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• Delivery, delivery and more delivery…

Switching your business from perfectly-presented plates to delivery is no mean feat.

Owners had to figure out the practicalities – ensuring food arrives hot and in good condition, to start with – in just a few days.

But they were hurdles most overcame, with hundreds of cafés, restaurants and producers finding their feet, and many hoping to continue deliveries.

At Portugese restaurant Jorge’s, in Norwich, owner Jorge Santos said the popularity of deliveries of their bifana sandwich – a Portugese pork speciality – had inspired a desire to open a new space to solely serve it.

• …Including fine dining takeaways

Even the county’s most renowned chefs weren’t exempt from the need to adapt to takeaways.

Seven restaurants in the Michelin Guide offered takeaways in Norfolk during lockdown, including Socius in Burnham Market and Benedicts in Norwich city centre.

The innovation meant diners were able to enjoy some of the county’s most high-end culinary delights from the comfort of their own home.

They included Roger Hickman’s Restaurant, in Upper St Giles Street, which launched a five-course collection menu for Father’s Day.

Mr Hickman, who said the intimate nature of his restaurant meant it was unlikely to reopen before autumn, said he was hoping to create two more collection menus each month across the summer, after the Father’s Day one sold out within hours.

“It takes some time to come up with a menu which maintains our high standards, but which people can assemble and serve at home,” he said. “I’m trying to keep dishes as close to what we would serve in the restaurant, but providing all the elements for people to bring together in their own kitchens is different, and I want them to have as close as possible an experience to what they would get if they came in to eat.”

• Popular coffee shop opens fourth branch

At the start of July, independent coffee company Kofra gave us something to celebrate when it opened its fourth branch on Bell Road in NR3.

The latest joined other branches in Onley Street, Upper St Giles Street and at the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.

While it will largely cater for takeaways, there is outdoor seating for customers to enjoy.

Managing director José Guzmán said the success of takeaways from their Onley Street branch had given them confidence in the decision.

He said: “We have had so much love during lockdown and people have been so grateful for our coffee and happy to have a little bit of normality.”

• New homes for city centre businesses

Behind the closed doors, some restaurateurs were busy turning empty units into new homes.

Sicily Market, a Sicilian eatery which usually calls Norwich Market home, opened up a permanent spot on Bridewell Alley in time to serve customers from Saturday, July 4.

Owner Rocco Consiglio said their first weekend open had gone well, and that it had been “very busy”.

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“It was nice to see people happy and finally able to eat in a restaurant, to relax and have fun. I hope it can always be this way,” he said.

They were not alone – Christophes Crepes, which has served up the sweet treat from its van home in Davey Place for eight years, is also opening in the former home of Tofurei in Pottergate.

Chris Smith, who runs the business with wife Lauren, said it was a case of “now or never”.

• The rise of street food

Norfolk has long had a booming street food scene.

But as weddings and events were cancelled, many food trucks – including Churros and Chorizo and Frier Tucks, among many others – instead turned their focus to travelling around their local communities.

A drive-through street food festival in Taverham proved such a hit it has now been launched in other locations, while community interest company ClearCompany has seen a network of street food vendors tour round towns including Attleborough, Diss,Wymondham and Hethersett.

Its founder and director Julie Briggs said they had seen sell-out events and planned to expand the events as time went on, with street food trucks offering an easy way for diners to socially distance.

• Picnics and popcorn to your door as new businesses open

There has, of course, been immense upheaval for businesses, with income plummeting and workers being made redundant.

But there has been positivity and innovation, with a string of new Norfolk businesses setting out.

They include cake delivery business Bakes by Ella, which was set up by Ella Tarrant from Hethersett, Uber-Corn, a flavoured popcorn delivery service, and luxury picnic delivery service PicNicks and More.

Richard Elms, who started Uber-Corn from his home in Horsford, said they initially planned to launch at a farmer’s market in April, but had to change plans when lockdown was introduced.

Hard work over the last few months, though, means their sales have steadily increased, they are in talks over stocking their products locally and have even had their first appearance at a farmer’s market.

“From the people we’ve met you can tell that we have seen the best of people during this,” he said.

• Demand for local produce

As supermarket shelves emptied, consumers returned to the local producers on their doorstep.

Butchers, bakers, vegetable box services and fishmongers found themselves struggling to keep up with demand

Lee Martin, owner of Norfolk in a Box, saw his orders increase from 12 to 14 boxes a day, to more than a thousand in one week.

He said they’d hired two extra vans to keep up with soaring demand.

• Generosity of spirit

As if they didn’t have enough to contend with, plenty of businesses made time to support their local communities – too many to mention here.

They included the Downham Tandoori Indian restaurant, which prepared more than 1,750 meals fro the NHS, and more than 50 for people in and around Downham Market.

And in the two months from the end of March to May, staff at Namaste Village Indian Restaurant on Queens Road, in Norwich, dished up almost 700 meals for frontline workers.

At Gonzo’s Tea Room, in Norwich city centre, staff hosted a quiz night to fund a party for NHS workers with free drinks once lockdown lifts.

Police are appealing for information after 200 coping stones were taken from the wall surrounding Walsingham Estate Park overnight on Thursday, July 2.

The triangular coping stones were stolen from the top of the wall around the estate in Common Place, Walsingham.

John Downing, the estate’s land agent, said: “They are worth about £10 each, so 200 would be worth £2,000. But it will cost double that to put them back.

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“We think that the thieves would have had an open truck or a lorry and that, maybe, three of them did it. The stones are 16 inches wide. They damaged the wall significantly.

“I don’t suppose we can buy them back, so we will have to find some temporary expedient. This is an historic park so the stones would probably date back to about 1880.

“We had coping stones stolen from a different part of the wall last year. The police caught the culprits then, and they were fined by the courts. Sometimes people come into our community and think they can help themselves to stuff.

“We have also had snowdrops stolen from the estate. We do try to look after this place and have a good relationship with the police. We have also put the word out to reclaim yards that the stones were taken.”

MORE: Historic stones taken from the Walsingham Estate in north Norfolk

Anyone who saw anything suspicious or has any information regarding the stones, should call PC Jason Pegden on 101, quoting crime reference 36/44097/20. Alternatively, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Now, almost two years later, Norfolk is a place I happily call home.

Here are some of the reasons why I fell in love with Norfolk:

1. The coast

That wonderful seaside smell of salty air and a mix of fresh fish and chips… nothing can beat it.

And when it comes to coastlines, Norfolk’s is one of the most vast and beautiful.

Being from Merseyside, I have always lived by the sea and could not imagine being any further than an hour away.

2. The people

As a Scouser, I was quite nervous when I first moved away from home as I didn’t think I would find anywhere as friendly as Liverpool.

I was wrong.

Norfolkians welcomed me with open arms – with a few digs about my accent – and made me feel right at home.

3. Market towns and the shop local mindset

Some of Norfolk’s markets have been serving locals with fresh fruit, vegetables, produce and plants for centuries.

I love that this culture still exists in Norfolk today, especially as it is so easy for people to go to the supermarket or shop online.

Something I especially love about the county is how keen the public are to celebrate and champion their local businesses.

4. The city

Norwich is the best-preserved medieval city in Britain and the home of wonderful people and beautiful architecture.

Everything from the historic Norman castle and cathedrals to the bustling high street and market – Norwich has something for everyone.

I can’t help but be amazed at how much greenery the city has managed to keep.

5. Music and food

I have never eaten as well as when I first moved to Norfolk.

The local produce being sold and cooked in local pubs, restaurants and cafes is second to none.

The music scene in Norwich especially is also thriving and something the county is very proud of.

6. Green space

As mentioned a little further up, I love that our countryside has been preserved and locals are able to enjoy walking, cycling and driving past the scenery.

It’s so easy to get lost in the brilliant parks and gorgeous walking routes in the county, and it’s something I will never get bored of.

7. Trains

Before I came to Norfolk I had never seen or been on a steam train.

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The fact that the county has been able to keep its history alive with heritage railways is wonderful.

It’s great to see how these trains have adapted over time with the addition of The Polar Express.

8. Wildlife

From seals at Blakeney Point to the array of rare birds, Norfolk is a wildlife lover’s dream.

Even though I don’t know much about animals, I love seeing beautiful photographs being sent in by our readers of various creatures they’ve spotted.

9. Snetterton Circuit

As an avid motorsport fan, having Snetterton Circuit on your doorstep is pretty amazing.

Whether you’re a fan of bikes, cars or trucks, the track has dozens of events each year for petrol heads.

VideoPUBLISHED: 06:44 01 July 2020 | UPDATED: 06:44 01 July 2020
Sophie Wyllie

Holkham Hall on the Holkham Estate. Picture: Archant
Archant

Lovers of the great outdoors will be able to enjoy a much-loved country estate which is reopening this wee…

Motorsport Vision (MSV) has announced that five of its venues, including Snetterton in Norfolk, will be able to allow entry to day visitors from July 11 onwards.

The venues closed when coronavirus lockdown was announced at the end of March, with no events taking place.

A statement from MSV said: “In line with latest government guidance, MotorSport Vision (MSV) is very pleased to announce that day visitors will be able to attend race meetings at its circuits.

“All five venues (Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Oulton Park, Cadwell Park and Snetterton) will initially reopen with reduced capacities and a range of hygiene and social distancing measures will be in place to ensure that visits are safe and enjoyable.”

The MSVR Championships, on July 4 and 5, will take place behind closed doors with no admission to spectators.

However the British Superbike Championship, The British Touring Car Championship, British Truck Racing and the British GT and F3 championships, all happening over the next few months, will all go ahead.

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Visitors will not be able to access the paddock and pit lane for the time being and no overnight camping stays will be permitted until at least the end of July.

To guarantee admission, customers must purchase tickets in advance or be in possession of a valid season or resident’s pass.

MSV said: “Until further notice only participants and their essential helpers may attend a test or track day. No-one else, including spectating friends or family members, or media, will be admitted.

“Race circuits are huge open areas of land. Nevertheless, we will limit capacity to ensure visitors can easily socially distance.”

Snetterton will have a number of hygiene and social distancing measures in place to ensure safety for staff, competitors and spectators.

These measures include hand sanitiser at entrances, staff being behind a screen or wearing the correct PPE, altered grandstand seating plans and one-way systems.

All restaurants will be ‘Grab and Go’ with signage to reinforce social distancing within queues.

For a full list of events taking place, visit: www.shop.msv.com/Calendar

PUBLISHED: 14:19 18 June 2020 | UPDATED: 14:20 18 June 2020
Caroline Culot

The giraffes enjoying the vegetation food parcel. Pic: submitted

Businesses have been rallying to those in need by distributing food packages throughout the pandemic – but…

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Gibraltar Gardens pub in Norwich is set to launch as a steakhouse at an upcoming street food market Picture: Denise Bradley/Supplied
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The new landlords of Gibraltar Gardens had to shut the pub after just three weeks at the helm due to…

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1. PicNicks and More

Order on the ‘PicNicks’ Facebook page

A new luxury picnic business started by Nick Hare who owns The River Kitchen in Wroxham, which is currently closed due to coronavirus, and items on the menu include fried ricotta ravioli, prawn summer rolls and lemon meringue cupcakes.

The picnics can also be made suitable for vegetarians, vegans and pescatarians and are available for delivery across Norfolk. Mr Hare also offers a separate service delivering Asian-inspired meals in Norwich, which needed to be heated at home.

2. Honest Kitchen

Order at honestkitchen-norwich.com or message on Facebook or Instagram

Honest Kitchen was started after private chef Bradley Trent had all his upcoming bookings cancelled and he runs it with girlfriend Emily Holdcroft, who has a background in hospitality, and her mum and trained patisserie chef Samantha Dickinson.

They offer healthy lunches such as teriyaki chicken rice bowls and miso baked salmon with quinoa, sandwiches and sweet treats and brunch boxes at weekends, with delivery in Norwich and the surrounding areas.

3. The Village Van

See the next locations at neallskitchen.com/villagevan

Tom Neall, from Edgefield, launched The Village Van after his two businesses, Quack N Mac and Neall’s Kitchen, could no longer trade due to coronavirus.

He has turned his street food truck into a mobile village shop selling fruit and vegetables, meat and other produce across north Norfolk.

4. The Big Jerk

Details of how to order on ‘The Big Jerk’ Facebook page

The Big Jerk has launched from the kitchen of Mr Postles’ Apothecary in Norwich and items on the menu include pork belly and jerk chicken served with fried onion and garlic rice and salad.

The food is available for delivery or collection and there is also a vegan option with baked aubergine and mixed peppers.

5. Street Box

Order at thestreetbox.co.uk

The Street Box delivers loaded fries, boneless chicken wings and sides, including halloumi and coleslaw, within five miles of NR7.

The business is run by couple Joe Barnard and Beth Allen, who run a courier company called Deliver 365, and they have teamed up with friend and chef Jamie Moore.

6. Get Baked

Available on Just Eat or contact through the ‘Get Baked’ Facebook page

A new takeaway business that has launched at The Kings Head in Acle during lockdown, with burgers, loaded fries, chicken wings and cheesecakes available to order for delivery in the area.

They also offer Norfolk-themed milkshakes such as the Brundall Bundle, Normal for Norfolk and Lingwood Larry.

7. Uber-Corn

Message the ‘Uber-Corn’ Facebook page to order

Uber-Corn popped up in May and was started by former chef Richard Elms from his house in Horsford, located north of Norwich, and he began delivering in the village.

After it proved successful, he expanded delivery into Drayton, Taverham and Thorpe Marriott and he offers flavours including sea salt and rosemary, salted caramel and sweet orange alongside traditional varieties.

PUBLISHED: 14:18 10 June 2020 | UPDATED: 14:18 10 June 2020
Daniel Hickey

Crowds lined Great Yarmouth seafront as the East Coast Truckers passed through on their way to Norwich from Pleasurewood Hills during 2019’s convoy. Picture: Jamie Honeywood
A…

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But with delivery options often limited and the promise of a chippy down the road not always guaranteed, food lovers in its more rural areas may have become used to hopping in the car for a meal made outside their home.

Coronavirus has hit the hospitality industry hard, with restaurants and pubs forced to close their doors, but it has brought with it a wave of innovation.

New businesses have been launched, delivery schemes started, restaurateurs forced to adapt and street vendors, with event-packed summers cancelled, now touring our villages and towns.

And it’s been met with a warm welcome – socially distanced queues now snake from food trucks on Friday nights and village centres are abuzz as households escape lockdown to enjoy the variety.

In Taverham, a drive-through street food festival proved such a hit in May it will now be held in other locations, and some of the county’s most prestigious restaurants, including Socius in Burnham Market, are now offering deliveries.

Ella Tarrant, from Hethersett, has been able to start her own cake delivery business during lockdown, Bakes by Ella.

And the 26-year-old, mother to two-year-old daughter Lilah Walker, will this weekend sell her cakes at her first street food gathering in the village.

MORE: Luxury picnic delivery business to launch across Norfolk

“I was always baking,” she said, “and over Easter I did some treat boxes and sent them to my family. They said I should sell them so I started to, and sold six boxes in Hethersett to begin with.

“More and more people were asking though and the next thing I had 42 deliveries in one week and it just took off.”

Since then, she has started creating custom orders, including birthday and baby gender reveal cakes.

With a background in both social media and the restaurant industry, she has been able to combine her skills to see the business flourish.

“There have been times where I have been covered in flour, my two-year-old is screaming and my dog is in the other room and I have wondered ‘am I doing the right thing’, but to see people happy when they receive their boxes is lovely,” she said.

Many of her customers, who live largely in the areas surrounding Hethersett, are older, she said, and not going out as much.

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She said she hoped the popularity of delivery and street food businesses continued after lockdown ended.

“People see it as a lovely way to spend a Saturday evening,” she said, “and it’s a surprise no-one thought of doing it before.”

The street food fair in Hethersett in which she will take part is one of several now being organised by community interest company ClearCompany.

Its founder and director Julie Briggs has spent the last two years looking for a site at which to base a new street food park, and hopes to make use of the former OPEN Youth Trust site on Bank Plain in Norwich city centre.

For now, she has launched street food fairs with a network of vendors, which began at Attleborough’s Connaught Hall last month and will soon start in other areas including Hethersett, Diss, Norwich and Wymondham.

MORE: You can now have a chocolate shop’s ‘lockdown boxes’ delivered straight to your door

“Outdoor dining and outdoor events will be really popular going forward,” she said. “It’s much easier to conform to the safety guidelines and people can have more confidence they are safe.

“Once we have got the social distancing rules established at each venue we can add more pitches.”

She their first event in Attleborough had been a sell-out, with a second equally as busy despite heavy rain.

“We sold out on the first week really quickly,” she said. “We had taken pre-orders but we could have done the same again and more.”

Despite the weather, people arrived en masse, and her team delivered to their cars, running back and forth in the downpour.

For businesses which rely on events throughout the summer, the banning of large gatherings was daunting. Several, including Spanish food business Churros and Chorizo, have taken to offering deliveries instead.

The team at Taverham-based fish and chip van Frier Tucks was faced with a string of cancellations, including Cromer Carnival and the Fakenham races.

They decided to try out home delivery in their local area, initially Thorpe Marriott, Drayton, Horsford and Felthorpe.

But Cheryl Pennell, who runs the business with son Troy Pennell, said demand had seen them requested further afield.

They now visit The Fox at Lyng pub, as well as the Queen’s Hill community in Costessey.

On Tuesday afternoon, she said they had roughly 30 orders in for Friday night.

PUBLISHED: 09:45 09 June 2020 | UPDATED: 09:45 09 June 2020

Crash involving truck and pedestrian in Church Street, Sheringham. Picture: Google Maps
Archant

Emergency services are on scene after a truck struck a pedestrian in Sheringham.

A Norf…