Best DIY Kits For Valentine’s Day At Home

While fancy dinners out are always nice, there’s a lot to be said for spending Valentine’s Day at home with your other half – or friend for that matter. Restaurants are always notoriously busy with canoodling couples, meaning staying in is often the more attractive option – particularly now that the food delivery scene is so strong. Why not save yourself the hassle of cooking and get a helping hand from London’s top chefs? Here we highlight some of the best Valentine’s DIY kits and hampers to order for 2022, from decadent pasta dishes to steak and seafood.  

How To Cook The Perfect Valentine’s Meal

Best Valentine’s Day DIY Kits

Biscuiteers

Looking for an activity to do with your other half this Valentine’s? The Biscuiteers DIY Date Night Kit includes everything you need to decorate 14 chocolate heart biscuits, including piping bags, icing sugar, a set of colourful decorations and a step-by-step guide. £38, biscuiteers.com

Bocca di Lupo

Italian food is a safe bet for a romantic dinner – particularly when it comes from London hotspot Bocca di Lupo. The restaurant is offering four Valentine’s Day DIY kits this year, such as the San Valentino Feast, which takes you on a tour of the country. Begin in Puglia with some burrata before heading to Lazio for a primo of lobster risotto, plus grilled fennel and potato from Veneto. Finish with Ligurian Camogliesi al rhum: chocolate-coated profiteroles richly stuffed with rum ganache – all washed down with a Tuscan pomegranate martini. £135, restokit.co.uk

Made in Oldstead

Yorkshire-based chef Tommy Banks’ restaurant delivery service was launched in lockdown, but it has remained a popular fixture ever since. This Valentine’s Day you can order a six-course feast, with all dishes made using ingredients that have been picked, grown or foraged on Tommy’s family farm in Oldstead. Begin with a cep sable with truffle purée followed by beef wellington, with an optional wine pairing with Banks Brothers. madeinoldstead.co.uk

Iberica

Whizzing up a good tapas feast at home can be a tricky task, with so many components to manage at once. Luckily Iberica is offering to do the hard work for you, with two meal kits available via Restokit. The Valentine’s Tapas Night kit features an array of hot and cold tapas, from artisan cheese and truffled Ibérico salchichon to aubergines with pine nuts, finished off with a chocolate and cream dessert. £100, restokit.co.uk

Otto Pasta

Nothing says love like a big bowl of pasta – especially when it’s made by the team of Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard. This Valentine’s Day, his food delivery company Otto Pasta has launched a four-course cook-at-home menu, available for most London postcodes. Begin with some focaccia bread and dips before tucking into a creamy burrata, followed by the main pasta dish of campanelle made with wild mushroom, black truffle, shallots and pecorino cheese. Round things off on a sweet note with a chocolate, espresso and hazelnut cream. Last orders noon on 11 February, ottopasta.com

Napoli Gang

Forgotten the date and looking for a last-minute treat? Napoli Gang’s Valentine’s bundle can be ordered on Deliveroo on 14 February, featuring a decadent meal for two of antipasti, loaded pizzas, pastas, a bottle of prosecco and some dolci – plus a tablecloth and taper candles. Sorted. napoligang.co.uk

José Pizarro’s Spanish Steak Supper

For a taste of Spain this Valentine’s, order a DIY kit from the kitchen of acclaimed chef José Pizarro. You and your date will enjoy 30-day aged steak with triple-cooked chips, served with confit piquillo peppers and bitter leaf salad. For dessert, it’s chocolate ganache with shortbread. £80 for two, dishpatch.co.uk

‘Date Night In…’ Letterbox Hampers

Friends and couples alike can enjoy a special hamper from Asian meal kit specialist Tyga, who has launched a range of different ‘Date Night’ boxes. Inspired by Hanoi, Bangkok and Jaipur, the DIY kits contain all the unique spice blends, pastes and herbs to create authentic feasts for two – from pho noodle soup to sweet potato saag. It also comes with two Boodles gin bottles and accompanying botanicals so you can kick things off with a cocktail, plus some orange and jasmine tealights to set the scene. £35, tyga.com

Sam’s Riverside

Hammersmith locals can save themselves hours in the kitchen by picking up a special Valentine’s dinner to enjoy at home from Sam’s Riverside. Begin with Devon crab with compressed cucumber and avocado or venison tartare ahead of the main: there’s a sharing Hereford aged T-bone steak available, or Dover sole fillets with capers and brown shrimps. Finish with a Yorkshire rhubarb soufflé or dark chocolate delicé with raspberry sorbet. samsriverside.co.uk

Simon Rogan

You can always count on Simon Rogan to whip up a top-notch feast, and his Valentine’s offering does not disappoint. Created by Simon’s team in the Cumbrian village of Cartmel, the menu includes dishes like buttermilk pancakes with whipped cod’s roe, roasted cauliflower with thyme, confit duck with spiced lentil, and a baked rice pudding with rhubarb. Finish on a sweet note with some white chocolate and rose petit fours. £85, homebysimonrogan.co.uk

Borough Market’s Recipe Boxes

One of London’s oldest and most acclaimed foodie hubs, Borough Market is the go-to market for excellent produce. From cheese to oysters and everything in between, its offering is unparalleled. This Valentine’s Day, the market has put all this to good use, creating a selection of date night boxes to choose from – whether you fancy a seafood platter, steak or pizza. There’s also a specially created romantic meal featuring dishes like burrata and heritage tomatoes, seared beef with asparagus stir-fry and potato gnocchi. goodsixty.co.uk