If I want to get my hands on some good grub at the minute, I have to order a takeaway. It is quite simply the only way when you have the culinary skills of, what Gordon Ramsey would call, an idiot sandwich.
One thing I have been massively missing out on what with not seeing my mam for over two months now is a proper good roast dinner.
See, a roast dinner complexes me. There are far too many things that can go wrong. I take no pleasure in cooking something that would require me to have a whiteboard full of intricately detailed instructions, each level of which paired with its very own timers set on my phone that you can guarantee will ding as I’m gulping down wine.
This Sunday I indulged in a whopping great big treat, an Elnecot Sunday Roast. I even collected some takeaway beer from Blossom St Social while I was at it to get that full Ancoats-on-a-Sunday experience.
The roast dinner is somewhat of a buzzword on social media. It’s up there with ‘bottomless’ and ‘cheese’. You are almost guaranteed to go viral if you have one of those three things in your status. We can’t deny it, we all bloody love the stuff.
Bottomless brunch is a concept that would be simply impossible to get delivered. You could quite easily recreate it by just cracking open a bottle of your finest Aldi Prosecco and getting on with it. But it will be missing that extra bit of somethin-somethin that trying to catch the servers eye and (im)patiently waiting for your glass to be refilled brings to the real bottomless brunch.
Cheese, on the other hand, is pretty easy and many Manchester cheese royalties have already become not only equipped, but pros at their takeaway services, including grilled cheese and cheese boards.
One thing I never thought we’d be able to get is a takeaway roast. Surely it just does not travel well, ending up in a brown OXO-induced mess?
The answer is, of course, simple, put the gravy in its own tub. Easy, really.
The rest of it though, how do you keep your roasties fluffy, roast chicken perfectly intact and veg not a giant pile of mush?
If there’s anyone who’d be able to do it though, it’s Elnecot.
So firstly, let’s discuss the take away experience itself.
Elnecot’s roast service is for collection only. They’ve set up a one-way system in the restaurant, cordoned off a safely distanced spot for staff and placed an abundance of hand sanitizers throughout the area too.
All you need to do is pre-order your roast, head down at your selected pick up time, sanitize your hands and pick up your delicious feast. It really is as easy as that. It’s actually really pleasant to see a new, super friendly face to chat to for five minutes.
The trickiest part about the whole experience is getting your roast home without dropping it. As the clumsiest person in the world, this was a challenge for me.
As you can see from the pictures, it’s safe to say this roast held up and it held up well. The gravy comes in its very own separate pot as do the Yorkshires to avoid getting those fluffy delights squished.
I’m pretty sure I don’t need to tell you how good Elnecot’s Sunday roast is as it is widely known as one of the best in Manchester but just in case you’ve got no idea what’s happening in the city centre, Elnecot’s Sunday Roast is amazing.
So how about Elnecot’s takeaway roast?
I’m gonna say it, just as bloody good. In fact, maybe a sprinkling of cauliflower cheese better than the in-restaurant version because you can, without any weird looks, wear your comfiest, stretchiest pants, undo any buttons and fill that belly up to bursting.
The portion sizes are huge, there are crispy and yet fluffy roasties, gravy that is so delicious you could drink it and parsnips that converted me to a parsnip side of life. There’s chicken that falls off the bone, juicy and succulent and packed full of flavour.
I can’t wait to be sitting back in the orange booths of Elnecot, sipping on something boozy and dribbling gravy all over my face when we’re all allowed out again. Until then, take away roast will not only satisfy your roast cravings but fill the gaping hole of missing out on your mums for a little while longer.
If you want in on this, you need to be quick. Orders are first come first serve and last Sunday they sold out pretty quickly.
The takeaway is for pick up only. Whatsapp your order to 07412 574324, with your name, order and preferred pick-up time and one of the lovely folks from Elnecot will get back to you asap! Payments will be done when you pick up your food by card only.
