IT’S day who knows what of lockdown and time for yet another evening at home.

A year has passed with birthdays not celebrated and milestones unmarked while trying to muster the enthusiasm to rustle up another home-cooked meal.

But fans of fine food can now bring some Michelin star quality to the dinner table, thanks to celebrity chef Nigel Haworth’s latest project.

Nigel Haworth

Nigel Haworth

The co-founder of Northcote hotel and restaurant in Langho has just launched Haworth@Home and I was delighted to receive a box to try out.

With restaurants closed due to the pandemic, enjoying a meal out seems like a distant memory and this certainly brought a much-welcomed change of pace to the evening.

This is not the first cook at home restaurant box I’ve devoured, tapas and burgers have both featured in seemingly never-ending lockdown part three. But this one really was on another culinary level.

Delving into the box of goodies and there was a cheese and sourdough roll to get things going. Six minutes in the oven and it was crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and delicious smothered with butter bean hummus.

Sourdough bread

Sourdough bread

The menu has been inspired by Whalley-born Nigel’s love of sustainable British produce and Lancastrian heritage.

Professionally-prepared starter

Professionally-prepared starter

The perfectly-smoked salmon for the starter comes from Wellgate Smokehouse in Clitheroe and was divine wrapped in puff pastry with leeks, ginger and caviar cream ­— quite the step up from our usual evening meal.

Starter created at home

Starter created at home

The meal-for-two comes with easy to follow instructions, including how to plate up each course, so you can create your own masterpiece at home. And if you can’t quite pull off a look that would impress judges on TV’s Great British Menu then it’s fun trying ­— with a brush here and a drizzle there.

Next up was truffle herb-fed free range chicken breast with truffle and mushroom butter, braised chicken leg meat, hen of the woods mushroom, sea kale and yeast-infused potato.

Professionally-prepared main course

Professionally-prepared main course

The two types of chicken meat were cooked by simmering in their pouches and then transferring to the oven, with juices spooned over.

Main course created at home

Main course created at home

From perigord truffle butter to the red Emmalie potato, the main course had all the amazing flavours you would expect from a meal put together by a multi award-winning chef.

Dessert ­— Yorkshire rhubarb, white chocolate and rosewater, meringue, blood orange compote ­— was perhaps the trickiest to plate up but presentation did not take away from the taste of the sweet treat.

FINE DINING: Dessert prepared by the professionals

FINE DINING: Dessert prepared by the professionals

That left just enough room to devour my share of a small box of four artisan chocolates.

Artisan chocolates

Artisan chocolates

Priced from £110 a box, if you’ve got a special occasion or just want to feel like a gourmet cook in your own home visit nigel-haworth.co.uk/haworth-at-home for details.