Glasgowist: Here are little things that we can look forward to post lockdown

According to my local post office, there's been a huge volume of deliveries over the last week. Mostly new pairs of running shoes and cases of wine. People are as determined to set new 5km records on their Strava apps as they are to fill their glass recycling bins as we settle into our current predicament.

Any recipe published online is widely shared as a well-hidden talent for baking is revealed. Instagram is populated with views of newly manicured back gardens. Parents are remodelling spare rooms into fully-equipped homeschools. A surprising number of people I know spend their time learning choreography for TikTok dances. A big Saturday night is now logging in for a quiz on Zoom. This is not the April any of us were expecting.

If you are struggling in lockdown, reach out for support. There are lots of people around who want to help and no-one is alone in this. We are all doing what we can to adjust. None of this is good, but staying as healthy and happy as possible is a worthwhile city-wide endeavour.  

Posters have appeared by the Clyde and in the West End that proclaim in bright colours "Please Believe These Days Will Pass". We don't yet know what to expect for the summer. Guesswork is the best way to describe projections for long-term recovery. There are few certainties any more, but this isn't forever. Try not to think too far ahead, but we can start looking for a path to the future.

Businesses are drawing up tentative plans in preparation for our phased release at a time yet to be determined. Social distancing is here to stay, but judging by international examples, there will be ways to resume activity while acting to contain the virus. Some of us might work from home for longer, you can expect limited capacity in restaurants and bars will have special conditions put in place.

There will be little things that we can look forward to and I've been pondering on achievable goals. When this is done, I'm going for chips. Piles of them with pasta while sitting in a booth by the window in Coia's. Duck fat fries with honey mustard mayo and crispy bacon, enjoyed at the bar in Partick Duck Club.

Thick-cut chunks of fluffy potato washed down with a glass of French white wine in Rogano.

Skinny fries with brunch in Hutchesons. Fish and chips from Old Salty's while watching folk wander past on Byres Road.

Chips and a cocktail in Kelvingrove Cafe on a Friday night. Loaded fries before a gig at the Barrowlands. That last one might take a bit longer, but I'll get there.  

I'm realistic. This year is going to be brutal. The shockwaves may reverberate for longer. Lots of folk will struggle. Some venues won't reopen. Personally, it looks like I will need to rebuild my business from scratch and figure out how to pay the mortgage each month. There will be a list of missed opportunities and scrapped projects to review. But at the same time, there will be chips and places to meet. It's a thought that's sustained generations of Glaswegians and I find it encouraging.  

In anticipation of the return of restaurants, bars and cafes, I'm inviting people from the local hospitality scene to hop on the Glasgowist Facebook page this Saturday. They will share recipes and talk about projects they have been working on in the community.

The lockdown updates will include cocktail demonstrations and messages from chefs in their kitchens at home. It will be a welcome reminder of what's still to come. 

For the full story on local food and drink, order Glasgow's 100 Best Restaurants Book here.

Delivery to Care Home Workers 

Every day, social care workers in Glasgow offer critical support in residential homes and in the community. Everyone should be aware by now of the ongoing challenges they face. The staff are doing incredible work under the most difficult of circumstances.

This week, I contacted the Scottish Care organisation and arranged to make deliveries of groceries, cakes and lunch snacks to teams in care homes. With the help of Stephen Murney, director of DVI Technologies in Stepps, care packages were picked up and taken to Springboig Care Home, Arcadia Gardens, Ashgill Nursing Home and Northgate House.

It was a gesture of support, funded by donations from readers of Glasgowist.com. Akara Bakery in Dennistoun provided sausage rolls, red velvet cupcakes, doughnuts and brownies. Kothel on Crow Road packaged up fruit, drinks, tins, bread and some bakes.

Care workers, along with the NHS, are being asked to perform a Herculean task on our behalf. I hope they know we are thinking of them and how much their efforts are appreciated. I also hope they enjoyed the cakes. 

The plan is to make further deliveries to workers in care homes - there will be two more packages going out before the end of the week. If you would like to contribute, visit gofundme.com/f/feed-local-heroes.  

WEST 

Petra Wetzel has shaved her head. “On day four of lockdown I got so frustrated. Now I’m emulating some of the favourite men in my life who are all bald, most of them not through choice”. She says she loves her new look and will be sporting it when WEST Brewery reopens at the Templeton Building in the East End. 

After a rollercoaster few years, the micro-brewery dreamt up by Petra when she moved to Glasgow from Germany as a student, was firmly established as a leading light in the city’s craft beer scene. You’d see St Mungo, their flagship helles-style lager all over town.

With the coronavirus lockdown, 95% of the business disappeared overnight. In line with government guidelines, the brewery made the decision to furlough all but five of their staff at the start of lockdown. They are continuing to supply supermarkets with local brews and process online orders.

Granny Beaton's 

Glasgow's street food scene was flourishing before lockdown with new local markets emerging, traders graduating to permanent restaurants and weekly gatherings at venues like Platform at Argyle St Arches, Dockyard Social and Big Feed. Kirsteen from the Granny Beaton stall, usually found at Partick Food Market, is going mobile to keep the momentum going. 

She is currently taking orders for local delivery in the G12 postcode and nearby - "I already work from home. All I need to do is brush up on the road layout of the West End and improve my parking skills".

You can order on a Wednesday for free home delivery on a Friday. Choose from chocolate brownie, Victoria sponge, lemon drizzle cake, Ecclefechan tart, tattie scones and clootie dumpling made to a family recipe. She will also deliver reshly made traditional soups like ham and lentil or carrot and corriander.