support in any way you can Liverpool’s marvellous independent sector which is suffering like never before. And if you yourself are looking to make contact with fellow neighbours in the L1 and L3 postcode areas of the city centre and waterfront look no further than our Zoom gathering every Wednesday evening.

You can read all about the big neighbourhood dinner table HERE

Or you can also learn how to cook your favourite meals and prepare ingredients from the top chefs in Liverpool’s favourite restaurants like:

• Maray
• Mowgli
• Fritto Italian Street Food
• Silk Rd

And also well-known chefs like:

• Chef Ellis Barrie (soon to open Lerpwl at the Albert Dock)
• Chef Dave Critchley (recently opened Lu Ban in Cains Brewery Village)

You can follow the on-line videos here to learn something fresh and new during the Covid-19 lockdown:

• Culture Liverpool – Cooking at Home